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geekmom's review against another edition
3.5
An odd book; I can’t figure out what to make of it. The main character was difficult to connect with but just sympathetic enough to keep me reading. The writing was very readable and there were a lot of interesting ideas here…somehow the story just didn’t come together for me. And the ending was pretty odd…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Murder
evilgiraffe's review
5.0
I have to say, I kind of loved this book. I totally get where other people are coming from about the ending. Although I was worried near the end when I saw how few pages were left, the ending mostly just left me with a calm feeling. It didn't resolve a bunch of what was happening, but I didn't feel it had to. This book was more about the main character, her experiences, and her state of mind rather than the colony or anything else going on around her.
Mostly, I love how this was written. It was engaging and revealed just enough throughout the book to slowly get to know the character. I love scifi, and I love that a mental illness could be explored with that. It's not the sort of subject I'd pick up if it were in a different setting; I think I'd be afraid of being overwhelmed. I'm very glad though that I gave this a read.
Side note: I've been looking recently for good scifi books with lgbt female leads and didn't realize this was one until I was reading, so that was a pleasant surprise.
Mostly, I love how this was written. It was engaging and revealed just enough throughout the book to slowly get to know the character. I love scifi, and I love that a mental illness could be explored with that. It's not the sort of subject I'd pick up if it were in a different setting; I think I'd be afraid of being overwhelmed. I'm very glad though that I gave this a read.
Side note: I've been looking recently for good scifi books with lgbt female leads and didn't realize this was one until I was reading, so that was a pleasant surprise.
alexcirtal's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
anxiousnachos's review
4.0
Review was originally posted to Anxious Nachos.
Content warnings: severe warning for anyone suffering from anxiety as this book is very difficult to read.
Planetfall is the first of Emma Newman's Planetfall series. Both Planetfall and Before Mars (#3) are stand alone novels and I read Before Mars earlier in the year and really enjoyed it. Planetfall is just as good - in fact, I'd even say I enjoyed it more. The mental health represenatation is absolutely exceptional. Planetfall is very much a character-driven sci-fi novel with more of a focus on people and trauma than on science or technology. This book was absolutely amazing - until the last 20 pages. The ending really didn't satisfy me, hence why this isn't a 5 star read.
Planetfall follows Renata, an engineer in the colony of a new planet, as she reacts to a surprise new arrival from somewhere else on the planet. Out of the wilderness of the planet walked Sung-Soo, a person who bore a remarkable resemblence to the Pathfinder who had led them to the planet. And who shouldn't exist.
As Renata reacts to this new arrival, we find out there's move involved than meets the eye. Something happened all those years ago when the crew made planetfall, and Renata has buried the trauma so deeply, it tears her apart as the truth is revealed.
The mystery and tension of the story is brilliant - Newman creates a very thriller-esque sci-fi, as we get hints and reveal of murder and trauma that happpened at planetfall, but we see these glimspes from the eyes of Renata, someone who has hidden these memories away so deeply she can't remember. The mystery around the events of planetfall centre on this living organism called God's City - a giant structure that we see as Renata explores within it. There seem to be remenants of intelligent live within the city, and we know the events of first planetfall happened here. The mystery was very engaging and I really wanted to find out what this city was and more about it. The writing was hugely visceral when within the city, and you very much got the impression it was definitely a living thing - this was paritcularly evident in scenes where Renata was forced to cut through the city. It was very realistically gross!
I adored Renata. She is by no means a likeable character - she is shown at times to be ruthless and uncaring. And yet, at the same time it is very clear she has suffered, and is suffering. Renata's mental illness was very overwhelming to read. A big, big warning to any anxiety sufferers - this was probably the closest I've gotten to having to physically stop reading a book because of the level of anxiety I was feeling whilst reading. I have a huge admiration for Emma for being able to write so brutally realistically.
Sung-Soo was a character I disliked very much from the start, pretty much entirely because of the awful way he pushed Renata to force her to be open with him despite her mental illness. It was very jarring and awful to see Renata so stressed and anxious because of him. I think because of this, I was very wary of him as a character.
In saying that, I did love the ending of Sung-Soo's arc. I thought it was absolutely perfect, and I just wish the book had ended there! The last 20 pages or so as Renata found out the mystery of God's City kind of just felt like it should have been a totally different book? It just didn't hugely make sense to me and felt very random and totally out of character of the rest of the book.
