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greystory's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is hard to rate.
Am I glad that I read this book? Yes
Was this a good story? Yes
Did I enjoy reading it? Some parts significantly more or significantly less than others
Will I ever reread it? Unlikely
Would I recommend it? Maybe - with sufficient warning
Mr Yao and Maria and the rest of the women deserved so much better. Amber was a better person than I am. Meoraq has a sort of redemption arc as he's slowly forced to re-evaluate everything he's ever known and question what he "knows" to be true based on his faith and dumaqi society. I kinda wish we had a bit more at the end about what Meoraq and Amber's next steps were gonna be.
The religious stuff all really annoyed me at first but it's so integral to the plot and whole point of the story that it wouldn't remotely be the same book without it.
One thing I came to realize very quickly while reading this is that, while there's a lot written here, everything is ultimately tied together somehow and Smith doesn't include filler. No matter how irrelevant or long-winded or something of a sidenote something felt, it would eventually come up again. There were a few bits here and there that I felt like could have been trimmed down but really, the story is jam packed with tons of tie-ins and call-backs and reflections on past thoughts and behavior.
The sheer idiocy of Scott and how he manages to become a leader is laughable and unrealistic. That's what I want to say. The insidious way he inserts himself with sheer entitlement and insistence until there's no questioning that he's seen as in charge is absurd but also terrifying. I only need remind myself of the US Government if I have doubts about Scott managing to do this. I only need to think about a specific cheeto that insisted on leadership, who I also thought was laughable and unrealistic, until it wasn't. Scott's even got similar shitty view of women, violent temper tantrums, lies, deceit, and gaslighting. It was terrifying to look around and feel like you've just learned you're in a twilight zone episode but that's exactly what happened and that's exactly what happened to Amber.
The way everyone dogpiles on their dislike of Amber is disgusting, terrifying, and depressing. It gave me serious school bullying vibes and I am at once in disbelief at how these people can treat her the way they do and disappointingly familiar with it. I want to scream HOW and WHY but I know how, I know why. I wasn't too happy with the fact that Amber lost weight but at least people didn't stop hating her because it turns out they were shitty people all along and it doesn't matter what someone weighs after all, they will always find a reason to not like you if they want to.
One last thing I want to make sure I touch base on is the communication and translation. I remember hearing that this was a great book for an alien species learning to communicate with humans without the help of a magical translator or some other device. Kind of? True to word, there is no magical translator chip or ear worm or whatever to make communication easy between the two.
Ultimately, I liked the way the two languages were handled the latter half of the book where they're written plainly for the reader but there's reminders that the characters don't always understand each other or things don't always translate. That was nice. Getting there, however, wasn't realistic. Even with full immersion, it's expected to take at least a few months to learn another language, not two weeks or the freaking one week that happens at one point.
There's so much more I could say about this but I think I'm going to leave this here for now.
Am I glad that I read this book? Yes
Was this a good story? Yes
Did I enjoy reading it? Some parts significantly more or significantly less than others
Will I ever reread it? Unlikely
Would I recommend it? Maybe - with sufficient warning
Mr Yao and Maria and the rest of the women deserved so much better. Amber was a better person than I am. Meoraq has a sort of redemption arc as he's slowly forced to re-evaluate everything he's ever known and question what he "knows" to be true based on his faith and dumaqi society. I kinda wish we had a bit more at the end about what Meoraq and Amber's next steps were gonna be.
The religious stuff all really annoyed me at first but it's so integral to the plot and whole point of the story that it wouldn't remotely be the same book without it.
One thing I came to realize very quickly while reading this is that, while there's a lot written here, everything is ultimately tied together somehow and Smith doesn't include filler. No matter how irrelevant or long-winded or something of a sidenote something felt, it would eventually come up again. There were a few bits here and there that I felt like could have been trimmed down but really, the story is jam packed with tons of tie-ins and call-backs and reflections on past thoughts and behavior.
