erikaedits's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
moodyrose79's review against another edition
I quit. I tried to give the book another chance but within a page I came across more content that made me just close the book (see my quotes).
libra17's review against another edition
5.0
So, Human Plus was a kind of confusing book. It is book four of the Post-Human series, and it will not make sense without having read Sub-Human, Post-Human, and Trans-Human first. For Human Plus, everything except the epilogue takes place prior to the main plotline of Sub-Human. You know that test that Gibson was all proud his AI passed, the one where the AI - unknowing that the situation was not real and it a test of selflessness and altruism - sacrificed himself to save humanity? With the exception of the epilogue (a conversation between the AI and James Keats at some point after the events of Trans-Human), Human Plus is the story of the test.
With that in mind, Human Plus is a great addition to the Post-Human series. I think it goes a long way toward helping humanize the AI (although he is never named, which kind of bothers me). Once the confusion regarding where in the timeline this story fit was resolved, Human Plus became much more enjoyable. I think the timeline was kept deliberately ambiguous in order to prevent readers approaching the story with a foregone conclusion in mind (after all, we know from Sub-Human that the passed the test), but I don't think the approach fit the book. For a good chunk of the book, I was more concerned with figuring where Human Plus went in the timeline, and the story itself was an almost secondary concern; that shouldn't happen. I think more clarity would have gone a long way, even if it would have 'spoiled' the ending.
With that in mind, Human Plus is a great addition to the Post-Human series. I think it goes a long way toward helping humanize the AI (although he is never named, which kind of bothers me). Once the confusion regarding where in the timeline this story fit was resolved, Human Plus became much more enjoyable. I think the timeline was kept deliberately ambiguous in order to prevent readers approaching the story with a foregone conclusion in mind (after all, we know from Sub-Human that the passed the test), but I don't think the approach fit the book. For a good chunk of the book, I was more concerned with figuring where Human Plus went in the timeline, and the story itself was an almost secondary concern; that shouldn't happen. I think more clarity would have gone a long way, even if it would have 'spoiled' the ending.
adrianwelsh's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This book was a little better than I expected for this series. It can almost be read as a stand-alone book and has a refreshing first person narrative (along with an unknown person for the POV – well, unknown to the series as the reader understands it). All the way until the epilogue (then it ties back to the other books). The book is basically like the movie The Matrix in so many ways. Maybe this is why I mostly enjoyed it.
There is a major spoiler in this book but I won’t say what it is!
Even though it was super short, it felt a little long. No idea why. Impatience perhaps?
Audiobook narrator [a:Ray Chase|6496112|Ray Chase|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] rating: 3 stars
The narrator was ok for this book.
This book was a little better than I expected for this series. It can almost be read as a stand-alone book and has a refreshing first person narrative (along with an unknown person for the POV – well, unknown to the series as the reader understands it). All the way until the epilogue (then it ties back to the other books). The book is basically like the movie The Matrix in so many ways. Maybe this is why I mostly enjoyed it.
There is a major spoiler in this book but I won’t say what it is!
Even though it was super short, it felt a little long. No idea why. Impatience perhaps?
Audiobook narrator [a:Ray Chase|6496112|Ray Chase|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] rating: 3 stars
The narrator was ok for this book.
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