But despite the ending, I did really enjoy this book! Emma Newman has such an incredible ability to write mental illness into her characters in such an awfully realistic way that it is truly difficult to read. It was such a gripping book, and I definitely recommend this series to everyone!
Content warnings: severe warning for anyone suffering from anxiety as this book is very difficult to read.
Planetfall is the first of Emma Newman's Planetfall series. Both Planetfall and Before Mars (#3) are stand alone novels and I read Before Mars earlier in the year and really enjoyed it. Planetfall is just as good - in fact, I'd even say I enjoyed it more. The mental health represenatation is absolutely exceptional. Planetfall is very much a character-driven sci-fi novel with more of a focus on people and trauma than on science or technology. This book was absolutely amazing - until the last 20 pages. The ending really didn't satisfy me, hence why this isn't a 5 star read.
Planetfall follows Renata, an engineer in the colony of a new planet, as she reacts to a surprise new arrival from somewhere else on the planet. Out of the wilderness of the planet walked Sung-Soo, a person who bore a remarkable resemblence to the Pathfinder who had led them to the planet. And who shouldn't exist.
As Renata reacts to this new arrival, we find out there's move involved than meets the eye. Something happened all those years ago when the crew made planetfall, and Renata has buried the trauma so deeply, it tears her apart as the truth is revealed.
The mystery and tension of the story is brilliant - Newman creates a very thriller-esque sci-fi, as we get hints and reveal of murder and trauma that happpened at planetfall, but we see these glimspes from the eyes of Renata, someone who has hidden these memories away so deeply she can't remember. The mystery around the events of planetfall centre on this living organism called God's City - a giant structure that we see as Renata explores within it. There seem to be remenants of intelligent live within the city, and we know the events of first planetfall happened here. The mystery was very engaging and I really wanted to find out what this city was and more about it. The writing was hugely visceral when within the city, and you very much got the impression it was definitely a living thing - this was paritcularly evident in scenes where Renata was forced to cut through the city. It was very realistically gross!
I adored Renata. She is by no means a likeable character - she is shown at times to be ruthless and uncaring. And yet, at the same time it is very clear she has suffered, and is suffering. Renata's mental illness was very overwhelming to read. A big, big warning to any anxiety sufferers - this was probably the closest I've gotten to having to physically stop reading a book because of the level of anxiety I was feeling whilst reading. I have a huge admiration for Emma for being able to write so brutally realistically.
Sung-Soo was a character I disliked very much from the start, pretty much entirely because of the awful way he pushed Renata to force her to be open with him despite her mental illness. It was very jarring and awful to see Renata so stressed and anxious because of him. I think because of this, I was very wary of him as a character.
In saying that, I did love the ending of Sung-Soo's arc. I thought it was absolutely perfect, and I just wish the book had ended there! The last 20 pages or so as Renata found out the mystery of God's City kind of just felt like it should have been a totally different book? It just didn't hugely make sense to me and felt very random and totally out of character of the rest of the book.
But despite the ending, I did really enjoy this book! Emma Newman has such an incredible ability to write mental illness into her characters in such an awfully realistic way that it is truly difficult to read. It was such a gripping book, and I definitely recommend this series to everyone!
erinlcrane's review
4.0
3.5/4 stars. On a re-read, the rating for this one dropped for me. I think when I read it the first time I was really starved for some SF with some decent character work that wasn't sexist or racist. :')
My favorite part is the character of Ren and her journey. She has conflict that really lives on its own, separate from the plot, so she feels fully realized. Her mental health struggle, her unlikeability, her cowardice, etc. are all a strong part of the story for me.
I also still like the ending, even though I can see how it's easily divisive. It reminds me of the weirdness of Annihilation, which is not a winner for everyone either.
Newman really tried, but I found many of the descriptions of tech and setting beyond me. I have a hard time picturing SF as authors describe it in general, so this is no different. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but there's a lot of it here, so it's noticeable.
I also found it too slow on a re-read, though it's hard to tell if that's because I'd read it before and knew generally what would happen. Maybe it'd be stronger as a novella, or just a shorter novel. You kind of go in circles in Ren's head for a while which is pretty exhausting.
