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A review by being_stupid
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
It's so mediocre it's aweful. We have five key issues:
1. The lowkey transphobia
2. A communal "we" when each species talks about their species that for Humans since it's really developed ignores a little something called "class struggle". And it would be alright even fine, IF it was not implied or even said out loud thatan extremely rich man on Mars got rich by selling weapons to both side of a civil war. Then rich means also poor people which means class struggle. There's no we, okay.
3. The species Aelons, it s a whole issue that contradicts the author. The author, in the book, states that beauty is because of culture and yet we have Aelons that are universally beautiful and it's not expended on. That fact, which is anecdotal no spoiler, implies a superiority at least in aesthetic in their genes. Ew.
4. Similarly, this books is filled with implied eugenics. Not downright some genes are better but almost. Please for fuck sake can we not. I know Americans where the big guys about eugenics in 1930s and even imported it in Japan. But PLEASE. No thank you. I could talk more about it but I won't.
5. The MOST IMPORTANT POINT, the found family is shit.
I could have ignored most of the other points to some extent, if at least it was good. It wasn't.
Omg none of the relationships feel real.
Every issues is resolved in like 4 pages max, which erases every stake that this book could've had.
Said issues are resolved with what? A monologue from one character. It's only tell no show.
The timejumps doesn't allow us to see how their relationships evolve. The key points are, as said before turned irrelevant.
And even worst, the main reveal of Rosemary's past is made forgettable. How did I forget that the big revealed that we all waited for? It was made useless because resolved in 3 pages by a monologue of one of the character. And YES she talked about it after (literally 2 pages after) with another character and again resolved in 3 pages. There is no stake.
All tell no show. It doesn't feel real
1. The lowkey transphobia
2. A communal "we" when each species talks about their species that for Humans since it's really developed ignores a little something called "class struggle". And it would be alright even fine, IF it was not implied or even said out loud that
3. The species Aelons, it s a whole issue that contradicts the author. The author, in the book, states that beauty is because of culture and yet we have Aelons that are universally beautiful and it's not expended on. That fact, which is anecdotal no spoiler, implies a superiority at least in aesthetic in their genes. Ew.
4. Similarly, this books is filled with implied eugenics. Not downright some genes are better but almost. Please for fuck sake can we not. I know Americans where the big guys about eugenics in 1930s and even imported it in Japan. But PLEASE. No thank you. I could talk more about it but I won't.
5. The MOST IMPORTANT POINT, the found family is shit.
I could have ignored most of the other points to some extent, if at least it was good. It wasn't.
Omg none of the relationships feel real.
Every issues is resolved in like 4 pages max, which erases every stake that this book could've had.
Said issues are resolved with what? A monologue from one character. It's only tell no show.
The timejumps doesn't allow us to see how their relationships evolve. The key points are, as said before turned irrelevant.
And even worst, the main reveal of Rosemary's past is made forgettable. How did I forget that the big revealed that we all waited for? It was made useless because resolved in 3 pages by a monologue of one of the character. And YES she talked about it after (literally 2 pages after) with another character and again resolved in 3 pages. There is no stake.
All tell no show. It doesn't feel real