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happysami's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail
vaguelyredhead'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
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Colonisation
brianneh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Prose: 4★
Pace: 5★
Concept/Execution: 5★/4.75★
Characters: 4★
Worldbuilding: 4.5★
Ending: 4★
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Misogyny, and Colonisation
bookish_hollyx's review against another edition
2.5
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Murder
booksthatburn'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
5.0
I love the opening chapter, it sets up the book's tone in a way that is followed through very well. As the traveler moves around, trying to find something with a signal strong enough to reach space, there are a series of vignette. These snippets build a sense of people's lives in different communities and settlements and the roads in between. So many facets of their lives imply this more complicated whole, without it ever trying to be about any one of them, nor pulling attention from the traveler from space.
The language and word choice is inseparable from the worldbuilding. There seems to be one main religion, a handful of agnostics, and as many ways to interpret the basic tenets as there are characters. The current human inhabitants of Earth are the descendants of a particular religious sect that believed some combination of the Earth being god with climate change as her punishment. These people stayed behind when humanity went to the stars. Now, heir descendants distrust anything that comes from space or is too technologically sophisticated, but what is "like space" or "too much technology" varies wildly from community to community, sheriff to sheriff, religious leader to agnostic nomad.
I loved every page and I want there to be more. This is perfectly paced in its current length but I wish it weren't over.
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
alilbitofeveryth1ng's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder
taratearex's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Unfortunately the structure of the book took the story in a very different direction than I expected. Each chapter is about a different person who eventually overlaps with the MC on her journey to find her lost love. But she's never the main character in these shapshots, so we really don't ever get to know her, and her lost love is only ever barely mentioned. I found this structure just impossible to connect with, I felt there was no buy-in to the main character or the supposed love story. I had expected some flashbacks so we get to know the MC and her lost love, but that never happens. We actually don't meet the lost love or learn their names until 70% into the book and they are only ever together briefly. By this time I just did not have an interest in the MC or their relationship because I was given no real reason to care throughout the story. We meet and learn about every one else in the abandoned earth except the MC and her lost love, which truthfully could be interesting to people if they get into the world, but it just wasn't enough for me. Also, at the end one of them says the other was "going Native" yikes :/
I think this unconventional story structure could work for some, the worldbuilding is definitely interesting, but it overall didn't work for me. I kept thinking how this would have worked better as a movie, where you have the visual of the MC to keep you connected in the wandering stories about other characters until it eventually connects with her.
CWs: death, murder, gun violence, grief, alcohol, injury detail, animal death, derogatory language (going Native)
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the e-advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Frontier follows a mysterious main character. We don’t know anything about this person. Not her name, past or why she’s on the ravaged Earth planet. Most humans left Earth long ago, but the ones who stayed have to deal with a Wild West environment: technology renounced and widespread lawlessness. The book alternates perspectives, but we’re always following our stranger who fell back to Earth separated from the rest of her ship.
I spent a fair amount of this book confused, but it felt very intentional. Think Gideon the Ninth type of confusing. Things were happening, but I didn’t always understand why or how it was important. But when things are finally revealed everything makes sense! The reveal had a great payoff in the end for me.
Even though I was confused at times, I really liked our main character. She was fascinating and always getting into trouble. All we know about her at the beginning is she’s an expert sharpshooter. And gosh does that come in handy through the book! Overall, this was such a fun ride and I would highly recommend it especially for fans of space gays or people who enjoy books with environmental themes.
Rep: Sapphic cis female MC with amnesia, sapphic cis female SC.
CWs: Cursing, death, murder, gun violence, blood, grief, alcohol consumption, injury/injury detail, animal death. Moderate: spaceship crash (car accident), suicide.
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide and Car accident
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- FRONTIER is a fantastic sci-fi western, set among the humans who stayed behind on Earth, adopting a new religion worshiping the planet while also being ruled over by a network of old-fashioned sheriffs.
- I loved the structure of this book. For most of it, we follow the Stranger from the points of view of other people as she travels, giving us short glimpses of the different cities, beliefs, and factions of this world. When we do get to her perspective, her story is a punch to the heart.
- This book is full of gunslinging, witty retorts, inventive worldbuilding, and queer love. I hope you'll seek it out if those things pique your interest!
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide