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caseymac's review
5.0
5 Stars for this book, 4/4.5 for the series. Book 1 (for Kindle) is free on Amazon UK (not sure about USA)
First, I hate the titles of all three books. They are dumb and the titles and covers do not to justice to the book.
This series is written as a diary and starts when the MC is 17 and just finished school. Let me say that again: this is the dirary of a teenage girl. I love that this is a diary of a teenage girl. It could be my own diary (minus the whisked to another planet part)--her voice is so authentic. This writing style means there is a fair amount of detail, world building, and exposition missing-- for example, the politics of the world are totally glossed over-- but what teenager cares?
Stray (Book 1) really scrathed the old Boxcar Children itch, too. I loved that series as a child and always loved like survivor stories and this is very much that at the start.
This series is really unique to what I have read-- or rather a similar story to what I love, but written in such a new way. I just gobbled it up! I can see that a series like this could be very Marmite (you love it or hate it) but I really loved it.
One thing I didn't love is something I try hard to ignore through such a huge swath of genre fiction and that is the seriousness of situations that people who are basically (or actually!) children are put in... but I am old and find that the hardest place to suspend my disbelief.
First, I hate the titles of all three books. They are dumb and the titles and covers do not to justice to the book.
This series is written as a diary and starts when the MC is 17 and just finished school. Let me say that again: this is the dirary of a teenage girl. I love that this is a diary of a teenage girl. It could be my own diary (minus the whisked to another planet part)--her voice is so authentic. This writing style means there is a fair amount of detail, world building, and exposition missing-- for example, the politics of the world are totally glossed over-- but what teenager cares?
Stray (Book 1) really scrathed the old Boxcar Children itch, too. I loved that series as a child and always loved like survivor stories and this is very much that at the start.
This series is really unique to what I have read-- or rather a similar story to what I love, but written in such a new way. I just gobbled it up! I can see that a series like this could be very Marmite (you love it or hate it) but I really loved it.
One thing I didn't love is something I try hard to ignore through such a huge swath of genre fiction and that is the seriousness of situations that people who are basically (or actually!) children are put in... but I am old and find that the hardest place to suspend my disbelief.
hannahlogue's review
Some books get 5 starts because they are literary masterpieces. Others get 5 stars because I come back to them over and over again. This isn’t the former but it’s definitely the latter. I like the world. I like the story. I like unraveling the mystery and saving the world with the MC. There are aspects of the book I’m not a huge fan of, but I’ve come back to reread at least 5 times because I enjoyed it, and that’s what counts in the end.
couscous's review
5.0
This will always be my favourite book, simply because it has everything i could possibly want in a story; a strong MC who's relatable and as an added bonus we (sorta) share the same name; awesome secondary characters who are developed and have their own personalities, who don't blend together; a plot (this one is sooooo important) that leaves you wanting more; amazing and immersive worldbuilding that makes me almost wish i walked through a gate to Muina too; also psychic space ninjas, because who doesn't want to be able to levitate and teleport?
Some people probably won't like the diary format - i know i didn't particularly like it when i first started reading this book, but now i appreciate just how much it brought out the story and felt more realistic and interesting, where you really were following Cass along her journey. Also, she's pretty funny with some of those one-liners.
Overall this series is wonderful and i'm so happy i stumbled across it.
Some people probably won't like the diary format - i know i didn't particularly like it when i first started reading this book, but now i appreciate just how much it brought out the story and felt more realistic and interesting, where you really were following Cass along her journey. Also, she's pretty funny with some of those one-liners.
Overall this series is wonderful and i'm so happy i stumbled across it.
an_alaskan_fairy_tale's review
5.0
I posted this same review on the Touchstone series as a whole, but since it won't spoil future books you can take it as a firm endorsement of the first book as well.
Read this immediately. It's that good. I've read the series twice now and both times found myself completely absorbed into this world. Cass is a great character, whose humor is really the thing that made me fall in love with her and with all the other characters viewed through her lens. Though she manages to pull the same zero to hero transformation that is so popular with hero(ine)s, in this series it feels fresh and un-formulaic, since she never loses the self-deprecation that reminds us she is human.
