Scan barcode
beccaand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
cj13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Vomit, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, and Pregnancy
thebowandthebook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
brittshaw_p's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content
akmistyrose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, and Excrement
Minor: Miscarriage
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
TL;DR REVIEW:
The first three Lady Astronaut novels are fun to read with an imaginative premise, and they’re impressively packed with research. I had a good time reading them!
For you if: You like hard sci-fi and/or astronomy and/or math and/or historical fiction, or you’re looking for Jewish rep in SFF
FULL REVIEW:
I set out to read the Lady Astronaut novels, of which there are currently three, when the third one (The Relentless Moon) was nominated for the 2021 Hugo Award. When I set out, I thought they were a trilogy. Actually, though, the first two (The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky) are a duology, and the third one is connected but slightly separate. Anywho, this is a combo review for all three novels, which I now realize is a little strange, but hey here goes.
The Lady Astronaut books are historical fiction/hard sci-fi novels that take place in an alternate 1950s and ‘60s. The Calculating Stars starts thus: A meteor crashes into DC, destroying the US government and triggering a dinosaur-style climate extinction event. The race to colonize space is on, and a young mathematician named Elma York is determined to be the first woman in space — and dubbed by the media “the Lady Astronaut.” The Relentless Moon takes place at the same time as The Fated Sky, but in a different setting with a different main character (someone who was a secondary character in the duology). It’s actually more of a sci-fi mystery, which was cool.
All in all, I thought these books were fun. They have sort of slow pacing and can be a bit cheesy (Elma and her #goals husband, Nathaniel, have some hilarious fade-to-black “rocket launch” bedroom banter, which honestly I loved), but they’re exquisitely researched and explore important things like white saviorism, being Jewish, mental health, eating disorders, and disability through a 1950s lens. At the end of the day, they worked well for my busy brain as I pushed through long days of end-of-year work hustle.
If you like hard sci-fi and/or astronomy and/or math and/or historical fiction, or you’re looking for Jewish rep in SFF, these could be a great choice for you.
Graphic: Eating disorder, Misogyny, and Racism
charlottejones952's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicidal thoughts
reviewsandreadathons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, and Murder
Minor: Excrement
drusilla_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Eating disorder and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, and Antisemitism
joelmeador's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Infertility