Reviews

Frontier by Grace Curtis

thebrashbookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

zober's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I loved the way the main character was described differently based on who she was interacting with - she started as The Stranger, but held many other identities as she was perceived by different people. It emphasized the importance of story & narrative, which is nice and meta. 

I liked this world - there were interesting settings and characters, especially towards the end.

This is listed as a romance but I didn't feel like romance was a particularly significant part of the plot. Love definitely drives the main character's decisions, but the romance is so poorly characterized that I legitimately thought the main character was in love with her ship for 3/4 of the book. (oops, side effect of spending too much time in the Imperial Radch universe with sentient ships I guess)

johenderson's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful fast-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

5.0

A fun read about the destruction of Earth!

excellent_taste's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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? No

4.25

amber_does_audio's review against another edition

5.0

This is the second book by Curtis I've read and I cannot recommend it enough. Its charming; downright cozy despite the setting. I love the characters, every single one. There's such a love for the human condition in the way Curtis writes, it fills me with joy and hope with every page. The Stranger is mostly a canvas for most of the story, holding up the remaining citizens of Earth in her mirror and showcasing the different ways people can respond to a faith system. And by the time you get The Stranger's story.... it hits in all the right ways.

If you like the works of Becky Chambers, or if you're on the Trek side of the sci-fi spectrum, then you're going to love Curtis.

seriuzbiznus'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? Yes

4.0

olidale's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

dananaslibrary's review against another edition

5.0

Curtis's prose is ✨️beautiful✨️ and sucked me right into the story from the very beginning. I remember actually stroking the first page as I read it because, well, how could I not? In that moment I was spellbound and in love, and I couldn't *not* touch it.

Does that make me sound weird, or relatable?

She shows us the desolation and the depth of the world that was left behind from many different angles, all of which add something to the overall picture, whether big or small. This is a story that builds in a more subtle way than most books, I guess? It felt like I was reading poetry at times. It is written exactly as I always strive to write, in that effortlessly delicate and tantalising tone.

I can't explain it well, I know, but it is gorgeous.

This is an expertly crafted world that Curtis delivers without the need to be verbose, and I adored it. I'm so looking forward to her next novel that's out next year, and devouring more of her prose

erinmgill's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful

fraxisle's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• 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

3.25