fantasycat'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Sexism, Racism, Eating disorder, and Grief
Moderate: Excrement and Miscarriage
maryellen'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
Graphic: Racism, Gaslighting, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Confinement
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Cursing
oceanwriter's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
While Elma is on her way to Mars, her friend and fellow astronaut Nicole Wargin is back on the moon as the colony continues to be established. With her husband a politician on Earth, they make the difficult decision to live apart as they do the work they were meant to do. Despite their distance, they come to share a common enemy: The Earth First movement.
Characters aside (although there are some name drops and familiar faces scattered throughout the story), the book has an overall different tone from the first two. The actual space travel is less of a focus. Instead, it's more of a story about sabotage and a pandemic. Yet, the themes remain similar in other ways. Where Elma was known for her anxiety issues, Nicole, too, struggles with her own disorders, which in this case is an eating disorder. And much like Elma, she doesn't let this get in the way of her job and passion for space travel. I didn't connect with Nicole as much as I did with Elma, but I appreciate the strength of her character.
I'm not sure if more books are in the works for this series. If so, I'm curious if the next one will also follow Nicole or if we'll circle back to Elma. Maybe we'll get to know one of the other Lady Astronauts? Even though I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous two, I admire Mary Robinette Kowal's dedication to the research, especially when it comes to science and how it might have looked even in the alternate take on the 1960s.
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Infertility, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage
iono's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Eating disorder, Grief, Chronic illness, and Death
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Excrement
kalayk's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death and Eating disorder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Xenophobia
penguininabluebox'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Grief, and Medical content
Moderate: Violence, Sexism, Racism, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Cursing
Minor: Murder
akmistyrose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Vomit, Sexism, Gun violence, Murder, and Misogyny
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Excrement, and Chronic illness
Minor: Miscarriage
charlottejones952's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Grief, Mental illness, and Sexism
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicidal thoughts
reviewsandreadathons's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Eating disorder, Death, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Vomit, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Self harm, and Miscarriage
Minor: Excrement
rubybastille'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
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Death and Racism
Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage
Nicole’s struggle with anorexia is a key conflict in the book. It’s made worse by