Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Network Effect by Martha Wells

17 reviews

kris_tea516's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense 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? No

4.0

This was another great installment in The Murderbot Diaries. This is also the longest so far. There were times that my mind wandered & I would have to run it back a bit but I don’t think that was the fault of the writing but more of my skills of multitasking. If you like Sci-Fi (particularly space stories) & want to go on an adventure while laughing, I highly recommend this series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Cursing and Abandonment

madamenovelist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is a re-read since it has been a long time since I caught up with the series and I forgot how good this installment in the series is.  It’s a huge culmination of what happened previously seamlessly leading into uncharted territory.  There is a lot to say about what makes you you.  I especially appreciated the self awareness of trying to figure out your purpose in life.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

pacifickat's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious 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

4.25

"Please calm yourselves and stop talking. Plan A01: Rain Destruction has been superseded by Plan B01: Distract and Extract." -Parihelion

Fun, if not a little confusing. I adore the Murderbot series, and Network effect is a worthy, novel-length addition. Definitely did a lot to push the emotional growth of Murderbot forward, adding in a whole cast of new characters, as well as bringing back some old favorites. 

I love how Wells writes Murderbot's unique interactions with various sentient beings beyond its human clients. I also have enjoyed Murderbot's

slowly dawning realization over each new story installment that it is valued, admired, and perhaps even loved by a whole host of individuals it has met over its many adventures since going rogue. It may have been designed to be a disposable tool, but to its friends and found family it is worth fighting for, and never to be abandoned. It's original purpose may have been to sacrificially defend others, but it has developed something more than factory-set objectives and parameters, grounded in an unflinching resolve to maintain personal agency even among those who see it as an object without personhood.

These books are so very fun, deeply empathetic, and manage to pack so much character development between fast-paced storytelling and wonderful action sequences. 4 stars for this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

maddie_can_read's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative inspiring 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

I realized I was expecting a lot more from this full length Murderbot when I started and had a hard time getting into it. I felt a bit disappointed. 

I still love the characters, did enjoy the book, and am excited to see what's next for Murderbot.

So happy to see ART again, loved meeting his crew, thought the new characters were good, enjoyed the humour (but thought there could have been more), thought the concept of people getting muttated was really interesting but we didn't go as deep into that as we could've, and loved Murderbot "making a baby" with ART, and Murderbot finally successfully freeing another Secunit from their governor module.

I think shorter-form/ faster pace Murderbot stories work better. 

especially if the book follows the same exact plot of Murderbot has to rescue people, develops along the way. I think I felt so disappointed because I thought given the longer format, something out of format would occur? Like we'd see Murderbots relationship with Dr Mensah develop more? But what ended up happening was just a lot more details about like the fight sequences and the the technical aspects of the book that were never why I loved the series because I have a difficult time visualizing these things. So this one felt confusing, especially the audiobook version! Where the new Secunit sounds identical to Murderbot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

eleanora's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gore, Medical content, Abandonment, and Colonisation

tahsintries's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping and Abandonment

helfire124's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Trafficking, Abandonment, and Colonisation

alexalily's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Slavery, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

qrschulte's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.5

YESSSS MORE ART! I still really enjoyed this book, but it was a bit of a slog at some points. I think the novellas work a lot better for Murderbot stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Confinement and Colonisation

Minor: Pregnancy and Dysphoria