brettbooks's review
funny
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
cascadienne's review
3.0
Definitely a fun summer read. A bit predictable and/or heavy-handed in spots, but I still enjoyed it and would pick it up again to kill some time. It's good enough to make me want to read more of Scalzi's work.
bookbats's review against another edition
3.0
Plot - 2/5
Writing - 3/5
World building - 4/5
Characters - 3/5
Favourite character - Miranda
This book was kind of a tonal mismash in a way. You had some relatively serious topics like making a film about the Holocaust and bodily autonomy and right to die with dignity alongside things like slightly whacky clients and contract negotiations. I think you can combine serious topics with comedic ones as well but I don't think it was that successful, particularly at the end. I don't think the serious topics were given enough consideration (the audition scene with Avika at the end frankly left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth) really.
The idea of an alien race employing a Hollywood agent to help with first contact is an interesting one but it felt like more could have been done with it. More time seems to be spent on helping human clients than actually thinking up how to help the Yherajk until the solution just sort of falls into his lap. I also don't think the solution really made any sense, it definitely felt like it would have made humans freak out about the Yherajk more when they found out what happened.
The Yherajk were pretty well developed and we get to find out a good amount about their differences and some of their cultural practices. I would have liked a little more about the Yherajk homeworld and such instead of them constantly making earth pop culture references but that was still pretty fun.
Talking of pop culture I was really not sure when this book was supposed to be taking place because the pop culture and technology didn't really seem to line up. I think it was updated at some point after the initial 90s publication if I'm remembering the author note correctly but it doesn't seem like it was totally updated (I don't remember any texting for example) but the reference to Heath Ledger's death would place it in at least 2009 surely. I honestly think it should just have been left as it was to begin with. I don't usually complain about errors in books but there really were quite a few spelling/grammar/missing word mistakes in the digital version of this book as well.
The characters were fun but a bit thin and that kind of describes the book in general to me. Neat ideas but I do feel like it could have been executed a bit better.
Writing - 3/5
World building - 4/5
Characters - 3/5
Favourite character - Miranda
This book was kind of a tonal mismash in a way. You had some relatively serious topics like making a film about the Holocaust and bodily autonomy and right to die with dignity alongside things like slightly whacky clients and contract negotiations. I think you can combine serious topics with comedic ones as well but I don't think it was that successful, particularly at the end. I don't think the serious topics were given enough consideration (the audition scene with Avika at the end frankly left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth) really.
The idea of an alien race employing a Hollywood agent to help with first contact is an interesting one but it felt like more could have been done with it. More time seems to be spent on helping human clients than actually thinking up how to help the Yherajk until the solution just sort of falls into his lap. I also don't think the solution really made any sense, it definitely felt like it would have made humans freak out about the Yherajk more when they found out what happened.
The Yherajk were pretty well developed and we get to find out a good amount about their differences and some of their cultural practices. I would have liked a little more about the Yherajk homeworld and such instead of them constantly making earth pop culture references but that was still pretty fun.
Talking of pop culture I was really not sure when this book was supposed to be taking place because the pop culture and technology didn't really seem to line up. I think it was updated at some point after the initial 90s publication if I'm remembering the author note correctly but it doesn't seem like it was totally updated (I don't remember any texting for example) but the reference to Heath Ledger's death would place it in at least 2009 surely. I honestly think it should just have been left as it was to begin with. I don't usually complain about errors in books but there really were quite a few spelling/grammar/missing word mistakes in the digital version of this book as well.
The characters were fun but a bit thin and that kind of describes the book in general to me. Neat ideas but I do feel like it could have been executed a bit better.
wordmind's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
dfwsusie's review
4.0
I wanted something lighthearted and fun that would avoid all topics involving pandemics or post-apocalyptic dystopian nightmares. I could not have selected better. So fun and if you do the audiobook version Wil Wheaton does a great job. I would hang out with these aliens.
theonionboy's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun story. I was surprised to find out it was the author's debut, because it is better than you would expect from someone dipping their toe into the water of writing. It was a bit uneven at points, in that it jumped from funny to the Holocaust, to humorous, to discussing suicide, to comedy, to weighing significant moral/ethical dilemmas. Also, some characters abruptly disappeared from the story. The second last chapter wrapped up the story by just quoting a bunch of headlines from the news, but that didn't work for me. It was too repetitive and skipped over some needed details. But overall the book was fun, and of course, Wil Wheaton did a great job with the audiobook, as he always does.
birdkeeperklink's review against another edition
2.0
It's been a long time since I read this, so I don't remember exactly why this book wasn't as exciting to me as it was to some other people, and I don't have the book anymore. Still, I thought some explanation might be nice to the people who did like it and were offended by my 'it was okay.'
I recall really enjoying the first two-thirds, possibly three-quarters. The premise was very entertaining and written very amusingly. I think it was around the time that the girl (don't remember her name, sorry!) died, and then the plan was hatched to have the alien impersonate her that I stopped being so interested and started being disappointed. I think I just expected a more creative solution than that.
So, while I didn't think it was horrible or anything, I just didn't enjoy it that much.
I recall really enjoying the first two-thirds, possibly three-quarters. The premise was very entertaining and written very amusingly. I think it was around the time that the girl (don't remember her name, sorry!) died, and then the plan was hatched to have the alien impersonate her that I stopped being so interested and started being disappointed. I think I just expected a more creative solution than that.
So, while I didn't think it was horrible or anything, I just didn't enjoy it that much.