caitlinburke's review against another edition
This is a fine draft but not a good, finished book. The characters are not well drawn, with some decisions that feel like placeholders for real development. The action has a strange mix of too slow and a bit abrupt, and characters "reason out" what apparently happens to be the right answer even though there are more likely possibilities that are never considered. The introduction of the "bad guys" actually made me audibly angry.
djbagwell's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
michaela_lawson's review against another edition
4.0
Good science fiction. Interesting concept. Some flaws which meant I gave it 4 stars
caterinaanna's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
michaellouisdixon's review
3.0
The premise intrigued me and the book started off pretty good, but it dragged when it should have been jogging, running, and sprinting. Too much time spent of menial tasks and repetitive backstory. Another thing that bugged me, and this is a pet peeve of mine, there was almost no discussion of ammunition--some people showed up to this other place with their guns and they just used them whenever and never contemplated how much ammo they might have left. Oh well.
amynbell's review against another edition
5.0
This has been one of my favorite small press sci-fi authors for years. I'd grab up anything he'd written and devour it. I'm not sure why I didn't read this series until I'd heard that he'd passed from cancer since I've read everything else of his. I wanted to keep it back and savor it, but I also found that his widow has a go-fund-me for medical expenses, so buying these surely help somewhat. Even though I know there's never going to be a book #3 because he powered through and finished book #2 while sick, I had to read at least the existing books. Did I mention he's one of my favorite authors? I think I did. His ideas always loom large and keep me turning pages. This one feels a little like the [a:Philip José Farmer|10089|Philip José Farmer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1234714074p2/10089.jpg] Riverworld series which begins with [b:To Your Scattered Bodies Go|189147|To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Riverworld, #1)|Philip José Farmer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327657439l/189147._SY75_.jpg|3171254]. Hundreds of people in their final moments alive are asked by a booming voice if they'd like a 2nd chance. An answer of "yes" deposits these people, from multiple points in history, onto an island on what appears to be another planet. Who did this and why are they here? The story is as entertaining as anything by Jones, and kept me turning pages and determined to immediately buy the next book in the series. I'm a little sad that the 2nd book in the series will be my last Jones book. But I'm tempted to go back and reread his earlier works.
theaudioauditor's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
earendil1992's review
3.0
I did enjoy this for the most part - the concept is very intriguing and it was a pretty easy read. However, I think this story went into a different direction to the one I was expecting; and to be honest some of it is downright bizarre. The main character Meredith is pretty bland, she has little to no personality traits beyond her rather underdeveloped backstory. The plot itself is what kept me going on this one, and some of the other characters she meets are at least somewhat interesting. I liked that this story combines science fiction and survival, but I feel like both of those elements were under-utilized. I will say I don't think I've read anything quite like this, it was absolutely not what I expected. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed necessarily, I just... wish it had gone in a different direction.
This book doesn't have a great deal of depth, it's more just entertainment at face value. There are more than a few instances of "telling not showing"; and some rather unnecessary metaphors that overly describe something that was already adequately described. It's almost amateurish, like the author is trying too hard to make his descriptions memorable.
Overall, I think I'd still recommend this book - it was entertaining enough but I don't think I'll continue on with the series. It's yet another case of where I loved the concept, but the execution was flawed.
This book doesn't have a great deal of depth, it's more just entertainment at face value. There are more than a few instances of "telling not showing"; and some rather unnecessary metaphors that overly describe something that was already adequately described. It's almost amateurish, like the author is trying too hard to make his descriptions memorable.
Overall, I think I'd still recommend this book - it was entertaining enough but I don't think I'll continue on with the series. It's yet another case of where I loved the concept, but the execution was flawed.
miss_mary's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25