bethebookworm's review
5.0
Delightful. I've outgrown petulant teenagers saving the world. Give me a grumpy granny to save the world (or not as the case may be) any day!
olosta's review
5.0
This was simply a delightful book.
First, the main character: I could count on one hand how many books I've come across with women protagonists (even) over 40.
Second: not only she's an old woman, she written so well! Deep, complex, she get due what she deserves as a character, she's written with real care.
Third: the other characters. Every one is distinct and unique.
Fourth: the story. It's just the right mix of action and description, an ideal pace that I love in books.
There's humour too, subtly entwined in the text.
And it has, hands down, one of the best ending sentences I've seen in a book.
First, the main character: I could count on one hand how many books I've come across with women protagonists (even) over 40.
Second: not only she's an old woman, she written so well! Deep, complex, she get due what she deserves as a character, she's written with real care.
Third: the other characters. Every one is distinct and unique.
Fourth: the story. It's just the right mix of action and description, an ideal pace that I love in books.
There's humour too, subtly entwined in the text.
And it has, hands down, one of the best ending sentences I've seen in a book.
gloridays's review against another edition
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
majkia's review
2.0
I really wanted to like this. I did for awhile but too little too late and I got bored with it.
linguisticali's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Slow paced but lovely.
nuevecuervos's review
5.0
I kind of loved this book, unabashedly. Ofelia is a beautifully drawn character; we seldom see love for older people in fiction, much less scifi, but she's wonderful. The aliens are fantastic as well, and though the other humans that show up are pretty much caricatures, Ofelia sees that, and treats them as such.
I loved watching her sort of say "Fuck you, society. I am now my own society and I will creep around wearing whatever the hell pleases me now that everyone has fucked off and left me alone, finally, thank jeebus." It's weird how even I who consider myself a bit of a social weirdo felt a thrill of the forbidden as she explores what all of that means both before and after her encounter with the creatures with whom she shares her planet. Also, this book made me hungry a lot for homemade tortillas. Excuse me-- "Flatbread."
This is a fast read, but not overly simple; it's written in a lovely storytelling style. About the only gripe I could come up with if pressed is that it ends a little too neatly, but that's probably what comes of reading anything after grimdark fantasy and stephen king.
I'm actually kind of blown away that I don't have more to say here, other than this is exactly the kind of story I was looking for after having spent months reading books by white males; the perspective was so different and a great change of pace, and I honestly appreciate it. I've got to get reading more Elizabeth Moon.
I loved watching her sort of say "Fuck you, society. I am now my own society and I will creep around wearing whatever the hell pleases me now that everyone has fucked off and left me alone, finally, thank jeebus." It's weird how even I who consider myself a bit of a social weirdo felt a thrill of the forbidden as she explores what all of that means both before and after her encounter with the creatures with whom she shares her planet. Also, this book made me hungry a lot for homemade tortillas. Excuse me-- "Flatbread."
This is a fast read, but not overly simple; it's written in a lovely storytelling style. About the only gripe I could come up with if pressed is that it ends a little too neatly, but that's probably what comes of reading anything after grimdark fantasy and stephen king.
I'm actually kind of blown away that I don't have more to say here, other than this is exactly the kind of story I was looking for after having spent months reading books by white males; the perspective was so different and a great change of pace, and I honestly appreciate it. I've got to get reading more Elizabeth Moon.
mantissabolt's review
5.0
My wife recommended this one. She read it based on a list of books with older women protagonists. And Ofelia is amazing. Her colony is being relocated to another planet and she thinks, f*k that, hides and stays behind. Eventually, she does a great job of first contact largely because she works well with toddlers (sounds odd when I type it, but in the book, it really works)
sophiereads21's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
What an absolute dream of a book!
Ofelia is a unique protagonist in sci fi (she's old! And 'uneducated'!). The company controlling the colony planet she lives and works on pulls the plug, forcing all the colonists to emigrate to a new colony planet. Ofelia decides she will stay and tend the garden and house she has lived in for 40 years and die quietly and alone in the place she has called home. It turns out though that the planet she thought was empty actually harbors intelligent alien life. What follows is Ofelia's journey to understanding the aliens and taking back her own life after 40 years as a wife, mother and worker for a corporation. However new human arrivals threaten to upset the balance and seem determined to only think of the aliens as silly animals.
While the first part of the book seems to drag (I still enjoyed all the scenes of her pottering around, cooking and gardening) it actually serves as an excellent counter point for the second half of the book and creates a great contrast between Ofelia's world view and the newer human arrivals. I felt SUCH RAGE on her behalf for the way she was treated and the way that the human team just couldn't quite seem to grasp the differences in culture between themselves and the aliens. Moon has a degree in both History and Biology which I think really shows through in her writing!
Definitely one to read for semi cozy sci-fi or if you liked Ender's Game
Ofelia is a unique protagonist in sci fi (she's old! And 'uneducated'!). The company controlling the colony planet she lives and works on pulls the plug, forcing all the colonists to emigrate to a new colony planet. Ofelia decides she will stay and tend the garden and house she has lived in for 40 years and die quietly and alone in the place she has called home. It turns out though that the planet she thought was empty actually harbors intelligent alien life. What follows is Ofelia's journey to understanding the aliens and taking back her own life after 40 years as a wife, mother and worker for a corporation. However new human arrivals threaten to upset the balance and seem determined to only think of the aliens as silly animals.
While the first part of the book seems to drag (I still enjoyed all the scenes of her pottering around, cooking and gardening) it actually serves as an excellent counter point for the second half of the book and creates a great contrast between Ofelia's world view and the newer human arrivals. I felt SUCH RAGE on her behalf for the way she was treated and the way that the human team just couldn't quite seem to grasp the differences in culture between themselves and the aliens. Moon has a degree in both History and Biology which I think really shows through in her writing!
Definitely one to read for semi cozy sci-fi or if you liked Ender's Game
laci's review
5.0
The first half of the book was slow, peaceful and deliberative. I have enjoyed watching how Ofelia, in her seventies, went about her day. The book painted a picture of quiet joy and contentment I appreciate; of solitude and loneliness. It also showed how plenty of the societal expectations beaten into Ofelia during her lifetime keep influencing her even when there is no more society to enforce them, even as she realized how unnecessary that is. The close narrative distance was a big factor in making feel so vivid and personal.
It also is one of those books where I'm really glad I didn't know anything about them when I started, so I won't spoil anyone's surprise here. I'll just say that the pace picked up a bit in the latter half, and I loved that, too.
It also is one of those books where I'm really glad I didn't know anything about them when I started, so I won't spoil anyone's surprise here. I'll just say that the pace picked up a bit in the latter half, and I loved that, too.