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A review by chirson
Planetfall by Emma Newman
4.0
I read this novel courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Part exploration of mental illness, part mystery/thriller, all in a science fiction setting of an alien planet humanity travelled to and settled on. The novel relies on the device of a narrator who hides things from the reader and from herself, and that's a difficult feat to pull off. I'm not certain all the elements of the plot worked for me, or would hold up to closer scrutiny; some subplots appear to be abandoned, or at least not fully resolved (and I'm quite sad to see the sequels don't pick up where Planetfall leaves off). But that mattered very little to me while I was reading: it was one of the most unputdownable novels I've read in ages: I read it in two days, which is rare for me these days. I found the ending both breathlessly fascinating and a little disappointing, but the character exploration and the gripping plot were amazing.
I'll keep an eye out for more from Newman.
Part exploration of mental illness, part mystery/thriller, all in a science fiction setting of an alien planet humanity travelled to and settled on. The novel relies on the device of a narrator who hides things from the reader and from herself, and that's a difficult feat to pull off. I'm not certain all the elements of the plot worked for me, or would hold up to closer scrutiny; some subplots appear to be abandoned, or at least not fully resolved (and I'm quite sad to see the sequels don't pick up where Planetfall leaves off). But that mattered very little to me while I was reading: it was one of the most unputdownable novels I've read in ages: I read it in two days, which is rare for me these days. I found the ending both breathlessly fascinating and a little disappointing, but the character exploration and the gripping plot were amazing.
I'll keep an eye out for more from Newman.