illustriousnewt's review
Going to try the paper book instead (audio version will take a very long time to get through).
wayfaring_witch's review against another edition
2.0
This novel was missing something. I never really connected to the characters and what little of plot there was. The only positive mark was the world building is so vivid I can imagine myself living and surviving there.
The cast of characters we meet are shallowly built. We focus on one strength or flaw about them and continue putting masks on or off and occasionally meeting rotter zombie like creatures whose abilities are also not very developed.
It seems a lot of people liked this book, so if its your genre go for it.
The cast of characters we meet are shallowly built. We focus on one strength or flaw about them and continue putting masks on or off and occasionally meeting rotter zombie like creatures whose abilities are also not very developed.
It seems a lot of people liked this book, so if its your genre go for it.
itsmarkyall's review against another edition
3.0
3.8 stars
I enjoyed the concept and though the story was simple it was well told. For whatever reason it didn't resonate me, and I couldn't give it the full five stars. The writing - or the story - I haven't decided dragged in places causing me to grow bored, and consider putting the book down. I'll read the rest of the series, at some point, but not soon.
I enjoyed the concept and though the story was simple it was well told. For whatever reason it didn't resonate me, and I couldn't give it the full five stars. The writing - or the story - I haven't decided dragged in places causing me to grow bored, and consider putting the book down. I'll read the rest of the series, at some point, but not soon.
peapod_boston's review against another edition
3.0
"Boneshaker" is a bit of a rarity in the world of steampunk--a steampunk novel set in the Pacific Northwest. Cherie Priest constructs a lively and unusual alternate history that allows her to mix airships, zombies, and exotic technology in a fast-paced adventure. There's so much to love about the setting, that it's easy to miss what I enjoyed most about the novel--the very grounded plot.
The plot of "Boneshaker" revolves around a mother searching for her rebellious teenage son. Priest never deviates from this. Their actions impact the world around them, some mysteries are solved, some are not, but the novel doesn't devolve into some epic tale. It is, instead, the very simple story of a single mom and her son trying to figure out what they mean to each other and where they should be in the world.
That story, the very reasonable motivations of all the characters (money, survival, revenge) and a very real physical world (with no impossible feats on the parts of characters) keeps the fantastic elements feeling real and makes the story work.
The plot of "Boneshaker" revolves around a mother searching for her rebellious teenage son. Priest never deviates from this. Their actions impact the world around them, some mysteries are solved, some are not, but the novel doesn't devolve into some epic tale. It is, instead, the very simple story of a single mom and her son trying to figure out what they mean to each other and where they should be in the world.
That story, the very reasonable motivations of all the characters (money, survival, revenge) and a very real physical world (with no impossible feats on the parts of characters) keeps the fantastic elements feeling real and makes the story work.
bookwyrm_kate's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars- Audiobook review:
I love Wil Wheaton, but he made some tone-choices in his reading that made Zeke, one of the main characters, a bit more annoying-child than I probably would have read into him. Otherwise, Wheaton really impressed me with one particularly-accented character, whose name I won't attempt to spell (as I haven't seen it written).
The story had what seemed to me to be some continuity errors, but they were minor things that while distracting in action scenes, were largely forgotten as the story went on. The surprise ending, while heavily foreshadowed, gave me a new perspective on one of the main characters that gave me a better sense of having enjoyed the story than I would have had otherwise.
Overall, interesting enough that I may seek out more from this author, but I'm not yet sure if I'll continue in the series. I'll base that on the premise of the stories, and see if they can hook me.
I love Wil Wheaton, but he made some tone-choices in his reading that made Zeke, one of the main characters, a bit more annoying-child than I probably would have read into him. Otherwise, Wheaton really impressed me with one particularly-accented character, whose name I won't attempt to spell (as I haven't seen it written).
The story had what seemed to me to be some continuity errors, but they were minor things that while distracting in action scenes, were largely forgotten as the story went on. The surprise ending, while heavily foreshadowed, gave me a new perspective on one of the main characters that gave me a better sense of having enjoyed the story than I would have had otherwise.
