liana's review
4.5
This was simply magnificent. If I'd read it even a year ago, it would have sent me into a spiral, mostly because of how much I could relate to parts of Grace and her journey. Right now, though, was the perfect time for me to read it. I loved the writing, and I really really loved the characters. I enjoyed the fact that the romance was only a part of Grace's story and her journey, and not the whole picture (but the fact that only Yuki's nickname for Grace had nothing to do with space, showing how removed she was from the unrealistic expectations placed on Grace? Sensational).
nynke_elise's review against another edition
5.0
This book made me feel so many things. Especially Grace's relationship with her dad. In the beginning of the book, I hated Colonel pretty fast. After a scene with Baba Vehaan I realised it's because he reminded me of some elements in my own family.
I hoped they would solve their issues, but I think that this relationship is so complex it can't be fixed in a single book.
But this book touched a part of me a book has never touched, and just for that it deserves 5 stars.
I hoped they would solve their issues, but I think that this relationship is so complex it can't be fixed in a single book.
But this book touched a part of me a book has never touched, and just for that it deserves 5 stars.
lizholte's review against another edition
2.0
Listen, there were things I really liked about this book -- the bit about the space rover?! kill me now -- but the manic pixie dream girl-ness really overshadowed the good bits for me. Each character is hyper-stylized and very unrealistic, even by romance standards. I don't exactly need my romances to be realistic, but I do need some grounded elements for the character motivations and this one just didn't have that. The flowery prose was nice at some points and I loved the exploration of mental illness, but it was just overshadowed by an extreme suspension of disbelief. This one was just not for me, but I did like how every character was just really freaking NICE.
angjon15's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This book is about sad people being sad and not doing anything about it. we never get to see the relationship development that we want it just jump cuts to things. The first 50 pages and the last 50 are okay. The stuff in the middle is nothing
danaran's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
4.5
serenaruth's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I enjoyed the experience of reading the book. I picked it up for the representation and the sapphic romance, but I found myself staying for the raw realistic representation of mental illness and burnout.
I enjoyed the found family aspect of both Grace’s Portland and New York friends. I felt that watching her begin the process of healing her relationship with her parents was good and useful. I think it was a really accurate portrayal of academic burnout. As someone in the process of going into academia, this made me look closely at myself, my own standards and plans. I don’t want to feel like my entire time in school is a period of waiting to reach that goal, I want to enjoy the process and feel like I’m doing my “best” the whole time. I think this was an important story to be told and a beneficial one for people like me to hear.
I really wanted Grace to say f**k it to academia and take over the Boston tea room, letting Raj take control
of his life. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get resolution about that. Like maybe Yuki could run that, when she’s not monster hunting and doing her radio show, instead of working at her other place as a waitress. I felt there were potential options to solve his situation that weren’t brought up.
I really hated the whole let’s-get-blackout-and-fight situation, and Yuki’s standoffish reaction to Raj showing up. I wanted to see a conversation between Grace and Yuki about that that never happened.
I loved the indications that Ximena, Agatha, and Meera are going to potentially enter a poly relationship. I also wanted to actually see something come of that? Other than sly hints here and there? Like Meera showed interest in Ximena, Agatha showed interest in both of them, Ximena showed interest in Agatha, it feels like the most natural situation.
Finally, onto what I really struggled to get behind in the book.
First, romance just didn’t feel the way I wanted it too. I felt like there was more interactions, communication, and chemistry between Grace and Yuki’s roommates. During the few communicative conversations the two of them had, they didn’t seem like compatible people in a relationship. They had very different communication styles and seemed to need different things out of communication. I felt like their relationship was rushed and we were expected to be invested in them without seeing the cute and sweet interactions.
I felt like there were a handful of things that weren’t researched very well, which I interpreted as poor world building. First, Grace refers to her father as Colonel. It’s indicated that he enlisted in the military, when he says he joined right after high school. Enlisted military officers cannot reach the rank of Colonel, the highest rank you can get is Chief. While it’s possible for him to take a specific pathway and change to become an officer, making it possible to become a colonel, that’s also highly unlikely. Given how important his presence on the military is to him, his relationship with Grace, and to Grace’s struggles, I just feel like if you’re going to write about it, I’d rather you do the research and be correct.
