Reviews

Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday by Alan Dean Foster

rhganci's review

1.0

It set up a pretty cool premise for the movie (the Allspark just sounds sweet; I hope we get to see it), and that was all I was really looking for. I thought it offered the reader a manageable amount of Autobots and Decepticons for a 286-page novel, and the action was good. Very little transforming, but I’ll bet that having read this novel will make certain aspects of the plot a little more understandable, which in turn will allow me to enjoy the action and CGI effects even more.

sapphire_mayo's review against another edition

5.0

This book did what it set out to do and then did it well. Writing is simple, clean, funny, and fast-paced. Absolute thrill to read especially as someone who loves the movie. Easy five stars.

itz_noodle's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I was honestly so excited to read this book and was very disappointed with the outcome. I went into this wanting to know details that weren’t explained in the first movie, know more about the war, things like that. For a “prequel” it really adds nothing to the already known story. Sadly I only got a few chapters in and I was continuously bored so I decided not to finish it. I did skim a few pages at the end, but nothing ever seemed to pick up or happen. 

itz_noodle's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Amazingly written. I think this book really captured how much of a kid Sam really is and how alien and robotic Transformers really are. The dialogue and thought process of both are very accurate for the characters. While the book does jump from different events to capture all the events leading to the big battle, it’s done fluidly and in a way that you won’t become lost. The descriptions about each Transformer was really nice too, it let you paint a picture of them really well. 

ambervalentine's review

2.0

Yes. I read this.

I gave it that many stars because I had no idea one could use adjectives like that. This is truly a study in upping a word count with words you don't need.

gwentolios's review

I was rather disappointed. I remember finishing and thinking 'so little happened, how'd the book get to be so large?' The pacing was slow and the POV from the bot's side of things was lacking. I wanted more computers and engineering talk (not that I'm an engineer) because I feel like that is what the mechs would talk about, but it was hardly mentioned. And I wanted character information, backgrounds and interactions with each other. While it was given for human characters (who DIED and thus had no place in the movies, even in passing) there was none for the stars of Transformers, the Cybertronian's themselves. And this really did not set up anything for the Earth chapter of the war. Still no answers as to why Bee was sent onto earth alone, or how the Cons got there first, or any such interactions. I wanted more canon information and was disappointed.

I really would only recommend this book to those who are over the top fans, for anyone else it really wouldn't be worth the time. Hell, the 80s Marvel comics were more interesting than I find this to be.

T

aurinova's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

gwentolios's review against another edition

I was rather disappointed. I remember finishing and thinking 'so little happened, how'd the book get to be so large?' The pacing was slow and the POV from the bot's side of things was lacking. I wanted more computers and engineering talk (not that I'm an engineer) because I feel like that is what the mechs would talk about, but it was hardly mentioned. And I wanted character information, backgrounds and interactions with each other. While it was given for human characters (who DIED and thus had no place in the movies, even in passing) there was none for the stars of Transformers, the Cybertronian's themselves. And this really did not set up anything for the Earth chapter of the war. Still no answers as to why Bee was sent onto earth alone, or how the Cons got there first, or any such interactions. I wanted more canon information and was disappointed.

I really would only recommend this book to those who are over the top fans, for anyone else it really wouldn't be worth the time. Hell, the 80s Marvel comics were more interesting than I find this to be.

T