I also really love that this series pulls so much from different forms of pop culture - anime, gaming, books, celebrity culture, and others that I'm probably forgetting - to create this new fictional world. It makes it that much more tangible.
Finally, though I started with the superficial (that this is an amazingly fun adventure story), I have to say as well that this book holds up as good sci-fi: i.e., like the best sci-fi it's a fascinating look at aspects of our world through the lens of an imaginary one. One of the major themes is how important communication is to being seen as intelligent and capable of making decisions for yourself. In this way Cass's experiences are comparable to those of indigenous people or even immigrants trying to make their way in an unfamiliar culture. There are others in this vein, but I think I'll let you have the fun of discovering them for yourself.
Read this immediately. It's that good. I've read the series twice now and both times found myself completely absorbed into this world. Cass is a great character, whose humor is really the thing that made me fall in love with her and with all the other characters viewed through her lens. Though she manages to pull the same zero to hero transformation that is so popular with hero(ine)s, in this series it feels fresh and un-formulaic, since she never loses the self-deprecation that reminds us she is human.
I also really love that this series pulls so much from different forms of pop culture - anime, gaming, books, celebrity culture, and others that I'm probably forgetting - to create this new fictional world. It makes it that much more tangible.
Finally, though I started with the superficial (that this is an amazingly fun adventure story), I have to say as well that this book holds up as good sci-fi: i.e., like the best sci-fi it's a fascinating look at aspects of our world through the lens of an imaginary one. One of the major themes is how important communication is to being seen as intelligent and capable of making decisions for yourself. In this way Cass's experiences are comparable to those of indigenous people or even immigrants trying to make their way in an unfamiliar culture. There are others in this vein, but I think I'll let you have the fun of discovering them for yourself.
sasha_in_a_box's review against another edition
4.0
I really really liked this, mostly because of how freaking awesome Cassandra is. It's been so long since I've connected so much to a character. She's brave but humble and self-deprecating, her humor is in sync with my own, and she's very easy-going without being a pushover. She's self-aware and trying to make the best out of her bizarre situation.
Speaking of which. Some plot! Cassandra is an Aussie teenager who just finished the school exams. Yay! But then she accidentally walks through an open wormhole-type thing that's explained later, right into a beautiful but uninhabited new world. Noo! But she is Survivor-Cass, and she battles hunger and cold like a champ. Until she's rescued by elite psychic space soldiers and thrust into their world. She is discovered to have several strange talents, and while she makes good friends, she continues to miss Earth. She is torn between her desire to help a whole alien planet of human beings and her homesickness. And who knows, maybe there is a third choice. Oooooh.
The second book in the series is arriving at my house today, and I can't wait to read more of Cass's diary. I found some parts to be very confusing because of the alien names, but I'm getting a hang of it. Come read this book for the fun sci-fi, stay for Cass's irresistible voice. Join her for the space adventures, defiance through cat-petting, house decor shopping, and a very tiny and not-in-the-least annoying sliver of romance.
Speaking of which. Some plot! Cassandra is an Aussie teenager who just finished the school exams. Yay! But then she accidentally walks through an open wormhole-type thing that's explained later, right into a beautiful but uninhabited new world. Noo! But she is Survivor-Cass, and she battles hunger and cold like a champ. Until she's rescued by elite psychic space soldiers and thrust into their world. She is discovered to have several strange talents, and while she makes good friends, she continues to miss Earth. She is torn between her desire to help a whole alien planet of human beings and her homesickness. And who knows, maybe there is a third choice. Oooooh.
The second book in the series is arriving at my house today, and I can't wait to read more of Cass's diary. I found some parts to be very confusing because of the alien names, but I'm getting a hang of it. Come read this book for the fun sci-fi, stay for Cass's irresistible voice. Join her for the space adventures, defiance through cat-petting, house decor shopping, and a very tiny and not-in-the-least annoying sliver of romance.
stefaniajoy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
An all-time favorite and comfort read, so take my review with a grain of salt :) it isn't the perfect story but it has so many elements I love.
zoetic's review against another edition
3.0
Different
Reason for the three stars is because I couldn't get into the book until it was finished. When it finally held my attention, it ended. The plot was ok and the characters were ok. It did end on somewhat of a cliffhanger (questions). The book was a mix of sci-fi and fantasy and different due to having very little dialogue.
