kappafrog's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
More violent than I usually am okay with, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I enjoyed the main character's perspective. The second half of the book got a bit repetitive and didactic. I was totally sympathetic to the messages being conveyed, but the more the robot moralized, the more bored I got with the plot. I enjoyed the exploration of the robot's learning journey though.
ansate's review against another edition
5.0
This is a lovely book. Our protagonist is a survey probe from another civilization, looking like a robot, but acting like a full AI, a person. Meeting humanity is bumpy to say the least, but their perspective on our civilization is fascinating to follow along with. It's a little sad, but ultimately one of the most hopeful books I've read in a long time. The characters are great and more than likable enough to keep me engaged. [return][return]Having read other books by Morden, I'm doubly impressed with his range - this felt like none of the others I've read.
kiikaridino's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-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
jstatt's review against another edition
4.0
Simon Morden's done it again! This book is now one of my favorite Sci-Fi books I've read, and I highly recommend it to someone who likes a bit of light sci-fi. The story is told through the eyes of an alien probe sent to earth, which makes the book a bit hard to understand at some points, especially during the beginning when the robot doesn't know how to describe anything with much detail so just ends up calling various things cubes, spheres, or megafauna. This isn't too much of a problem, not for long. Anyway 4/5 stars or 8/10, will read again.
faesissa's review
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Body horror, and Blood
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