Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
86 reviews
violetends's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
I read this with someone while we lived 2000km away from each other. We send each other voice memos with the latest chapter as well as reading to each other over the phone. And we finally finished it in the first days of being in the same space again. This book was perfect for this little 2-people-bookclub and I am very happy to have done this.
Overall, I am astounded that this is Becky Chambers' debut. The way in which she crafts the world with its advanced technology, complex social and political structures and numerous distinct species is so complex and well done. The plot is simultaneously wholesome and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride and I am a little sad to continue the second book away from the Wayfarer (if I understood correctly what the second book is about).
Overall, I am astounded that this is Becky Chambers' debut. The way in which she crafts the world with its advanced technology, complex social and political structures and numerous distinct species is so complex and well done. The plot is simultaneously wholesome and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride and I am a little sad to continue the second book away from the Wayfarer (if I understood correctly what the second book is about).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Terminal illness and War
delvainy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I am a fool for space queers. It felt very slice of life in a way I found comforting, but it was still interesting enough to keep me intrigued. I loved the moments when the entire human race got razzed, for some reason (inter-species relationships for the win ig), and was made to find a reptilian woman hot. Go figure. I want to wrap them all up in my arms and tote them around with me. I want to live in this world. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, and this helped pull me right out!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia
thaliareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I don't remember where I read it, but trying to describe this book to a friend, I ran across a review that said that this is more of a people book than a science fiction book. I adored this book and while it had a cool science fiction setting, it was ultimately about the people on the journey, their interactions with each other, and their interactions with other species and crews.
I can't express enough appreciation for how cool it was just seeing all of the described species and all of their different cultures and the depth to which they are explored. It's absolutely wild.
I can't express enough appreciation for how cool it was just seeing all of the described species and all of their different cultures and the depth to which they are explored. It's absolutely wild.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Gun violence, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcohol and Cultural appropriation
I'm behind on reviews, so it's been a couple moths since I read this, and I wouldn't be surprised if I missed a content warning or two.withlivjones's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
I am a sucker for the found family trope and this book does it PERFECTLY. I loved all the characters on the Wayfarer and while I’m normally more of a plot girlie I wasn’t mad about the fact that most of this book is focused on exploring the relationships between the crew on this long journey. This is a masterclass in character creation, as every crew member gets their moment in the spotlight to uncover their demons and by the end you feel attached to every one of them (even Corbin, who is objectively an asshole). I loved the diversity in appearance, language, ideologies and family dynamics amongst all the alien species, it felt realistic in terms of how different life that evolved outside of Earth would be to humanity, and I really like the sentiment of accepting people regardless of their differences, even if you don’t fully understand them. This book embodies cozy sci-fi, but that’s certainly not to say that it doesn’t have its tense moments - there were parts of this book that had me on the edge of my seat, gaping! - and there’s a good balance between the cozy bits and the action bits. I loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, War, and Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia, Blood, and Death
julieyael's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was a lovely comfort read.
The plot is quite light and you should not expect too many twists, but the main focus of the book are the characters and the general atmosphere.
I would definitely pick it up again to be amongst this crew. The sci-fi aspect is very interesting too, with good reflections on life and humanity.
Becky Chambers was already an author I liked, as I read and loved To be Taught if Fortunate, but now she is definitely one of my favorites.
The plot is quite light and you should not expect too many twists, but the main focus of the book are the characters and the general atmosphere.
I would definitely pick it up again to be amongst this crew. The sci-fi aspect is very interesting too, with good reflections on life and humanity.
Becky Chambers was already an author I liked, as I read and loved To be Taught if Fortunate, but now she is definitely one of my favorites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, War, Grief, and Death
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
I though that this was a great fun sci-fi read. It was funny, poignant and endearing. I think that it showcased how imaginative the author is at creating complex worlds and peoples, and having huge amounts of respect for all of them.
If this had a bit more plot, and less lesson-of-the-week 90s sitcom feeling, I would have rated it higher. Felt a bit disconnected plot wise, but overall it was charming.
If this had a bit more plot, and less lesson-of-the-week 90s sitcom feeling, I would have rated it higher. Felt a bit disconnected plot wise, but overall it was charming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Violence
Moderate: Terminal illness and Genocide
kassidyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, War, Grief, and Terminal illness
Minor: Violence, Sexual content, and Drug use
mxawprince's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.5
I know this book was written in 3014, and that it's a first novel, but (amongst many other similar things) there's an autistic-coded character that in the end gets "cured". Blegh.
I'll probably read something more recent from this author to see if it gets better.
I'll probably read something more recent from this author to see if it gets better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Colonisation, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Genocide, Racism, and War
Minor: Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Gun violence, and Fatphobia
kj468's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is stunning. It's so wonderfully crafted, and the worldbuilding is truly outstanding -- Becky Chambers paid attention to the small details when creating this future world, and it shows. This was not a quick read for me -- it took me 3 weeks to finish and I read a bit almost every day. Because the world is so richly constructed, my brain needed frequent digesting breaks, which isn't a bad thing (and also might not be true for other people!).
This was definitely a 5-star read for me, & here are a few of the (non-spoilery) reasons why:
This was definitely a 5-star read for me, & here are a few of the (non-spoilery) reasons why:
- All of the interspecies dynamics were AMAZING. It really added to the world-building how individual species had different views on major topics in the book (e.g., politics, interspecies relations/relationships/friendships) and their own cultural customs (e.g., greetings, communication of emotions and thoughts, personal space). Also, the childlike wonder of seeing someone from a completely new species was so pure and so sweet.
- I really like that of all the species in the Galactic Commons, humans are pretty low in the ranks, even considered refugees because they were almost wiped out entirely. It's humbling and a good commentary on the flaws of humanity to read a book full of diverse species where humans aren't the most evolved or mature.
- The plot is so well interconnected. Seemingly small happenings from one chapter show up several chapters later in important ways -- I imagine it would make for excellent rereading!
- Such thorough characterization! Each of the characters on the Wayfarer has such a robust personality, and their actions & thoughts are so consistently in character. This book is chock full of characters, and in the hands of a less talented author, it would easily overwhelm me. But because Becky Chambers has fleshed out all the main (and even many of the side) characters so well, I was able to keep them all straight and never confused their backstories or opinions.
- I really liked the actual structure of the book. There's definitely an overarching plot, and information slowly gets revealed about it leading up to the significant conflict, and most chapters serve the overarching plot in some way. But at the same time, it reads like interconnected short stories or a tv show, with each (often fairly long) chapter having its own rise and fall of action with a resolution to whatever the presented conflict was. As someone with anxiety, I really loved having the assurance that the "side quest" type conflicts would be resolved and (relatively) contained to their chapter -- I didn't have to worry as much about all the things that could go wrong, and could just enjoy the ride more.
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pov: third person // #pov: ...8? every main character and a couple side characters take the reins at some point
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rep: sapphic relationship, cross-species relationships, chosen family
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ratings: adventure: 5 // worldbuilding: 5,000 // funny: 3.5 // romance: 3 // plot: 5 // ease: 2.5 // total: 5
pov: third person // #pov: ...8? every main character and a couple side characters take the reins at some point
---------
rep: sapphic relationship, cross-species relationships, chosen family
---------
ratings: adventure: 5 // worldbuilding: 5,000 // funny: 3.5 // romance: 3 // plot: 5 // ease: 2.5 // total: 5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Gun violence and Terminal illness
novella42's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love this book too much to do it justice with a review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Terminal illness, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: War
Minor: Genocide, Animal death, Sexual content, and Drug use