-------
4.5 stars. Not what I thought it would be, more of a personal journey in a sci-fi setting. Really moving ending.
My favorite part is the character of Ren and her journey. She has conflict that really lives on its own, separate from the plot, so she feels fully realized. Her mental health struggle, her unlikeability, her cowardice, etc. are all a strong part of the story for me.
I also still like the ending, even though I can see how it's easily divisive. It reminds me of the weirdness of Annihilation, which is not a winner for everyone either.
Newman really tried, but I found many of the descriptions of tech and setting beyond me. I have a hard time picturing SF as authors describe it in general, so this is no different. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but there's a lot of it here, so it's noticeable.
I also found it too slow on a re-read, though it's hard to tell if that's because I'd read it before and knew generally what would happen. Maybe it'd be stronger as a novella, or just a shorter novel. You kind of go in circles in Ren's head for a while which is pretty exhausting.
-------
4.5 stars. Not what I thought it would be, more of a personal journey in a sci-fi setting. Really moving ending.
wyvernfriend's review against another edition
4.0
*looks at the cover again, sees what the artist did there, applauds*
The story could have a sequel, though it is pretty complete as it stands.
Twenty-two years ago, based on a vision from a friend, Renata Shali went on a expedition to another planet. Now Ren works as the colony's printer engineer, keeping the resources of the colony going, she holds a pivotal role, after all almost everything they use is from the printers. She has issues and problems but nothing that she can't deal with, honest.
They are certain that they are the only ones on the planet, but then a man comes walking towards them and things will never be the same again.
It's messy and complicated and very, very interesting.
The story could have a sequel, though it is pretty complete as it stands.
Twenty-two years ago, based on a vision from a friend, Renata Shali went on a expedition to another planet. Now Ren works as the colony's printer engineer, keeping the resources of the colony going, she holds a pivotal role, after all almost everything they use is from the printers. She has issues and problems but nothing that she can't deal with, honest.
They are certain that they are the only ones on the planet, but then a man comes walking towards them and things will never be the same again.
It's messy and complicated and very, very interesting.
astrickson's review against another edition
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
1.5
theorysloth's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
4.5
serenyty's review
4.0
Wish I could give this 4.5 stars because dang, even though I don’t think this is flawless (I could have stood for the ending going on much longer) this is one that will stick with me for a variety of reasons. One up front is world building - this is an incredibly well designed world and one I am eager to check out in sequels. But the other is a thoughtful look at humanity, with special care given towards mental illness. There were so many moments where I felt a pang in my chest because, while I don’t relate entirely to the protagonist Ren, there were so many moments that felt lived in and like my own mental health struggles.
I don’t want to spoil anything, as learning more and more as you go along is part of what made me devour this book over a short while. But I will say this is a unique, unforgettable experience.
I don’t want to spoil anything, as learning more and more as you go along is part of what made me devour this book over a short while. But I will say this is a unique, unforgettable experience.
cindyc's review
4.0
After reading Emma Newman’s successful The Split Worlds, I was eager to read her new book, Planetfall. It promised to be something completely different and I wondered how I would end up liking that. Planetfall has a lot more to offer than meets the eye. It’s an emotional, intelligent tale about surviving and coping with tragedy. It maybe wasn’t completely what I had expected, but I enjoyed it immensely nonetheless.
Imagine your significant other waking up from a coma with coordinates to a faraway planet in her head. Would you follow her on a dangerous but potentially ground-breaking space journey to that planet? That’s what Ren did when she followed Suh-Mi on an expedition that would change her life. Not only is the planet inhabitable and very much like Earth, it has the mysterious ‘God’s City’.
The book starts 22 years after the first team landed on the planet from their space station Atlas. They explored God’s City and came back to Atlas with some incredible news: Suh-Mi was in the God’s City, communicating with ‘God’. They would all colonise the land near the God’s City to wait for her return. 22 years later, however, she hasn’t returned yet, but people are still hopeful and willing to wait.
Ren is struggling with a horrible secret about that day 22 years ago when they entered God’s City and all the things that happened after that, like the crash of some of the pods that were supposed to bring people safely to the planet during the first ‘Planetfall’. It has changed her profoundly. And then a stranger shows up from out of the wilderness, claiming to be the son of one of the crash victims.
