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A review by emleemay
Ark by Veronica Roth
3.0
[b:Ark|47137756|Ark|Veronica Roth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563469282l/47137756._SX50_.jpg|72182859] was my second read from the Forward collection and my second least favourite. To be fair, I think I liked it more than a lot of other readers did, judging by the reviews, but it was very slow for such a short story.
I like this story more when looking back over it than I did while I was reading. It's a very slow, quiet tale, exploring the beauty of Earth through horticulture. Samantha is a scientist, cataloging plant samples to take on the Ark when the final people leave Earth. Most have already been evacuated and Earth's last days are rapidly approaching in the form of an asteroid.
There's some understated beauty to it, but the lack of connection with the characters or any real emotional drive to the story kept me at a distance. The idea itself is very simple and it presents a sad nostalgia for Earth and all still left to discover about it. After I had read it and given it some thought, it struck me as a kind of love letter to our planet. It's just too bad that the story itself was not as compelling as the idea suggests.
[b:Randomize|47137575|Randomize|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563467829l/47137575._SY75_.jpg|72182564] by Andy Weir - ⭑☆☆☆☆
[b:Emergency Skin|47137668|Emergency Skin|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563468452l/47137668._SY75_.jpg|72182694] by N.K. Jemisin - ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
[b:You Have Arrived at Your Destination|47137633|You Have Arrived at Your Destination|Amor Towles|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563468097l/47137633._SY75_.jpg|72182622] by Amor Towles - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
[b:The Last Conversation|47137706|The Last Conversation|Paul Tremblay|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563468739l/47137706._SY75_.jpg|72182739] by Paul Tremblay - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
[b:Summer Frost|47137728|Summer Frost|Blake Crouch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563468943l/47137728._SY75_.jpg|72182785] by Blake Crouch - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
I like this story more when looking back over it than I did while I was reading. It's a very slow, quiet tale, exploring the beauty of Earth through horticulture. Samantha is a scientist, cataloging plant samples to take on the Ark when the final people leave Earth. Most have already been evacuated and Earth's last days are rapidly approaching in the form of an asteroid.
There's some understated beauty to it, but the lack of connection with the characters or any real emotional drive to the story kept me at a distance. The idea itself is very simple and it presents a sad nostalgia for Earth and all still left to discover about it. After I had read it and given it some thought, it struck me as a kind of love letter to our planet. It's just too bad that the story itself was not as compelling as the idea suggests.
[b:Randomize|47137575|Randomize|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563467829l/47137575._SY75_.jpg|72182564] by Andy Weir - ⭑☆☆☆☆
[b:Emergency Skin|47137668|Emergency Skin|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563468452l/47137668._SY75_.jpg|72182694] by N.K. Jemisin - ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
[b:You Have Arrived at Your Destination|47137633|You Have Arrived at Your Destination|Amor Towles|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563468097l/47137633._SY75_.jpg|72182622] by Amor Towles - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
[b:The Last Conversation|47137706|The Last Conversation|Paul Tremblay|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563468739l/47137706._SY75_.jpg|72182739] by Paul Tremblay - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
[b:Summer Frost|47137728|Summer Frost|Blake Crouch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563468943l/47137728._SY75_.jpg|72182785] by Blake Crouch - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