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babudarabu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Classism
Minor: Death, Drug use, Gore, and Blood
caseymac's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping
wad3mil3sgarru2's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Minor: Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
puddicure's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Anyway. As a preface to my full review: I’m a lesbian who withers at awkward comedy, and ‘miscommunication as a plot device,’ at least in a romanic context, usually gives me hives. As a result, I can only stomach romance in small doses, usually in dramatic contexts, and preferably, slathered in the more palatable sauce of genre fiction.
So when I checked out this audiobook from Hoopla, I expected very little, especially with the way the summary describes her love interest as “awkward, adorable, and alien as hell.”
What I found here was a veritable delight of shockingly good scifi. Like, I cannot emphasize enough how skillfully Aguirre fleshes out this little corner of the galaxy, the aliens that live there, and the tech at their disposal, all without dropping a ton of technical terms on you at once. Both Beryl and the reader are reminded time and time again, and to comedic effect, that this is an alien planet and an alien culture; and to the credit of the log line, that DOES make her new alien beau come across as quite awkward, mostly because he genuinely doesn’t understand and/or misunderstands a lot of the intent in her behaviors and turns of phrase. (While I’m on the subject: in the first few chapters, where the language barrier is dealt with via alien tech, was the moment I sat up and said out loud: “oh. This is good.” And it sets up SO many good jokes.)
Now onto the part of the story the summary doesn’t really touch on: the ceremony for being able to become mates is, basically, the fucking hunger games. And Beryl is a tiny human competing against other aliens who all have natural weapons to deter giant predators. It absolutely rules.
I won’t go too much into it, because I don’t want to spoil the delightful experience, but hive intrigue and politics also start to come into play, and it really cranks up the stakes.
Lastly, I have an audiobook specific compliment for the voice the narrator does for Snaps- their delivery really punches up his limited dialogue, and made me even more endeared to him than I would normally be. He’s a very good boy.
As far as if I’ll read the sequel…eh. The character they introduced who is the main character of the sequel didn’t get enough screentime for me to really care much about him. I might listen someday in hopes of these characters showing up, though.
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Drug use, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
To start: this is erotica. Hot, graphic alien/human sex is had multiple times in the book. Kidnapping: Beryl is mistaken for someone else, and that accidental kidnapping is the backbone of this story premise. Violence: I mentioned the hunger games aspect of the Choosing. People die in this competition. Only one or two are lingered upon, to my memory. Several are injured. Drugs: There is a party late in the book where alien party drugs are being used.sunnysky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Kidnapping and Murder
ednam0dewannabe's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Death and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Drug use, Gore, and Death of parent
xta_07's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Classism
Moderate: Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Sexual harassment
wilybooklover's review
5.0
The plot is a bit wacky and the alien culture more or less practices eugenics, with some harrowing tests involved in the process. The relationship remains sweet and understanding and low-angst all while they face these trials together, which is one of my favourite things to read.
I loved how alien Zylar was. He's not at all humanoid — closer to a giant bipedal insect. He doesn't have anything like human genitalia (which makes the sex scenes interesting, and perhaps not for everyone). He's adorably formal and awkward. The alien culture is suitably strange and a little bit terrifying.
Oh, and there's a talking dog who gets some of the funniest lines. I adored every page of this.
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, and Sexual assault
martamae77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping
zabeishumanish's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I just don’t think that Beryl ever acted the way any human woman ever actually would in this situation. Her fear lasted for such a short period that it makes no sense, even if she was paralyzed by confusion she should have been showing much more fear. The loyalty that Beryl develops towards Zylar does make sense given how loyal people are, but it never seemed like he did anything to earn that loyalty.
Ultimately interested read. Very unique sexual component. Not for me.
Graphic: Violence and Kidnapping