A review by jlye
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I really wanted to like this book and had high expectations based on the plot summary. Unfortunately I found Elma to be annoying and hard to relate to. She is hyper aware of the discrimination she faces as a Jewish woman, yet seems superficially concerned with racial discrimination towards people of colour. While racial discrimination is referenced a few times throughout the book, it only ever seems to be something on the periphery of Elma’s mind. She believes women can go to space… but mostly she wants that woman to be her. Elma’s status and accomplishments seem less the result of her brilliance, and largely the result of her connections to prominent men, namely her husband and her “daddy”. The sex scenes were cheesy and having a grown women refer to her father as “daddy” made me cringe. I gave this book 2.5 stars because I appreciated the research required to achieve scientific accuracy, however this dedication is not enough to make me want to read other books in the series. I would recommend Hidden Figures over this. 
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