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underthejunipertree's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Finally got around to reading Lee’s debut!
I recall Lee saying in an interview that she loved to present characters with impossible dilemmas, and… she has truly delivered in this regard. There was no easy, right answer in sight, and I read to know what unenviable choice Carr would ultimately make.
The writing isn’t as refined as it is in The Greenbone saga, which is to say that Lee’s writing has matured exquisitely as her career progressed. The love of the fight remains burning bright, and though I sometimes found myself skimming through zero boxing matches with lower stakes, I was utterly engrossed in the matches that mattered, tremendously.
3.75-4
3.75-4
hdbblog's review against another edition
3.0
Would you like an extremely quick breakdown of this book? I'll oblige. Zeroboxer is Rocky, in space. Oh yes, my friends. Complete with the craggy, but ultimately lovable coach, and all the related drama. That's not to say that this isn't a good book. I'm simply telling you exactly what to expect. This was most definitely a different kind of Science Fiction than I'm used to, and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it.
First off, credit where credit is due. The sport of zeroboxing is so well fleshed out in this story that it isn't even funny. You won't just be reading about Carr's matches, you'll live them. Fonda Lee has not only built a sport, she's built a sport that actually makes sense. I felt the tension, heard the cheers, and watched the blood float around in zero gravity. If nothing else, this book will get you for that very reason. It's hard not to be caught up with the sport, and everything that comes along with it.
Even the world itself is pretty solid, since it's essentially Toronto in the far flung future. Genetic enhancements are the norm. Tattoos are done with an animated liquid. Best of all, travel between Earth and Mars is something that's done often. The one downside here is that the reader is thrown directly into this future without a whole lot of hand holding. While I eventually found my footing, it took me a while to truly associate Carr's life with his futuristic home. If it wasn't for the references to zero gravity boxing, I'd have been much more lost.
Now here's where things get a bit hairy. First off, I wasn't always a huge fan of Carr Luka. Our main character felt a little too perfect. Thus, when things started to turn sour for him, I wasn't really empathetic. I actually wanted him to lose. If just once. It's no fun to root for someone who is nigh unbeatable. Nor is it easy to feel bad when they're injured. My other issue was with how casually the topic of people being genetically enhanced in the womb, and the fact that only bad parents didn't do that, was mentioned and then tossed aside. I understand this was part of the world building, but I needed more. That's a big subject to simply touch on.
Overall, I was fairly impressed with Zeroboxer. I'm not generally a big fan of sports related books or movies, but this one held my interest. The union between boxing and Sci Fi definitely made this a different read than I was expecting, and a rather happy surprise.
First off, credit where credit is due. The sport of zeroboxing is so well fleshed out in this story that it isn't even funny. You won't just be reading about Carr's matches, you'll live them. Fonda Lee has not only built a sport, she's built a sport that actually makes sense. I felt the tension, heard the cheers, and watched the blood float around in zero gravity. If nothing else, this book will get you for that very reason. It's hard not to be caught up with the sport, and everything that comes along with it.
Even the world itself is pretty solid, since it's essentially Toronto in the far flung future. Genetic enhancements are the norm. Tattoos are done with an animated liquid. Best of all, travel between Earth and Mars is something that's done often. The one downside here is that the reader is thrown directly into this future without a whole lot of hand holding. While I eventually found my footing, it took me a while to truly associate Carr's life with his futuristic home. If it wasn't for the references to zero gravity boxing, I'd have been much more lost.
Now here's where things get a bit hairy. First off, I wasn't always a huge fan of Carr Luka. Our main character felt a little too perfect. Thus, when things started to turn sour for him, I wasn't really empathetic. I actually wanted him to lose. If just once. It's no fun to root for someone who is nigh unbeatable. Nor is it easy to feel bad when they're injured. My other issue was with how casually the topic of people being genetically enhanced in the womb, and the fact that only bad parents didn't do that, was mentioned and then tossed aside. I understand this was part of the world building, but I needed more. That's a big subject to simply touch on.
Overall, I was fairly impressed with Zeroboxer. I'm not generally a big fan of sports related books or movies, but this one held my interest. The union between boxing and Sci Fi definitely made this a different read than I was expecting, and a rather happy surprise.
mitskacir's review against another edition
3.0
I think if I hadn't already read [b:Jade City|43587154|Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547625704l/43587154._SY75_.jpg|55755047], I would have given this book a 4. But I (perhaps unfairly) couldn't help but compare Zeroboxer to her other work, and it just doesn't hold a candle to the Jade series. Despite that, I did enjoy the interesting world she created and the dilemma she created for her main character. I zoned out a bit during the fight scenes (as I usually do) and wasn't very interested in the romance (Lee's romances never pull me in - her only weakness as an author!), but I liked the ambiguous but hopeful ending and would recommend this to anyone looking for a sci-fi novel with good writing.
arjohnson5623's review against another edition
4.0
I can't call myself, by any stretch of the imagination, a MMA fan. I don't know the terms or the rules, but that mattered little for this book-- it was all pretty easy to pick up on. The science fiction aspects-- the future tech, the political atmosphere between Earth and Mars, and the idea of gene therapy-- were the concepts in Lee's work that kept me interested, and I'm certainly glad to have read this book for them.
abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
Great read for anyone who enjoys sports and space. The two genres are combined seamlessly in this excellent story of a young man becoming an adult.
ferzemkhan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.5
posies23's review against another edition
4.0
There's a lot to like about this book. The concept is very clever: Zero gravity boxing! Overall, the book is well-paced, and the action sequences are very well done. The protagonist is likable, and the world-building is very well done. There were several plot twists that I enjoyed, and the writing is strong. There's also some depth to the book, with genetic engineering, social issues, and some moral issues raising interesting questions.
