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wordswritinstarlight's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
4.5
This book made me feel. Several distinct emotions, none of which I was necessarily expecting when I started it. First and foremost, a great space adventure, with a frankly…very believable take on humanity’s space-faring future (space!Amazon, for example) and the low-explanation type of sci-fi that’s easy and accessible even if you’re usually not a science fiction reader. Castor and Juno are incredibly sweet together, a great balance of genuine affection and being deeply horny for each other, which I tend to grade sapphic and trans romances on—whether or not they acknowledge that women can have a sex drive, and, in the case of trans characters, whether they’re allowed to have sexual contact without being an obvious fetish moment. Castor’s journey to giving a shit about the bigger picture is very believable without feeling preachy, and Juno’s moments of guilt and doubt were incredibly relatable after watching the news for the past few years.
Now, on the subject of emotions. I am a deep, dyed-in-the-wool cynic and this book made me feel…like…hope? Made me entertain the idea of hope? This was the first book I’ve literally ever read where the main character is a post-top-surgery nonbinary person, never mind being disabled, and it’s so unfamiliar that I don’t really know how to respond. I think the last time I saw a protagonist and went “oh, it’s me” to this extent was maybe Furiosa in Fury Road. Moreover, this book has a super realistic take on how resistance is hard and often costs lives, and that makes the moments of just…small resistances hit so much harder. There’s a ton of really good emotional beats in this book but for some reason the one that made me need to put the book over my face and collect myself wasa waiter in a restaurant slipping Castor and Juno a warning that the cops are coming. It’s such a nothing interaction with a character who isn’t even named and it broke me.
Final note: Gabe, you sound like you loved this book, why isn’t it 5 stars? The proofreading. Self-publishing means paying for your own editing and I totally get that, but people pay me money for editing and proofreading and I really struggled to un-see it. None of it is glaring, it’s all the kind of thing that naturally happens to everyone—missed letters, missing prepositions, that sort of typo. If you’re not, again, paid to notice it on the regular, it probably won’t even register. Olive, babe, hit me up for your next book and I will proofread it for you!!! Kick me $50 and being able to read it early and I’m your guy!!!
Recommended for anyone who says Rogue One for their favorite Star Wars movie, or anyone who loved Firefly when they were younger and then rewatched it more recently and went “😬.”
Now, on the subject of emotions. I am a deep, dyed-in-the-wool cynic and this book made me feel…like…hope? Made me entertain the idea of hope? This was the first book I’ve literally ever read where the main character is a post-top-surgery nonbinary person, never mind being disabled, and it’s so unfamiliar that I don’t really know how to respond. I think the last time I saw a protagonist and went “oh, it’s me” to this extent was maybe Furiosa in Fury Road. Moreover, this book has a super realistic take on how resistance is hard and often costs lives, and that makes the moments of just…small resistances hit so much harder. There’s a ton of really good emotional beats in this book but for some reason the one that made me need to put the book over my face and collect myself was
Final note: Gabe, you sound like you loved this book, why isn’t it 5 stars? The proofreading. Self-publishing means paying for your own editing and I totally get that, but people pay me money for editing and proofreading and I really struggled to un-see it. None of it is glaring, it’s all the kind of thing that naturally happens to everyone—missed letters, missing prepositions, that sort of typo. If you’re not, again, paid to notice it on the regular, it probably won’t even register. Olive, babe, hit me up for your next book and I will proofread it for you!!! Kick me $50 and being able to read it early and I’m your guy!!!
Recommended for anyone who says Rogue One for their favorite Star Wars movie, or anyone who loved Firefly when they were younger and then rewatched it more recently and went “😬.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, Police brutality, and Mass/school shootings
izzyrbell's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Junker Seven is a very promising debut book! Its characters are highly loveable and revolution-inciting, making it easy to root for them along their fugitive romp through the stars.
The only major faults with this book were editorial in nature (some misspellings and clunky phrasings), but given that this is an indie published debut without the enormous resources of a traditionally published book, I'm willing to let those slide (especially since the story itself is great!)
Overall, this is a world I want to continue sinking my teeth into and a story I can't wait for the next installment of!
The only major faults with this book were editorial in nature (some misspellings and clunky phrasings), but given that this is an indie published debut without the enormous resources of a traditionally published book, I'm willing to let those slide (especially since the story itself is great!)
Overall, this is a world I want to continue sinking my teeth into and a story I can't wait for the next installment of!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Car accident
Moderate: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
madscientistcat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Deadnaming, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail
curtissz's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
This book was wonderful! If you're looking for a space adventure with lovable queer characters, goldfish, and plenty of badassery, this is the book for you.
This book, while set far into the future, talks about issues we're dealing with today. Homophobia and Transphobia running ramped all over the world, and in Junker Seven, all over the Galaxy. The way the characters spoke about their lives opened my eyes to perspectives I've never been able truly to envision as a queer cis person. I found it inspiring, and the lessons I learned will probably stick with me for a long time. Thank you to Olive J. Kelley for allowing me to read this as an A.R.C. and thank you to whoever reads this, now go read the book!!
This book, while set far into the future, talks about issues we're dealing with today. Homophobia and Transphobia running ramped all over the world, and in Junker Seven, all over the Galaxy. The way the characters spoke about their lives opened my eyes to perspectives I've never been able truly to envision as a queer cis person. I found it inspiring, and the lessons I learned will probably stick with me for a long time. Thank you to Olive J. Kelley for allowing me to read this as an A.R.C. and thank you to whoever reads this, now go read the book!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, and Outing
Minor: Child death
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