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serena_hien's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, and Medical content
cookiecat73's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Loved this!! I had a couple of nitpicks, but overall I thought it was great, the main thing I want to be different is that I would have liked it to have been longer, it didn't even need to have extra plot thrown in, I just liked reading about these characters and this world
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Excrement, Death of parent, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and War
brittni_in_ink's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book deserves so much more attention! I was really moved by the story of this crew going out into space and facing the challenges of each planet they visit. The narrative structure is solid from beginning to end, and the idea of changing humans to suit other planet environments is fascinating to see play out. The book feels like a response to the popular portrayal of the lone space explorer/survivor as seen in works like The Martian - Chambers' story is about a collective effort to learn about other planets, with the highest priority being leaving the alien environments as untouched as possible. The crew dynamics are engaging, although not the key component of the story. There's trans, bi, and asexual rep, which was wonderful to see. This was definitely one of my favourite reads this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Minor: Death, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
maeverose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was so fun. Now I just wanna go visit other planets… science can you advance a little faster pls?
TL;DR — Themes/Features:
-s c i e n c e
-planet exploration
-little alien creatures
-discussions on humanity
-lgbtq rep (ace, bi/pan, trans)
-non monogamous relationship
This is a book about humanity, our relationship to science, and as always with Becky Chamber’s books it touches a bit on politics and ethics, which I love.
It’s also a book about a group of astronauts looking for and studying life on other planets. Lots of descriptions of different kinds of environments and the creatures that live there.
If you’re a space or biology nerd I think you’d love this book. It has a decent focus on the science, definitely more than Becky Chamber’s other books. On the other hand it’s not inaccessible on that front either. I’m fascinated by science but not very knowledgeable on it and I understood everything perfectly fine. It’s explained in a very accessible way.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“We walked for a time, our footsteps echoing in all directions. Had there been such echoes in this canyon before? I wondered. Was the air here accustomed to carrying sounds beyond those it created on it’s own?”
(On leaving no trace:)
“What if the exact place where your craft landed is where two bacteria of separate species met for the first time, and what if their meeting would have resulted in a symbiosis that would have led to the emergence of a new species, and you, you bastard, just wiped out that entire reality?”
(Followed a moment later by:)
“At some point, you have to accept the fact that any movement creates waves, and the only other option is to lie still and learn nothing.”
“The walls were made of thick glass, and behind it was the dense network you find below every forest. Roots interlocking like fingers, with gossamer fungus sprawled symbiotically between, allowing for the peaceful exchange of carbon and nutrients. Worms traversed roads of their own making. Pockets of water and pebbles decorated the scene. This is what a forest is, after all. Don’t believe the lie of individual trees, each a monument to it’s own self-made success. A forest is an interdependent community. Resources are shared, and life in isolation is a death sentence.”
TL;DR — Themes/Features:
-s c i e n c e
-planet exploration
-little alien creatures
-discussions on humanity
-lgbtq rep (ace, bi/pan, trans)
-non monogamous relationship
This is a book about humanity, our relationship to science, and as always with Becky Chamber’s books it touches a bit on politics and ethics, which I love.
It’s also a book about a group of astronauts looking for and studying life on other planets. Lots of descriptions of different kinds of environments and the creatures that live there.
If you’re a space or biology nerd I think you’d love this book. It has a decent focus on the science, definitely more than Becky Chamber’s other books. On the other hand it’s not inaccessible on that front either. I’m fascinated by science but not very knowledgeable on it and I understood everything perfectly fine. It’s explained in a very accessible way.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“We walked for a time, our footsteps echoing in all directions. Had there been such echoes in this canyon before? I wondered. Was the air here accustomed to carrying sounds beyond those it created on it’s own?”
(On leaving no trace:)
“What if the exact place where your craft landed is where two bacteria of separate species met for the first time, and what if their meeting would have resulted in a symbiosis that would have led to the emergence of a new species, and you, you bastard, just wiped out that entire reality?”
(Followed a moment later by:)
“At some point, you have to accept the fact that any movement creates waves, and the only other option is to lie still and learn nothing.”
“The walls were made of thick glass, and behind it was the dense network you find below every forest. Roots interlocking like fingers, with gossamer fungus sprawled symbiotically between, allowing for the peaceful exchange of carbon and nutrients. Worms traversed roads of their own making. Pockets of water and pebbles decorated the scene. This is what a forest is, after all. Don’t believe the lie of individual trees, each a monument to it’s own self-made success. A forest is an interdependent community. Resources are shared, and life in isolation is a death sentence.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Confinement
Moderate: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, and Alcohol
Detailed descriptions of moth metamorphosis, descriptions of animal and human internal anatomy in a scientific way (I didn’t find it to be gory, and I really don’t like gore so it’s probably fine but it’s there jsyk)strange_little_ranger's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Minor: Cancer, Death, Blood, Medical content, and Grief
v171's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed every part of this book, cover to cover. It's impressive how the author was able to fit an excellent story, excellent setting, and excellent characters with excellent arcs in such a short book. While I wouldn't necessarily consider it "feel good" sci fi as I've seen some other reviewers call it, I thought the message was very poignant as a realistic near-future scenario.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Sexual content, and Blood
readandfindout's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
On first read in 2019: 4.5 stars
2024 reread
Overall rating: 4.25 stars
Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Worldbuilding: 4.5 stars
2024 reread
Overall rating: 4.25 stars
Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Worldbuilding: 4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Confinement
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Minor: Body horror, Death, Blood, Vomit, War, and Injury/Injury detail