Overall, interesting enough that I may seek out more from this author, but I'm not yet sure if I'll continue in the series. I'll base that on the premise of the stories, and see if they can hook me.
thunderchld's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good book. I loved the different take on Seattle. I was kind of sad the author had to make a note in the back of her book that, yes, she was aware she wasn't following true history.
All-in-all, it was a great book. It was a good paced book. It kept me on edge wondering what was going to happen.
All-in-all, it was a great book. It was a good paced book. It kept me on edge wondering what was going to happen.
sygoldst's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
3.5
chelsea_jack's review against another edition
3.0
Boneshaker was such a mixed bag for me.
The worldbuilding is really solid. There are lots of really intriguing bits to hook onto. Unfortunately, the story itself was really slow to get going. I only really got into the book in the last hundred pages. The rest was a slog. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.
Part of it might have been that within the walled-in portion of the city, it was all very much the main characters being handed off from one person to the next who escorted them on to the next checkpoint. So much weight was placed on who they were that there wasn't much opportunity for the characters to really develop or evolve. I didn't buy into the immediate loyalty that was granted simply because of a name.
Not sure if I'll pick up the next one or not.
The worldbuilding is really solid. There are lots of really intriguing bits to hook onto. Unfortunately, the story itself was really slow to get going. I only really got into the book in the last hundred pages. The rest was a slog. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.
Part of it might have been that within the walled-in portion of the city, it was all very much the main characters being handed off from one person to the next who escorted them on to the next checkpoint. So much weight was placed on who they were that there wasn't much opportunity for the characters to really develop or evolve. I didn't buy into the immediate loyalty that was granted simply because of a name.
Not sure if I'll pick up the next one or not.
branhowe's review against another edition
4.0
I must confess this is the second time I read this book since the first time I found it I had not found Goodreads yet. There is not much that can be said about the book that hasn't been told before: a bunch of zombies, a kid searching for a piece of his past and a mother desperate to find her son before something goes wrong.
Many people complain about the book lacking steampunk and I might not have the best experience as a steampunk reader but I find it rather well settled in it's own world. I believe that this negativity is because there are many things that, if seen with too realistic an eye, begin to lack luster and become dull and pale. If you want scientific explanations of everything and want to be told how the vapor motor of a train is turned into an air bomb then it would be best to go find something else to read. If, on the other side, you don't understand a bit about motors and feel content just by knowing it is a vapor machine then jump right by my side and we'll have a great ride.
The story is well written and flows with a nice pace, the scenes are descripted just enough to understand where we are and provides a fine ground for us to adorn the scene with as much or as little as we want in our imaginations. The zombies did feel a bit like just a medium to forward the story and I bet things would not have been half as exciting if you left them out of the equation but I did not find it as idiotic as some people talk about them, I still gotta see a zombie movie where things are not half stupid and half serious.
Being a mother myself I relate to Briar more than what I thought I would in the beginning. First, there are not many books with this kind of character and second I also am at that point where you are just not sure what your children are thinking about anything at all. Maybe this is the principal reason I loved this book so much but all in all it is a reading I definitely recommend to anyone.
Many people complain about the book lacking steampunk and I might not have the best experience as a steampunk reader but I find it rather well settled in it's own world. I believe that this negativity is because there are many things that, if seen with too realistic an eye, begin to lack luster and become dull and pale. If you want scientific explanations of everything and want to be told how the vapor motor of a train is turned into an air bomb then it would be best to go find something else to read. If, on the other side, you don't understand a bit about motors and feel content just by knowing it is a vapor machine then jump right by my side and we'll have a great ride.
The story is well written and flows with a nice pace, the scenes are descripted just enough to understand where we are and provides a fine ground for us to adorn the scene with as much or as little as we want in our imaginations. The zombies did feel a bit like just a medium to forward the story and I bet things would not have been half as exciting if you left them out of the equation but I did not find it as idiotic as some people talk about them, I still gotta see a zombie movie where things are not half stupid and half serious.
Being a mother myself I relate to Briar more than what I thought I would in the beginning. First, there are not many books with this kind of character and second I also am at that point where you are just not sure what your children are thinking about anything at all. Maybe this is the principal reason I loved this book so much but all in all it is a reading I definitely recommend to anyone.
aceti_wonders's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0