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melissatrew's review against another edition
4.0
”From her very particular position, she had a very particular voice. She would use it.”
Project Hail Mary (lone astronaut in outer space) meets How Beautiful We Were (indigenous people & lands being perpetually wronged by corporate greed) in this new sci-fi thriller by Jeffrey Kluger!
I’m a huge fan of science fiction, so Holdout (with a blurb from Riley Sager and a comparison to Andy Weir!), filled with renegade astronauts, hijacked space stations, and a fight for justice, sounded like a slam dunk for me. But in execution, it didn’t actually read as much like sci-fi as a high-stakes sociopolitical drama.
I was astounded by the amount of time and effort that the author put into researching for this book. From the Soviet-era space race to the impact of industrialization on indigenous populations of the world, I felt like I learned something new in nearly every field of study. I truly do love books that endeavor to teach, not just entertain, and Kluger is a masterful teacher of science, history, sociopolitical anthropology, and more.
(If you’re familiar with the author’s credentials, this probably won’t come as a surprise - he’s an editor for Time magazine and has authored many nonfiction books on a variety of topics, and his gift for research was on full display here!)
Because of this informational approach, much of the book felt more expositional than narrative in style, with large chunks of text devoted to info-dumps, mathematical calculations, and rabbit-trail descriptions that didn’t necessarily move the plot forward, and it took me longer than usual to really engage with the characters or what was happening. But there absolutely is a story here, if you’re willing to mine for it through all of the minute detail - a story of integrity, conviction, and the power of the individual to spark change through any means necessary - and I found it to be compelling, challenging, and timely.
——
A huge thank you to Jeffrey Kluger, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Project Hail Mary (lone astronaut in outer space) meets How Beautiful We Were (indigenous people & lands being perpetually wronged by corporate greed) in this new sci-fi thriller by Jeffrey Kluger!
I’m a huge fan of science fiction, so Holdout (with a blurb from Riley Sager and a comparison to Andy Weir!), filled with renegade astronauts, hijacked space stations, and a fight for justice, sounded like a slam dunk for me. But in execution, it didn’t actually read as much like sci-fi as a high-stakes sociopolitical drama.
I was astounded by the amount of time and effort that the author put into researching for this book. From the Soviet-era space race to the impact of industrialization on indigenous populations of the world, I felt like I learned something new in nearly every field of study. I truly do love books that endeavor to teach, not just entertain, and Kluger is a masterful teacher of science, history, sociopolitical anthropology, and more.
(If you’re familiar with the author’s credentials, this probably won’t come as a surprise - he’s an editor for Time magazine and has authored many nonfiction books on a variety of topics, and his gift for research was on full display here!)
Because of this informational approach, much of the book felt more expositional than narrative in style, with large chunks of text devoted to info-dumps, mathematical calculations, and rabbit-trail descriptions that didn’t necessarily move the plot forward, and it took me longer than usual to really engage with the characters or what was happening. But there absolutely is a story here, if you’re willing to mine for it through all of the minute detail - a story of integrity, conviction, and the power of the individual to spark change through any means necessary - and I found it to be compelling, challenging, and timely.
——
A huge thank you to Jeffrey Kluger, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
booksandcurlz's review against another edition
The pace of the book wasn’t holding my attention the way I would have liked it to.
babs_reviews's review against another edition
4.0
Powerfully poignant.
How do you stand up for something you believe in when the world exists in chaos and power is only held by those with deep pockets? Do you turn a blind eye and say, 'there's nothing I can do' or do you risk it all and say, 'I'll do whatever it takes'?
For Belka "Walli" Beckwith it's the risk because sometimes doing what is morally right doesn't line up with what is right by the rule book. She goes with her gut and that leads her fighting for those who have no voice .... and she does it from space.
The politics are heavy handed here, I learned a lot about the process and chain of commands within a space mission. There are times when this bogs down the story and it drags a bit, however, I feel like it was necessary. Leaving out the politics would have left out the very point of what is written between the lines here. Power.
One thing this expresses incredibly well is just how deep and powerful social media is; rooted into the very center fibers of our society; people now orbit around it.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for reaching out to me to review and to Netgalley.
How do you stand up for something you believe in when the world exists in chaos and power is only held by those with deep pockets? Do you turn a blind eye and say, 'there's nothing I can do' or do you risk it all and say, 'I'll do whatever it takes'?
For Belka "Walli" Beckwith it's the risk because sometimes doing what is morally right doesn't line up with what is right by the rule book. She goes with her gut and that leads her fighting for those who have no voice .... and she does it from space.
The politics are heavy handed here, I learned a lot about the process and chain of commands within a space mission. There are times when this bogs down the story and it drags a bit, however, I feel like it was necessary. Leaving out the politics would have left out the very point of what is written between the lines here. Power.
One thing this expresses incredibly well is just how deep and powerful social media is; rooted into the very center fibers of our society; people now orbit around it.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for reaching out to me to review and to Netgalley.
strangecandy's review against another edition
3.0
I was personally underwhelmed by this story. I was hoping for more of an Andy Weir type of story but this was told from different perspectives and was really heavy on politics which I generally stay away from. It's an interesting story for those who enjoy more politics with their science fiction.
suzid's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
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? No
3.25
paigedc's review against another edition
4.0
For fans of Project Hail Mary or anything by Andy Weir, this is a great space hostage story with lots of layers.
Walli Beckwith is a model astronaut, but an accident on the International Space Station reveals a plan she's had to remain on board when all other astronauts evacuate--essentially taking the ISS hostage for a specific purpose. Elsewhere, in the Amazonian jungle, a woman, a child, and a village are in crisis. The woman, Sonia, will do whatever she can and call in whatever contacts she has (including international astronauts) to help save these people.
As the Russian cosmonauts and Houston mission control try to compel Walli to return to Earth, conflicts rage in space and in the jungle that only Walli and Sonia can solve. It's a space heist unlike many others with a really enjoyable plot.
Walli Beckwith is a model astronaut, but an accident on the International Space Station reveals a plan she's had to remain on board when all other astronauts evacuate--essentially taking the ISS hostage for a specific purpose. Elsewhere, in the Amazonian jungle, a woman, a child, and a village are in crisis. The woman, Sonia, will do whatever she can and call in whatever contacts she has (including international astronauts) to help save these people.
As the Russian cosmonauts and Houston mission control try to compel Walli to return to Earth, conflicts rage in space and in the jungle that only Walli and Sonia can solve. It's a space heist unlike many others with a really enjoyable plot.
srm's review against another edition
After an intriguing opening, I started to question the heroine at the end of the first chapter. Then I went ahead and read some spoilers, and realized I'd never be able to sympathize with her. Far worse, the book is FULL of showing AND telling. I've always felt the admonition to only show, don't tell was a bit much, because some moments don't deserve the time it takes to show, but no moment--or as often happen here, character introduction--requires both showing and telling.
audralee's review against another edition
5.0
This is outside of my typical genre of book but it was engrossing and had a good balance of information about space without losing my attention or getting boring. Really enjoyed this overall. #GoodreadsGiveaway
theadorek9's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75