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A review by shantastic
The Space Merchants by Wendie Nordgren
3.0
Teagan has always dreamed of the stars. In the meantime, she's a sanitation worker in the big city where the major spaceports are located. Then, one fine day, she gets to tour a real spaceship, and ends up hiring on as the cresw's maid. The crew of the Tora consists of the captain, Hiroshi, the medic, Phillip, and the resident alien, Yukihyo, who is able to establish a bond with Teagan.
I was drawn to this book because I always want books similar to [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet|22733729|The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405532474s/22733729.jpg|42270825]. There's a space ship, there is found family, and the worldview is positive, so in that way it hit what I wanted.
The good: I loved Teagan. She was this wide-eyed Disney princess, and I didn't have much faith in her ability to walk and chew gum at the same time. But she was so delighted with life, and she took pleasure in the simple things. Also, I liked that she loved everybody. There's a scene early on when Teagan is introduced to a shopkeeper on her first planet away from home who was obviously a lover of Phillip's. I was waiting for bitchy comments, and judgy internal monologues about the slutty, slutty other woman. Instead, the two women struck up a lovely friendship.
That all being said, the writing is atrocious. Every action Teagan could ever make in her life is written out, including her changing into pajamas. The sentences were all fairly short and declarative, and there were pacing problems an editor could have fixed. Teagan is also a textbook Mary Sue.
That said, there's a lot of heart in this book, and it reminded me of the good parts of some of the Sholan Alliance books. I have the second book ordered, and plan to read it soon.
I was drawn to this book because I always want books similar to [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet|22733729|The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405532474s/22733729.jpg|42270825]. There's a space ship, there is found family, and the worldview is positive, so in that way it hit what I wanted.
The good: I loved Teagan. She was this wide-eyed Disney princess, and I didn't have much faith in her ability to walk and chew gum at the same time. But she was so delighted with life, and she took pleasure in the simple things. Also, I liked that she loved everybody. There's a scene early on when Teagan is introduced to a shopkeeper on her first planet away from home who was obviously a lover of Phillip's. I was waiting for bitchy comments, and judgy internal monologues about the slutty, slutty other woman. Instead, the two women struck up a lovely friendship.
That all being said, the writing is atrocious. Every action Teagan could ever make in her life is written out, including her changing into pajamas. The sentences were all fairly short and declarative, and there were pacing problems an editor could have fixed. Teagan is also a textbook Mary Sue.
That said, there's a lot of heart in this book, and it reminded me of the good parts of some of the Sholan Alliance books. I have the second book ordered, and plan to read it soon.