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justjonsbooks's reviews
180 reviews
The Sea in the Sky by Jackson Musker
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I went into this audio production completely blind hoping to be surprised by something unique and I truly was. This was something special and it’s left me amazed and makes me want to tell everyone about it so we can discuss theories!
I don’t think I’ve been immersed in a story & audiobook like that for a while. It really captured my imagination. Maybe this genre of mystery sci-fi with elements of *something greater* is a niche that really just hits the sweet spot for me, just like the endings in How High We Go in the Dark, or movies like Interstellar and Arrival, and even like the video game Soma.
After finishing it I’ve seen a few other reviews on here from people who didn’t like the characters and writing etc. And looking back I get a lot of what they’re saying. I can see from a critical standpoint this won’t really blow you away. But because I was so lost in the story I simply blanked out a lot of the things that I could have been critical of. And I think it’s special to find a story that can do that. Plus it was only a short audio show to get lost in so it wasn’t really worth going in with a critical mindset like I would have done with a larger book or series.
Anyway as I shall be doing for many of my other reviews, below I’ll include my log of thoughts and notes that I made while reading. And this time I made the extra effort of actually labelling each episode so it’s easy to keep track. Proper spoilers ahead!
Ep1:
Very cool so far! Feels like a space video game… what could go wrong!
The Enceladus moon is always super interesting to think about and it’s cool to have a story based on it instead of the focus always being on Titan.
Oo I really like the music between chapters.
Ep2:
Not sure about their rapping skills but it’s good to see the pair bonding and getting along well!
Already really interesting and immersive in only ep2, straight into the action. Excited to see where things go!
Ep 3:
I really like the little space facts!
How they dealt with her panic attack was lovely!
The characters are very likeable.
Ep4:
Nice to learn a bit about their old lives
I was not expecting a tooth extraction to be the most dramatic part so far! It was pretty funny though!
Ep6:
Damn the guy being alone was so sad :(
Oh no tensions boiling over! Clear he was really effected by what happened and really cares about her.
Tough situation for both of them, emotions catching up
Ep7:
Oh wow big boom!
Things are not looking good for them now…
Ep8:
Really cool to hear the different religious views from an astronaut/scientist.
WHAT omg
Nonono..
Na they done f’ed me up…
‘I’m not leaving because I’ve lost hope, I’m leaving because I have it.’
Pain.
Pain.
Ep9:
No rescue… meaning he left her alone for nothing but delaying the inevitable?
WHYS IT GOT SO SAD! F U SAD STORY!!!
Her breakdown was so emotional.
But I also love the words of consolation.
Ep10:
So tough that they don’t yet believe her..
Oh god.. now I DONT KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE. I’m in shock and awe.
Even the music got deep spooky after what she said she saw.
Ep11:
Man this is heartbreaking.
I want to believe her so much but at the same time it would be so beautifully sad if she is just imagining it all to cope with her loss and regrets.
I feel like I know what’s coming…
Wow. I am submerged (good pun) in so many different thoughts and feelings. Some chills at the end there when the scientist confirmed the findings. That what she’s seeing is real, or at least part of it, the data, is real.
The astronomical discovery aside, I’m glad that she will be with him either way. If he’s real then she’s truly with him and if not then at least her soul has found peace.
Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind by Warner Bros., Spotify Studios
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
Lucy in the sky: The new age of space travel by Lucy Hawking
4.0
I wanted to explore this audiobook/podcast in-between my main books because the episodes were nice and short, plus if you know me you know I’m a sucker for space stuff!
It was pretty fun and easy to get through, a bit like listening to a documentary series you would normally watch on YouTube. It had lots of interviews/discussions with different people, cool audio clips and even the odd bit of background music. I’ve never really listened to episodes/podcasts before but I enjoyed this style.
Lucy (Stephen Hawkins’ daughter) was very nice, as were most of the people she spoke to, and she did a great job of leading us through the different topics and sharing her own views as well as the views of her father. There’s also an AI character with a cool robot voice who is used to give us the heavier historical info.
It’s hard to know how to rate something like this as it seems unfair to compare it to my normal books when it’s a completely different experience. Somewhere around 3.5 is probably fair, I did learn some new things but as a big space fan, some elements I already had a good understanding of. However I’ll mark it as 4 stars because I still enjoyed it plenty.
It was pretty fun and easy to get through, a bit like listening to a documentary series you would normally watch on YouTube. It had lots of interviews/discussions with different people, cool audio clips and even the odd bit of background music. I’ve never really listened to episodes/podcasts before but I enjoyed this style.
Lucy (Stephen Hawkins’ daughter) was very nice, as were most of the people she spoke to, and she did a great job of leading us through the different topics and sharing her own views as well as the views of her father. There’s also an AI character with a cool robot voice who is used to give us the heavier historical info.
It’s hard to know how to rate something like this as it seems unfair to compare it to my normal books when it’s a completely different experience. Somewhere around 3.5 is probably fair, I did learn some new things but as a big space fan, some elements I already had a good understanding of. However I’ll mark it as 4 stars because I still enjoyed it plenty.
House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
4.0
Not sure why it has taken me so long to make a review for this and it’s a shame because I’m sure there was plenty to write about had I made notes at the time. Nonetheless I can say that it was a really pleasant read full of fun and interesting moments.
I definitely preferred this to Castle in the Air as it had more of a Howls Moving Castle vibe to it with the mysterious and magical house, all the spells, plus getting so see the original gang themselves helps of course. But the new characters were likeable too and I thought Charmain had some nice development. I also liked her relationship with Peter from their arguments at the beginning to how they end up working things out and getting along.
Overall this has always been a really nice world to immerse myself in ever since I first saw the Howls Moving Castle movie and then read the book. Could the writing or stories be better? Sure maybe, but considering these are probably predominately aimed at kids and young adults I don’t think it’s really required. Plus there’s a charm to the randomness of the adventures and situations we end up in and that’s precisely why I chose to read these when I wanted something light and fun, in that regard they are perfect.
Batman: Damned by Lee Bermejo, Brian Azzarello
2.0
I want to start by saying that the artwork in this graphic novel was extraordinary. The high quality details made it look like scenes from a movie, plus the dark style and interpretations of the characters were super creative and again, ultra detailed.
But MY GOD the writing was tough to get through. I’m telling you it was probably easier reading Shakespeare than some of the sentences in this novel. I’m not sure what the writer was trying to do with this vague poetry like style but for the whole novel he was saying a lot and not saying much at all. It ruined what had the potential to be a very interesting story as Batman seems to battle with his memories & past actions. Plus it was pretty cool to see characters such as Constantine, Enchantress and a new look Harley.
But yeah, lots and lots of potential and I’d love to see more comics in this art style but If the writing remains like this then my rating will probably remain low.
But MY GOD the writing was tough to get through. I’m telling you it was probably easier reading Shakespeare than some of the sentences in this novel. I’m not sure what the writer was trying to do with this vague poetry like style but for the whole novel he was saying a lot and not saying much at all. It ruined what had the potential to be a very interesting story as Batman seems to battle with his memories & past actions. Plus it was pretty cool to see characters such as Constantine, Enchantress and a new look Harley.
But yeah, lots and lots of potential and I’d love to see more comics in this art style but If the writing remains like this then my rating will probably remain low.