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erikagibson126's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
agusv's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“Yes, talk to Murderbot about its feelings. The idea was so painful I dropped to 97 percent efficiency.”
I'm writing this review after having finished the whole series and immediately re-read ‘All Systems Red’, so I will probably be making (non-spoilery) allusions to the story as a whole here.
First of all, the 4/5 rating is solely due to me having spent the first part of the book confused by the many characters and the complex world-building, which, with the plot being fast-paced and action-packed, was difficult to understand at first. Despite my ratings of the individual books, the series as a whole is, undoubtedly, a 5/5 for me.
I adored Murderbot as a character. Its personality is exactly the right mix of sarcastic, badass, apathetic and protective. I read the entire series in two weeks, and by the end, even with 7 books and 2 short stories, I still wished I could have spent more time reading its point of view. Wells did an excellent job of crafting a relatable and endearing protagonist and showcasing its skills in all of these very cinematic action scenes, and interspersing that excitement with quieter scenes in which Murderbot is left vulnerable to its (ugh) emotions.
I think what made me love this series was the twist at the very end of ‘All Systems Red’, and all that it entailed for the future instalments. The moment I read the last few sentences, I was hooked, and the book went from ‘fun story to pass the time’ to one of my favourites in a millisecond. Murderbot’s thoughts on matters such as autonomy, personhood, and humanity in general were what truly touched me. That, and the violent desire to eviscerate anything that threatened its humans- a desire that wasn’t born of its primary function, but rather its own choices.
“I don’t know what I want. I said that at some point, I think. But it isn’t that, it's that I don’t want anyone to tell me what I want, or to make decisions for me.That's why I left you, Dr. Mensah, my favorite human ”
So, even if sci-fi is not your thing, if you like your books with 1) lovable asocial protagonists, 2) digs at capitalism, 3) emotional and complex friendships, 4) badass action sequences, and 5) reflections on human (and inhuman) nature, I would definitely recommend you give Murderbot a shot. For my part, I can’t wait for the next book and the upcoming TV series.
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Murder
saara_ilona_muu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Murder
madamenovelist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation
abitbetterbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I found Murderbot incredibly endearing and extremely relatable. I thought the audiobook narrator did an amazing job of conveying both the logic and emotions weighing on Murderbot’s thoughts. There was just enough world-building to get your bearings (and fill in the blanks) while remaining fast-paced and focused on Murderbot’s personality and the mission. It’s fun to see how much is the same and what’s different in a sci-fi/futuristic world, and laughed out loud about The Company and their pursuit of the bottom line… some things really never change!
I’m immediately taking out holds on the next several books because I know this is going to be such a fun series to devour. I’m hoping the next instalments are equally as engrossing, I can’t wait to see where Murderbot goes next!!
Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Blood
_pauline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
haleybre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
lonelylooper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Medical content, and Kidnapping
Minor: Murder
rosyapple's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death
tlindhorst's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail