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story_sanctuary's review against another edition
5.0
I read and loved NEVER LOOK BACK, a retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice by Lilliam Rivera, so when I saw this new book, I pretty much knew I was going to have to read it.
Sci-fi isn’t my top preferred genre, but I have found that I love a solid contemporary story that incorporates science fiction into the story. I don’t know if that makes a whole lot of sense. I think it’s the difference between reading a romance novel, where the romance IS the story, versus reading a story where the romance is a subplot. The alien encounter is pretty much the focus of this particular story, but it’s also firmly centered around Luna, Rafa, and Pedro’s connections to each other and their individual grief. That part of the story– grief and connections– is what really hooked me.
I loved that the relationships they build with each other aren’t just part of a character arc, but they also play into the final battle of the story. I felt like that elevated the whole story from interesting to compelling.
On the whole, I really liked this book. I haven’t had a lot of reading time lately, so if I didn’t like it, probably it would have sat on my night stand waiting for me. Instead, I found myself grabbing it to read a chapter while I waited in a parking lot or in the few minutes I had before starting dinner. The short chapters and sharply focused narrative made it easy to pick up and put down, and the realistic characters kept me eager to come back for the next chapter.
I think readers who enjoyed WHEN LIGHT LEFT US by Leah Thomas or who like character-driven sci-fi will love this book.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Sci-fi isn’t my top preferred genre, but I have found that I love a solid contemporary story that incorporates science fiction into the story. I don’t know if that makes a whole lot of sense. I think it’s the difference between reading a romance novel, where the romance IS the story, versus reading a story where the romance is a subplot. The alien encounter is pretty much the focus of this particular story, but it’s also firmly centered around Luna, Rafa, and Pedro’s connections to each other and their individual grief. That part of the story– grief and connections– is what really hooked me.
I loved that the relationships they build with each other aren’t just part of a character arc, but they also play into the final battle of the story. I felt like that elevated the whole story from interesting to compelling.
On the whole, I really liked this book. I haven’t had a lot of reading time lately, so if I didn’t like it, probably it would have sat on my night stand waiting for me. Instead, I found myself grabbing it to read a chapter while I waited in a parking lot or in the few minutes I had before starting dinner. The short chapters and sharply focused narrative made it easy to pick up and put down, and the realistic characters kept me eager to come back for the next chapter.
I think readers who enjoyed WHEN LIGHT LEFT US by Leah Thomas or who like character-driven sci-fi will love this book.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
itxeroni_2's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
jgriffin's review against another edition
This book just sucked so hard, my favorite character was the least focused on and the writing was painfully dry.
jbojkov's review against another edition
3.0
I would call this realistic fiction with a splash of sci/fi. The story is mostly about three teens and their problems- grief, homelessness, and adults who don’t understand or are down right hostile. Then a “visitor” arrives and the story takes a sci/fi turn. The last third of the book or so is more a metaphor about how to heal our society- it still least that’s how it came across to me. I enjoyed this book, but thought it didn’t quite live up to what seemed like the plan. Hand this to readers who want something a little different from a usual YA realistic read.
elizea's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
keishasliterarylabyrinth's review against another edition
2.0
*SPOILER ALERT*
This book had the potential to be great but unfortunately it took several wrong turns.
1. It seems like the COVID pandemic was added as an afterthought to the story rather than being integral to the plot. I’m sure I could have changed Covid with another terminal illness with no impact to the rest of the plot. The character motivations, actions, etc. didn’t seem impacted by the pandemic in any way.
2. Luna was…a lot for me. I admit I don’t deal with grief in the was neurotypical people do so please take this with a grain of salt. Luna was a lot. She refused to listen to any of the people who were trying to save her/keep her safe. To the point where she put herself in terrible situations and it drove me up a wall to see a character actively run to their own destruction.
3. It felt like the book wanted to densely pack as many messages within its pages and instead it lightly tapped on all of the elements without making much of a point. Police brutality, dysfunctional families, homophobia, grief/death, homelessness, alien invasion. It felt like too much and not enough at the same time. It would have been amazing to see any of these fleshed out more.
I will say Pedro and Rafa saved a lot of the book for me. Pedro is someone we all need in our lives. His boldness is what is needed in the world. And Rafa must be protected at all times.
This book had the potential to be great but unfortunately it took several wrong turns.
1. It seems like the COVID pandemic was added as an afterthought to the story rather than being integral to the plot. I’m sure I could have changed Covid with another terminal illness with no impact to the rest of the plot. The character motivations, actions, etc. didn’t seem impacted by the pandemic in any way.
2. Luna was…a lot for me. I admit I don’t deal with grief in the was neurotypical people do so please take this with a grain of salt. Luna was a lot. She refused to listen to any of the people who were trying to save her/keep her safe. To the point where she put herself in terrible situations and it drove me up a wall to see a character actively run to their own destruction.
3. It felt like the book wanted to densely pack as many messages within its pages and instead it lightly tapped on all of the elements without making much of a point. Police brutality, dysfunctional families, homophobia, grief/death, homelessness, alien invasion. It felt like too much and not enough at the same time. It would have been amazing to see any of these fleshed out more.
I will say Pedro and Rafa saved a lot of the book for me. Pedro is someone we all need in our lives. His boldness is what is needed in the world. And Rafa must be protected at all times.
ananyagarg's review against another edition
3.0
This book was intriguing and had a good concept, but it was written in present tense which I have a hard time with. Sometimes exact phrases were repeated and it felt like the book could've gone through another round of edits....Really wanted to like it and looking forward to reading other books this author publishes.
rjw2011's review against another edition
2.0
This book was good, but did not feel finished when it ended. I am not sure if there are plans for a sequel, but if not I am even more disappointed. It felt very rushed and abrupt. Overall the book was just, okay. It was a book written during COVID, and it tied in aliens, and plants, and it just didn't jive well all together. They also threw in a relationship towards the end that really seemed poorly executed, and thrown in as a last minute "I need this element and my story is wrapping up" thing. I feel like it didn't do justice. I don't think that overall I would recommend this book to anyone really. I was so excited, and the book seemed promising, but it failed to deliver properly on so many fronts.
I just reviewed We Light Up the Sky by Lilliam Rivera with an ARC from NetGalley. #WeLightUptheSky #NetGalley
I just reviewed We Light Up the Sky by Lilliam Rivera with an ARC from NetGalley. #WeLightUptheSky #NetGalley