Reason for the three stars is because I couldn't get into the book until it was finished. When it finally held my attention, it ended. The plot was ok and the characters were ok. It did end on somewhat of a cliffhanger (questions). The book was a mix of sci-fi and fantasy and different due to having very little dialogue.
meringued's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I had no idea what to expect from this book going in; I didn't even really know what it was about, and I had zero idea it was science fiction. So that was a (delightful!) surprise.
The story is narrated by Cass through her diary entries. The narration felt very real, with confusion, profanity, slang, and pop culture references. Cass felt like a real high school student who wandered into an unknown world, and I think very few books capture that "realness" as well as this one did. Cass doesn't know everything, she isn't good at fighting (she doesn't even want to exercise most of the time- true realness), she doesn't enjoy her specialness but just wants to go home and be normal. In a way, the narration reminded me of [b:Wolf Tower|293395|Wolf Tower (Claidi Journals, #1)|Tanith Lee|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391128560s/293395.jpg|1279335] by Tanith Lee, which is high praise. Claidi and Cass have a lot in common. There is also no romance in this book, but hints of romance to come. I don't know if that is a positive or negative for you, so take that as you will.
The story is very unique and original (although, I don't read much science fiction). Höst has created a complex world, and there is obviously a lot left to be explored in the sequels. I did feel confused about a lot of the world introduced, and I'm not sure if that is due to Cass' confusion, her Australian way of talking, or simply the way it was explained wasn't very clear. There was also SO much infodumping that come by way of Cass taking classes and learning from textbooks, which got tedious after a while. The middle drags due to the sheer amount of explanations given about the world.
I will definitely be back for more, of the Touchstone trilogy and Höst's other books.
I had no idea what to expect from this book going in; I didn't even really know what it was about, and I had zero idea it was science fiction. So that was a (delightful!) surprise.
The story is narrated by Cass through her diary entries. The narration felt very real, with confusion, profanity, slang, and pop culture references. Cass felt like a real high school student who wandered into an unknown world, and I think very few books capture that "realness" as well as this one did. Cass doesn't know everything, she isn't good at fighting (she doesn't even want to exercise most of the time- true realness), she doesn't enjoy her specialness but just wants to go home and be normal. In a way, the narration reminded me of [b:Wolf Tower|293395|Wolf Tower (Claidi Journals, #1)|Tanith Lee|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391128560s/293395.jpg|1279335] by Tanith Lee, which is high praise. Claidi and Cass have a lot in common. There is also no romance in this book, but hints of romance to come. I don't know if that is a positive or negative for you, so take that as you will.
The story is very unique and original (although, I don't read much science fiction). Höst has created a complex world, and there is obviously a lot left to be explored in the sequels. I did feel confused about a lot of the world introduced, and I'm not sure if that is due to Cass' confusion, her Australian way of talking, or simply the way it was explained wasn't very clear. There was also SO much infodumping that come by way of Cass taking classes and learning from textbooks, which got tedious after a while. The middle drags due to the sheer amount of explanations given about the world.
I will definitely be back for more, of the Touchstone trilogy and Höst's other books.
gregoreads's review against another edition
4.0
Stray was such a fun, refreshing read. Written as a diary, it feels so legitimate. The characters feel real, and the situations seem plausible. It isn't pumped up with unlikely, unnecessary drama, and the characters are not irrational or irritating. It's funny how the lack of all that becomes so noticeable in YA, haha. Host took her time with everything and didn't rush us through explanations and info dumps, but it never felt boring. I loved looking through Cass's eyes and learning about the new planets, their history, and Cass's place in it all and I can't wait to continue on with this trilogy! Is it bad that part of me wishes the interface was a real thing here on earth?