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A review by storyorc
Central Station by Lavie Tidhar
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Like scanning through the radio stations of a fascinating city. This world is boldly imagined and gives the impression that the author has thought through all the interconnecting strings for many hours, yet is also confident enough in the intrigue not to info-dump.
While a few plot threads, like the children, come together thrillingly, the book is more slice-of-life. Its lessons surround accepting what we cannot change and living with mistakes and missed opportunities. At the end of the book lies a list of all the places individual chapters were published previously as standalone short stories. I understand many we refactored to form a cohesive narrative but the fragmented nature still left me unable to get into any one characters' skin as much as I was hoping too. For their small page time, the development is impressive, but one can only do so much with so many interesting characters jostling for attention. The setting is the main character of this book, and it is a delight of the imagination, but personally, I would have found it a smoother read if the setting was delivered on the backs of a few main characters.
While a few plot threads, like the children, come together thrillingly, the book is more slice-of-life. Its lessons surround accepting what we cannot change and living with mistakes and missed opportunities. At the end of the book lies a list of all the places individual chapters were published previously as standalone short stories. I understand many we refactored to form a cohesive narrative but the fragmented nature still left me unable to get into any one characters' skin as much as I was hoping too. For their small page time, the development is impressive, but one can only do so much with so many interesting characters jostling for attention. The setting is the main character of this book, and it is a delight of the imagination, but personally, I would have found it a smoother read if the setting was delivered on the backs of a few main characters.