smakdonald 's review for:

Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi

4.25

adventurous funny

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

---

Given that this is the tenth work I've read by John Scalzi I really shouldn't be surprised that I enjoyed it. Still, this was my first introduction to a book that is really the same book as the one that came before, just from a different character's point of view. I wasn't sure how to feel about that, and it was part of the reason I waited five or six months before picking this up. 

I need not have worried. This book managed to entertain, despite the somewhat repeated material; actually improve upon the last book, which I already enjoyed quite a bit; and make a book written from the perspective of a teenage girl actually sound like it might've been a teenage girl (In the acknowledgements Scalzi reveals he was quite worried about this, and crowdsourced from many of the women in his life, as they were ostensibly once teenage girls themselves). 

In my opinion, Scalzi remains the undisputed champion of snappy dialogue, and I am continually impressed that he is able to maintain the level of wit he established early on. That being said, I think the humor is definitely of a brand tailored to my sensibilities, so if you don't think I'm funny, maybe Scalzi isn't for you (and also why are you here?)