A review by atlastheninth
Reaching for Venus by Maija Barnett

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and West 44 Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

 

Reaching for Venus is a hi/low novel written in verse and it did that well. The story never slows down and the language is easy to understand. Because it is written in verse it is also a rather quick read, which I think is great for new readers. 
 I also love that it is sci-fi because that genre is normally more on the inaccessible side with overcomplicated language. So if you are a new/young/non-native english reader and want to read something different than the typical contemporary/school drama this is great!

 

Of course because of the length you do not get the time with the characters you might need to truly get to know them and feel for them but this book still does a good job to make the characters feel distinct from each other. 

 

And seeing more and more casual queer representation in YA/middle grade books makes me very happy.