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A review by acopytopy
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Please save yourself the trouble and don't read this book. The ending is abrupt and extremely frustrating.
Here's what's wrong with it:
1. The character arcs were cut short. By the end of the book, there are no changes in any of their relationship dynamics nor any meaningful changes in personality.
2. The ending makes no sense. Why choose this? Why, if there are 4 people on the ship, does only 1 of them get to write anything? Why did she write so much about her own personal life?
3. The author sidelines her own characters to present some open-ended questions--but these questions feel much more shallow than the author thinks they are. Will astronauts still be relevant in the future? Obviously, yes. Humans have always been curious. Astronauts don't impact most people's daily lives right now, and yet they still exist, right now.
4. Inaction is also a choice. The 2 choices presented were to help people on Earth rebuild or to help people by studying more alien life. They chose the worst choice: to help no one.
5. After preventing the protagonist from committing suicide, the other crew members decided to accept suicide themselves? That outright invalidates the scene the author just wrote! I cannot believe she wrote and published a whole book without realizing this!
The build-up in the rest of the book felt like it was leading up to something tragic, disturbing, or shocking at the end. It certainly did, but it was an unpleasant and disappointing shock.
Here's what's wrong with it:
2. The ending makes no sense. Why choose this? Why, if there are 4 people on the ship, does only 1 of them get to write anything? Why did she write so much about her own personal life?
3. The author sidelines her own characters to present some open-ended questions--but these questions feel much more shallow than the author thinks they are. Will astronauts still be relevant in the future? Obviously, yes. Humans have always been curious. Astronauts don't impact most people's daily lives right now, and yet they still exist, right now.
4. Inaction is also a choice. The 2 choices presented were to help people on Earth rebuild or to help people by studying more alien life. They chose the worst choice: to help no one.
5. After preventing the protagonist from committing suicide, the other crew members decided to accept suicide themselves? That outright invalidates the scene the author just wrote! I cannot believe she wrote and published a whole book without realizing this!
The build-up in the rest of the book felt like it was leading up to something tragic, disturbing, or shocking at the end. It certainly did, but it was an unpleasant and disappointing shock.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt