nellum's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
wetdryvac's review
5.0
For hope-punk, remarkably socially unsettling in places, but very good at it. A lovely bit of writing.
otterforce's review
5.0
I'm always a fan of Masha du Toit's flavor of future worlds. The not-so-hard science is just believable enough and there's an assortment of inclusive characters who you inevitably grow to love. This one is no exception.
I had some assumptions about the major elements of the ending, and I was right, but the read up until that confirmation (and after) was still enjoyable. I may have stayed up a little too late last night to finish it and needed a nap this morning...
It's a shame it's a standalone. I'd love to see what the next generation of Tohorans do, how they approach their lives, and what comes of the world beyond the Narthex.
And that's not to say loose ends aren't tied up. They are—and satisfyingly so. I'm just greedy and never want to leave these worlds behind...
I had some assumptions about the major elements of the ending, and I was right, but the read up until that confirmation (and after) was still enjoyable. I may have stayed up a little too late last night to finish it and needed a nap this morning...
It's a shame it's a standalone. I'd love to see what the next generation of Tohorans do, how they approach their lives, and what comes of the world beyond the Narthex.
And that's not to say loose ends aren't tied up. They are—and satisfyingly so. I'm just greedy and never want to leave these worlds behind...
molokov's review
4.0
A rather enjoyable sci-fi adventure, following two teens coming into adult responsibility aboard a large spaceship (but no, it's not YA or full of cheesy cliches). The world-building is great, and the story is big but the focus is on the characters and it doesn't get lost in grandeur. One slightly frustrating thing was about half way through the book I'd realised where one subplot was heading (and I'm pretty sure this is the author's intention for the reader) but it took the characters a long time to catch up... but when they did, the conclusion to this book was very satisfying.
acatwithabook's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
5.0
We Broke the Moon is a fun, fast read that combines alien contact, the death of the earth, and vast space ship with a slaved AI made from a cloned whale brain into a story that has elements of SF staples like the Culture Books and the Expanse, but with a far more hopeful outlook.
The main characters are young adults, and the work does skew toward an older teen audience, but it is not slight, and it plays with gaming culture and political power in accessible ways. The characters are interesting and believable, though I think we could have gone even more in depth with them, and with the alien Traveller characters. All in all, a great addition to du Toit's universe, albeit for a slightly younger audience (though still a worthy read, and most enjoyable.)
The main characters are young adults, and the work does skew toward an older teen audience, but it is not slight, and it plays with gaming culture and political power in accessible ways. The characters are interesting and believable, though I think we could have gone even more in depth with them, and with the alien Traveller characters. All in all, a great addition to du Toit's universe, albeit for a slightly younger audience (though still a worthy read, and most enjoyable.)
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