This was a really lovely book. Mostly, I'm very happy that it's so popular with general readers. Nezhukumatathil's lived experiences and the natural history in each chapter are beneficial and relevant to a wide audience. I'll note that this is a pretty uncomplicated, easy read.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

A tough review, because I loved a lot of the pieces of this book; Paolini has some really lovely, imaginative things in here (just as with Inheritance), but it was held together by a plot that often felt bland and characters that didn't feel fully realized until the last couple parts. To be fair, I don't really read space books (so space travel and battles and facility escapes kind of bored me). But, the last parts, where,

the weird, almost magical biology of Kira's symbiont and the Maw were the main focus, were excellent.

Self-Portrait with Cephalopod by Kathryn Smith

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dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.25

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

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emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced