Scan barcode
nicolewhopickedthisbook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So I really liked this book. Romance was a slow burn and kind of on the back burner so I would call this more Scifi genre than romance genre (but it did end in an HFN).
Sooooo many things were happening in this book. A lot of it confused me lol. Lots of science (shocker) and alternate realities and metaphysical stuff that was cool and interesting just not explained well... it just happened and you had to roll with it.
If you do that, just roll with it, you will enjoy this book.
Pop Culture Readathon 80’s Round Prompt: Alien (Space Opera
Tropes: Slow burn, POC, LGBTQ+
Sooooo many things were happening in this book. A lot of it confused me lol. Lots of science (shocker) and alternate realities and metaphysical stuff that was cool and interesting just not explained well... it just happened and you had to roll with it.
If you do that, just roll with it, you will enjoy this book.
Pop Culture Readathon 80’s Round Prompt: Alien (Space Opera
Tropes: Slow burn, POC, LGBTQ+
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
inamerata's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I do not recommend this if you have any concerns about disordered eating.
I wanted to like this book. It sounded cool and had glowing recommendations, but it didn't work for me.
Poor communication is off-putting in general, but especially in romance. Even more in poly romances. It was believable the crew wouldn't trust Alana right away, but once you're instigating romantic gestures, you shouldn't play coy with things like "current relationship status and dynamic." It was deceptive and manipulative, yet Alana's confusion and distress were treated like the problem, rather than her being put in that position in the first place. It left me rooting against the entire relationship, and frustrated as she was browbeaten into accepting the abuse.
Alana and Nova's sisterly relationship was perhaps the strongest element, and I bought into the tension with them. However, Nova's personal arc was extremely uncomfortable because of its pro-anorexic spirituality that is glamorized to the pointthat she saves the day by literally starving and wasting away, and that's the titular ascension . The way Alana's experiences with chronic illness and pain were written rang true, though, and it was nice to see the topic come up throughout the narrative.
Unfortunately, Ascension's concepts are much better than its execution.
I wanted to like this book. It sounded cool and had glowing recommendations, but it didn't work for me.
Poor communication is off-putting in general, but especially in romance. Even more in poly romances. It was believable the crew wouldn't trust Alana right away, but once you're instigating romantic gestures, you shouldn't play coy with things like "current relationship status and dynamic." It was deceptive and manipulative, yet Alana's confusion and distress were treated like the problem, rather than her being put in that position in the first place. It left me rooting against the entire relationship, and frustrated as she was browbeaten into accepting the abuse.
Alana and Nova's sisterly relationship was perhaps the strongest element, and I bought into the tension with them. However, Nova's personal arc was extremely uncomfortable because of its pro-anorexic spirituality that is glamorized to the point
Unfortunately, Ascension's concepts are much better than its execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Eating disorder