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A review by jenbsbooks
The Humans by Matt Haig
3.25
I loved "The Midnight Library" but this author (that theme of different life possibilities intrigues me). I liked this one okay. No trouble finishing it, but there were a few things that bugged me. Not one I'd re-read or recommend really.
First person/Past tense ...It is addressed to the reader, who isn't really US the reader, but his own kind, other aliens. It starts off with a preface , then three "parts" with multiple chapters in each. I don't know how many, because only chapter headings were listed, no numerical chapters. While I DO like it when the chapter headings are included in the TOC, numerical chapters are also really helpful. As I shifted between audio and kindle copy, it was a bit of work to find my place between the formats. At the end (in the Kindle copy) there were some discussion questions, which I appreciate ... even if I don't spend much time on them, it gives me a little something to think, delving a little deeper than just a simple pleasure read.
This is a story of an alien who has come to Earth on a mission, posing as a human, and learning what it means to be human. It addresses all sorts of things as our MC experiences human life for the first time, comes to change his perception of some things, just doesn't understand many things. It felt a little over the top, and a bit eye-rolling with the sexual stuff (he doesn't realize he should wear clothes (not entirely compatible with external testicles), uses Cosmopolitan as a text book, and thoughts like "it seemed orgasms were the central tenet of life here" ... "a male human's testicles were the most attractive thing about him" ... "if they had to have flags, why they didn't just opt for one with a picture of sex." There was some sex, and a lot of proFanity (x42). There was some impactful addressing of suicide, naive understanding (well, NOT understanding) of fidelity, and it was interesting to watch the changes taking place.
I went with the audio, but had the kindle copy to look over as well. I noticed as our MC is talking to the reader, in the print it says "as you read this book" and the audio changed to "as you listen to this book" ... just interesting to note ;) The narrator was good, a bit bland, but that IS actually representative of the character assuming a human role.
Quote - "happiness is possible for me now. It exists on the other side of the hurt" and "to love someone is to lie to them". There probably were more quotable things. The MC makes a BIG list of "advice" that had some things that were interesting to consider.
I was able to grab the audio and kindle copy from my library. The kindle copy is also included in KU.
Don't care for the cover (with the nose).
First person/Past tense ...It is addressed to the reader, who isn't really US the reader, but his own kind, other aliens. It starts off with a preface , then three "parts" with multiple chapters in each. I don't know how many, because only chapter headings were listed, no numerical chapters. While I DO like it when the chapter headings are included in the TOC, numerical chapters are also really helpful. As I shifted between audio and kindle copy, it was a bit of work to find my place between the formats. At the end (in the Kindle copy) there were some discussion questions, which I appreciate ... even if I don't spend much time on them, it gives me a little something to think, delving a little deeper than just a simple pleasure read.
This is a story of an alien who has come to Earth on a mission, posing as a human, and learning what it means to be human. It addresses all sorts of things as our MC experiences human life for the first time, comes to change his perception of some things, just doesn't understand many things. It felt a little over the top, and a bit eye-rolling with the sexual stuff (he doesn't realize he should wear clothes (not entirely compatible with external testicles), uses Cosmopolitan as a text book, and thoughts like "it seemed orgasms were the central tenet of life here" ... "a male human's testicles were the most attractive thing about him" ... "if they had to have flags, why they didn't just opt for one with a picture of sex." There was some sex, and a lot of proFanity (x42). There was some impactful addressing of suicide, naive understanding (well, NOT understanding) of fidelity, and it was interesting to watch the changes taking place.
I went with the audio, but had the kindle copy to look over as well. I noticed as our MC is talking to the reader, in the print it says "as you read this book" and the audio changed to "as you listen to this book" ... just interesting to note ;) The narrator was good, a bit bland, but that IS actually representative of the character assuming a human role.
Quote - "happiness is possible for me now. It exists on the other side of the hurt" and "to love someone is to lie to them". There probably were more quotable things. The MC makes a BIG list of "advice" that had some things that were interesting to consider.
I was able to grab the audio and kindle copy from my library. The kindle copy is also included in KU.
Don't care for the cover (with the nose).