I loved Ren’s character. She came across as such a realistically, scarred person. The secret that she has had to keep has torn her apart and though you might not completely notice that at first, it becomes clearer and clearer the more gets revealed. Some of the thoughts Ren has or the way she reacts to certain things will definitely resonate with a lot of people suffering from anxiety or other mental illnesses. It felt right to finally read an accurate, although heart-wrenching, account of how it really feels. There is one point in the novel where people address her problem and it completely broke my heart. I could feel her despair and I wanted to scream in her stead. This particular part sketches perfectly how a majority of people still don’t know how to interact with people who suffer from these kind of mental illnesses.
I enjoyed Newman’s view of life on another planet. Especially the tech that came with it. Obviously were talking about a more advanced time where 3D printers are the most important instruments to create things with. They even build their ‘houses’ with printed parts. It was fascinating! I also really liked how the colony was self-sustaining. All discarded objects get broken down to their core building blocks, so that these can be recycled to be used by the printers again. Not only that, but the houses are very cleverly made as well. They use all sorts of tech combined with natural resources to make them as efficient as possible.
The fabled God’s City gives this book a whole new dimension. When Ren goes exploring inside, it’s description almost makes it feel like a living creature.
The ending didn’t bring many answers, but I liked it anyway. It had a mystical touch and got you thinking about what everything we read might actually mean.
Newman has managed to write a compelling story that will reach deep inside your mind, provoking thought on many different subjects.
Fun fact: at first I thought the cover was just an artful piece to attract attention to the book on a shelf, but towards the end of the book it will make more sense. I always love it when this happens!
I can’t wait to read After Atlas, the second book set in the same Universe, but this time on Earth.
Imagine your significant other waking up from a coma with coordinates to a faraway planet in her head. Would you follow her on a dangerous but potentially ground-breaking space journey to that planet? That’s what Ren did when she followed Suh-Mi on an expedition that would change her life. Not only is the planet inhabitable and very much like Earth, it has the mysterious ‘God’s City’.
The book starts 22 years after the first team landed on the planet from their space station Atlas. They explored God’s City and came back to Atlas with some incredible news: Suh-Mi was in the God’s City, communicating with ‘God’. They would all colonise the land near the God’s City to wait for her return. 22 years later, however, she hasn’t returned yet, but people are still hopeful and willing to wait.
Ren is struggling with a horrible secret about that day 22 years ago when they entered God’s City and all the things that happened after that, like the crash of some of the pods that were supposed to bring people safely to the planet during the first ‘Planetfall’. It has changed her profoundly. And then a stranger shows up from out of the wilderness, claiming to be the son of one of the crash victims.
I loved Ren’s character. She came across as such a realistically, scarred person. The secret that she has had to keep has torn her apart and though you might not completely notice that at first, it becomes clearer and clearer the more gets revealed. Some of the thoughts Ren has or the way she reacts to certain things will definitely resonate with a lot of people suffering from anxiety or other mental illnesses. It felt right to finally read an accurate, although heart-wrenching, account of how it really feels. There is one point in the novel where people address her problem and it completely broke my heart. I could feel her despair and I wanted to scream in her stead. This particular part sketches perfectly how a majority of people still don’t know how to interact with people who suffer from these kind of mental illnesses.
I enjoyed Newman’s view of life on another planet. Especially the tech that came with it. Obviously were talking about a more advanced time where 3D printers are the most important instruments to create things with. They even build their ‘houses’ with printed parts. It was fascinating! I also really liked how the colony was self-sustaining. All discarded objects get broken down to their core building blocks, so that these can be recycled to be used by the printers again. Not only that, but the houses are very cleverly made as well. They use all sorts of tech combined with natural resources to make them as efficient as possible.
The fabled God’s City gives this book a whole new dimension. When Ren goes exploring inside, it’s description almost makes it feel like a living creature.
The ending didn’t bring many answers, but I liked it anyway. It had a mystical touch and got you thinking about what everything we read might actually mean.
Newman has managed to write a compelling story that will reach deep inside your mind, provoking thought on many different subjects.
Fun fact: at first I thought the cover was just an artful piece to attract attention to the book on a shelf, but towards the end of the book it will make more sense. I always love it when this happens!
I can’t wait to read After Atlas, the second book set in the same Universe, but this time on Earth.