Unfortunately, the "love interest" plot fell flat for me, and distracted from the overall quality of the book. I'll be very interested to read the next book by the author. I have a feeling it will be a (pardon the pun) knockout.
Unfortunately, the "love interest" plot fell flat for me, and distracted from the overall quality of the book. I'll be very interested to read the next book by the author. I have a feeling it will be a (pardon the pun) knockout.
christajls's review against another edition
3.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
One day, many years from now, humanity has managed to colonize not only Mars, but the moon as well. This is obviously a time of great change. New technology, new medicine, new genetic enhancements and even new sports. Zeroboxing is all the rage – both on Earth and Mars.
Zeroboxing is in many ways, similar to the regular old boxing we have today. Two men (and occasionally women) get into a ring and pummel each other until one of them taps out or is knocked out. What makes zeroboxing different however is that there’s no gravity. Players are placed in a cube with six magnetic walls. Down is up, right is left and you need to be able to crawl up the walls and spin through air, just as easily as you throw a punch.
It’s a challenging sport but Carr Luka is great at it. At nineteen he’s one of the best in the league and his star is rising higher and higher every day – especially with the help of his marketing guru/Martian girlfriend Risha. The future looks bright for Carr, until he returns to Earth to visit his mother and learns a secret that will change his life forever.
I am not a boxing fan. I’m not really a sports fan of every kind, but I’ve especially had a hard time understanding boxing. Watching two people beat each other up has never been my idea of a good time. As a result I really struggled with many parts of this novel. It may take place on the Moon and they may fight in zero gravity – but at its core it is a sports novel and if you’re anything like me you probably won’t enjoy the numerous fight scenes throughout.
However, I couldn’t give up on this novel because despite the blood and punching there were some universal elements that kept me hanging on, wondering what Carr Luka would do next. He struggled with the expectations put upon him – by his mother, coach, advertisers, his fans. He wants to live up to those expectations but sometimes that seems impossible. I also like that he struggles over doing the right thing and with some of the consequences of fame. To someone with no stakes in what happen it may seem like there is a clear-cut right and wrong thing to do in this book. But it can be difficult to do the right thing when you aren’t the only one who will be affected. Nevermind that walking away from something you love can feel impossible.
In the end whether I understand the sport or not is irrelevant – Carr Luka worked hard to get where he is and he never stops trying and fighting for a single page of this novel. He’s got spirit. And if you are both a sports/boxing fan and a science fiction fan I recommend that you pick up this novel and experience his journey for yourself.
One day, many years from now, humanity has managed to colonize not only Mars, but the moon as well. This is obviously a time of great change. New technology, new medicine, new genetic enhancements and even new sports. Zeroboxing is all the rage – both on Earth and Mars.
Zeroboxing is in many ways, similar to the regular old boxing we have today. Two men (and occasionally women) get into a ring and pummel each other until one of them taps out or is knocked out. What makes zeroboxing different however is that there’s no gravity. Players are placed in a cube with six magnetic walls. Down is up, right is left and you need to be able to crawl up the walls and spin through air, just as easily as you throw a punch.
It’s a challenging sport but Carr Luka is great at it. At nineteen he’s one of the best in the league and his star is rising higher and higher every day – especially with the help of his marketing guru/Martian girlfriend Risha. The future looks bright for Carr, until he returns to Earth to visit his mother and learns a secret that will change his life forever.
I am not a boxing fan. I’m not really a sports fan of every kind, but I’ve especially had a hard time understanding boxing. Watching two people beat each other up has never been my idea of a good time. As a result I really struggled with many parts of this novel. It may take place on the Moon and they may fight in zero gravity – but at its core it is a sports novel and if you’re anything like me you probably won’t enjoy the numerous fight scenes throughout.
However, I couldn’t give up on this novel because despite the blood and punching there were some universal elements that kept me hanging on, wondering what Carr Luka would do next. He struggled with the expectations put upon him – by his mother, coach, advertisers, his fans. He wants to live up to those expectations but sometimes that seems impossible. I also like that he struggles over doing the right thing and with some of the consequences of fame. To someone with no stakes in what happen it may seem like there is a clear-cut right and wrong thing to do in this book. But it can be difficult to do the right thing when you aren’t the only one who will be affected. Nevermind that walking away from something you love can feel impossible.
In the end whether I understand the sport or not is irrelevant – Carr Luka worked hard to get where he is and he never stops trying and fighting for a single page of this novel. He’s got spirit. And if you are both a sports/boxing fan and a science fiction fan I recommend that you pick up this novel and experience his journey for yourself.