A review by crufts
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This warm, loving novel about the value of found family was a delight to read.

It's also the first book I've read that feels like a webcomic - particularly some long-form story-focused ones. Just as these webcomics do, the story...
  1. Begins with our protagonist entering a new world with a new group of colleagues. (Edward is a new retail employee hire at a store in the webcomic Between Failures. Syr'nj is a nervous, recently-started adventurer joining an adventuring party in Guilded Age. Bitty is a new teammate joining an ice hockey team in Check, Please!.)
  2. The protagonist has doubts, or otherwise comes into conflict with their new group. (Edward argues with Carol, the floor manager. Syr'nj's serious and sincere manner is ridiculed by her more jokey and cynical teammates. Bitty faints on the ice when he gets "checked" by other players during practice [a hockey move involving ramming into other players] and the team captain, Jack, chastises him.)
  3. The group must handle some first-act conflicts and challenges that push them to work together, improving their relationships. (Edward and Carol apologize to each other, following encouragement from the other retail employees. A member of Syr'nj's adventuring party is kidnapped and the rest must work together to rescue her. Jack encourages Bitty to persevere and practice being "checked" until he stops fainting.)
  4. In the process, the protagonist becomes especially close with a member of the new group. (Edward begins to date Nina, one of the other retail employees. Syr'nj becomes close with the party's berserker, Byron. Bitty learns about the pressure Jack is under as the son of a famous ice hockey player.) At this point, the group considers eachother no longer just friends, but a found family. 
  5. In the second act, the group must contend with a major challenge - one that threatens the foundation of their little family. (Ed's retail store is slated to close due to low sales. War is poised to break out across the land unless Syr'nj and her party can broker peace between clashing nations. The team is facing their final game before Bitty finishes college, but he still struggles with being "checked".)
  6. Under pressure from this major threat, the found family learns more about each other's secrets and backstory, binding their friendship even stronger. (Carol learns about how Thomas's ex-girlfriend has cast a shadow over his life for years. Syr'nj learns the terrible origin behind Byron's berserker curse. Bitty tells Jack how students at school hit him for being gay, and how being "checked" brings him right back to the slurs and bullying they threw at him.)
  7. Finally, the threat grows larger than ever. But because of the strength of their bonds, the found family successfully conquers the threat. (The retail store employees work together to protect Thomas while his ex-girlfriend sells her book at the store. The adventuring party's love and care for eachother makes it possible for them to end Byron's curse and fight through the literal end of their world. In the final hockey game, Bitty raises himself from the ice after being "checked" to the floor, allowing the winning goal to be scored.)
  8. (For a longer webcomic, repeat steps 3-7 as many times as desired.)

And TLWTASAP does the same thing. The parallels are so close that it's amazing. Seriously, how did this happen? My best guess is that for some reason, "found family" is just a really popular theme for webcomics.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this format in the book and definitely look forward to reading onwards to the sequel. Supposedly it's even better?!
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