Beyond that, it also felt like the career field Grace was going into wasn’t well researched or understood very well. I don’t expect you to be an astronomer to write about an astronomer, but it would be helpful if you know the logistics of their career path. In the beginning, everyone is acting like it’s incredibly impressive that Grace graduated in 11 years. While that is impressive, that’s also the norm. I wish that the emphasis was on what she did during her PhD, rather than this idea that she’s impressive just for graduating on time with the degree. I wish the author showed us more of what Grace did that made her impressive, that made her have to work twice as hard, instead of just saying that she had to work twice as hard. give me scenarios where she’s rejected for publication and a white girl with the same research gets it instead, give me scenarios where men are hired over her, give me scenarios where the micro aggressions she faces make it harder to get her foot in the door during her degree, too. We saw that post-doctorate, but I want those examples during the PhD too.
I enjoyed the found family aspect of both Grace’s Portland and New York friends. I felt that watching her begin the process of healing her relationship with her parents was good and useful. I think it was a really accurate portrayal of academic burnout. As someone in the process of going into academia, this made me look closely at myself, my own standards and plans. I don’t want to feel like my entire time in school is a period of waiting to reach that goal, I want to enjoy the process and feel like I’m doing my “best” the whole time. I think this was an important story to be told and a beneficial one for people like me to hear.
I really wanted Grace to say f**k it to academia and take over the Boston tea room, letting Raj take control
of his life. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get resolution about that. Like maybe Yuki could run that, when she’s not monster hunting and doing her radio show, instead of working at her other place as a waitress. I felt there were potential options to solve his situation that weren’t brought up.
I really hated the whole let’s-get-blackout-and-fight situation, and Yuki’s standoffish reaction to Raj showing up. I wanted to see a conversation between Grace and Yuki about that that never happened.
I loved the indications that Ximena, Agatha, and Meera are going to potentially enter a poly relationship. I also wanted to actually see something come of that? Other than sly hints here and there? Like Meera showed interest in Ximena, Agatha showed interest in both of them, Ximena showed interest in Agatha, it feels like the most natural situation.
Finally, onto what I really struggled to get behind in the book.
First, romance just didn’t feel the way I wanted it too. I felt like there was more interactions, communication, and chemistry between Grace and Yuki’s roommates. During the few communicative conversations the two of them had, they didn’t seem like compatible people in a relationship. They had very different communication styles and seemed to need different things out of communication. I felt like their relationship was rushed and we were expected to be invested in them without seeing the cute and sweet interactions.
I felt like there were a handful of things that weren’t researched very well, which I interpreted as poor world building. First, Grace refers to her father as Colonel. It’s indicated that he enlisted in the military, when he says he joined right after high school. Enlisted military officers cannot reach the rank of Colonel, the highest rank you can get is Chief. While it’s possible for him to take a specific pathway and change to become an officer, making it possible to become a colonel, that’s also highly unlikely. Given how important his presence on the military is to him, his relationship with Grace, and to Grace’s struggles, I just feel like if you’re going to write about it, I’d rather you do the research and be correct.
Beyond that, it also felt like the career field Grace was going into wasn’t well researched or understood very well. I don’t expect you to be an astronomer to write about an astronomer, but it would be helpful if you know the logistics of their career path. In the beginning, everyone is acting like it’s incredibly impressive that Grace graduated in 11 years. While that is impressive, that’s also the norm. I wish that the emphasis was on what she did during her PhD, rather than this idea that she’s impressive just for graduating on time with the degree. I wish the author showed us more of what Grace did that made her impressive, that made her have to work twice as hard, instead of just saying that she had to work twice as hard. give me scenarios where she’s rejected for publication and a white girl with the same research gets it instead, give me scenarios where men are hired over her, give me scenarios where the micro aggressions she faces make it harder to get her foot in the door during her degree, too. We saw that post-doctorate, but I want those examples during the PhD too.
kjturn95's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
swamptoad's review
emotional
sad
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? Yes
3.75
i honestly really enjoyed this read. sure, some of the characters were a bit hard to get to love, but it was a lovely story & i appreciated the string of metaphors sprinkled throughout
critterwilson's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5