The sheer idiocy of Scott and how he manages to become a leader is laughable and unrealistic. That's what I want to say. The insidious way he inserts himself with sheer entitlement and insistence until there's no questioning that he's seen as in charge is absurd but also terrifying. I only need remind myself of the US Government if I have doubts about Scott managing to do this. I only need to think about a specific cheeto that insisted on leadership, who I also thought was laughable and unrealistic, until it wasn't. Scott's even got similar shitty view of women, violent temper tantrums, lies, deceit, and gaslighting. It was terrifying to look around and feel like you've just learned you're in a twilight zone episode but that's exactly what happened and that's exactly what happened to Amber.
The way everyone dogpiles on their dislike of Amber is disgusting, terrifying, and depressing. It gave me serious school bullying vibes and I am at once in disbelief at how these people can treat her the way they do and disappointingly familiar with it. I want to scream HOW and WHY but I know how, I know why. I wasn't too happy with the fact that Amber lost weight but at least people didn't stop hating her because it turns out they were shitty people all along and it doesn't matter what someone weighs after all, they will always find a reason to not like you if they want to.
One last thing I want to make sure I touch base on is the communication and translation. I remember hearing that this was a great book for an alien species learning to communicate with humans without the help of a magical translator or some other device. Kind of? True to word, there is no magical translator chip or ear worm or whatever to make communication easy between the two.
Ultimately, I liked the way the two languages were handled the latter half of the book where they're written plainly for the reader but there's reminders that the characters don't always understand each other or things don't always translate. That was nice. Getting there, however, wasn't realistic. Even with full immersion, it's expected to take at least a few months to learn another language, not two weeks or the freaking one week that happens at one point.
There's so much more I could say about this but I think I'm going to leave this here for now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Death of parent
dasrach's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, Rape, Misogyny, Child death, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Slavery
Moderate: Abortion and Addiction
caseymac's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I can’t stop thinking about this book but I’m not sure how to review it. If you are sensitive to, like, ANY content warnings I think skip this one.
This single book reads like an epic fantasy series- it’s complex and well-planned with tons of world building, a gruelling hero’s journey… but it’s one book from just 2 POVs with an honestly really lovely romance plot.
This book is also awful. It repeatedly and emphatically illustrates the worst people can be in great detail. If this were a film it would have been far too violent for me to watch. There is slavery, trafficking, and violent SA galore in this book. It’s hard to read but I don’t think it’s gratuitous.
I saw one review that said the author could have used an editor and that some of the characters had a straight line rather than a baritone arc. I think that is probably true- but I honestly don’t think that detracts at all. This book is GOOD- so good I literally stayed up all night reading.
You may find the slow start once it gets to Meoraq’s bit frustrating (I did!) but stick with it.
This single book reads like an epic fantasy series- it’s complex and well-planned with tons of world building, a gruelling hero’s journey… but it’s one book from just 2 POVs with an honestly really lovely romance plot.
This book is also awful. It repeatedly and emphatically illustrates the worst people can be in great detail. If this were a film it would have been far too violent for me to watch. There is slavery, trafficking, and violent SA galore in this book. It’s hard to read but I don’t think it’s gratuitous.
I saw one review that said the author could have used an editor and that some of the characters had a straight line rather than a baritone arc. I think that is probably true- but I honestly don’t think that detracts at all. This book is GOOD- so good I literally stayed up all night reading.
You may find the slow start once it gets to Meoraq’s bit frustrating (I did!) but stick with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Torture, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Confinement, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Death, Slavery, Trafficking, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Classism, Vomit, and Abortion
sarah2's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Excellent character development, a strong plot, and loveable but flawed main characters made for an absorbing read. This is a genre I'm not usually drawn to, but I found myself thoroughly invested. Will definitely be recommending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Violence, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Rape, and Blood
geenahnola's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Fatphobia, and Emotional abuse
rmills3's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Really well written and brought an interesting perspective to the sci-fi genre. While the ending was a bit predictable and because the writer wants it, thoroughly enjoyed it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape and Physical abuse
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