Reviews

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

disreputabledog's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

karalafleur's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

thecolourblue's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

This might actually be my favourite Wayfarers book. I really love and relate to the concepts of place, belonging, and culture that are explored here. Off all the books in the series, this one feels the more insightful and thoughtful.

I especially love Eyas (the funerary 'caretaker') and her interactions with Sawyer, who moved to the fleet seeking something that he never found. It reminded me of the experiences of diaspora members who move back to their 'home' nations, thinking they will find a place they belong but just finding themselves one more being the other, who doesn't fit in. In contrast to Sawyer, Kip is trying to get out as fast as he can, but doesn't realise until he is older what value his place of origin really has to him. For him, this is a coming of age story, for Sawyer it's a tragedy, for Tessa, Isabel, and Eyas it's a journey of discovery, but Chambers winds the narratives together in a really natural way, showing how each of these characters see and experience the fleet in different but overlapping ways.

The interactions between Isabel and her visiting alien colleague are also excellent.

tetonthewonderdog's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• 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? No

3.25

stephzilla's review against another edition

5.0

I really love the themes of existentialism in this one.

pelargonia's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

jessln23's review

emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

cluelessleigh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

brennaw's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing slow-paced

• 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

3.75

elle_thereader's review against another edition

3.25

a bit more slice of life than i thought this one would be. i liked a few POV’s better than others (namely Eyas and Kip) but this was still a good read - the amount of positive queer rep in this is fantastic, as well as positive sex work rep, and i appreciated the connection to Ashby from the first book. where this lacked for me were Isabel's chapters; i didn't really care much for the alien she was hosting, but i loved the wholesome married lesbian grandmother content this gave us.

and it sort of sent me into a slump so it took me like 3 weeks to read rather than 3 days so that was a bummer