Scan barcode
librarylandlisa's review against another edition
5.0
Fabulous audiobook!!! The end has a 40 minute interview between the author and the narrator that is wonderful. I cannot wait for book 2!
looloolibby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
dinah_yukich's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely YA space opera. Orphan/martyr archetype… Engaging story, introspective, female lead, a real gem in the genre that is otherwise often dominated by cishet / male gaze. Technobabble was a little hit and miss… and the main antagonist was fairly tropey… but that’s pretty typical of the genre.
Rated four due to the strength of the ensemble cast and character introspection/interactions/humanity outside of the main plot, which is read as a metaphor for the trans experience.
Rated four due to the strength of the ensemble cast and character introspection/interactions/humanity outside of the main plot, which is read as a metaphor for the trans experience.
timinbc's review against another edition
1.0
I've listed this as a children's book, although it appears to be nominally aimed at teens. Or tweens. Certainly not 72-year-old white-male me. So this is not so much criticism was a warning.
This is the second CJA I have not finished. For me it was cringeworthy.
SO let's say it IS sort of a tribute to Guardians of the Galaxy. I've seen two of those. They were clever and coherent while also being very silly. This falls short.
Let's start with "Hello. I am Xyzzgifghd-14, my pronoun is he." I imagined a reader in 2026 looking at this and she's like all "WTF?" and she goes, "This is First Contact?" OK, they understand each other because they have babelfish, I mean EverySpeak, but gosh. I rather prefer the authors who just gently USE the pronouns as the people appear.
We could move on to the extraordinary handwaving of how things happen. The flying platforms that bring people up to the spaceship. The lasso thing that an untrained user can throw FORTY MILES with accuracy. Come on, CJ, that's just magic, why not say so?
Then the teens. Oh, gosh, I hated reading every paragraph that tried SO hard to sound like real teenagers and sounded SO much like the meme with the 40-year-old guy going to high school and trying to fit in.
Nah, not for me.
This is the second CJA I have not finished. For me it was cringeworthy.
SO let's say it IS sort of a tribute to Guardians of the Galaxy. I've seen two of those. They were clever and coherent while also being very silly. This falls short.
Let's start with "Hello. I am Xyzzgifghd-14, my pronoun is he." I imagined a reader in 2026 looking at this and she's like all "WTF?" and she goes, "This is First Contact?" OK, they understand each other because they have babelfish, I mean EverySpeak, but gosh. I rather prefer the authors who just gently USE the pronouns as the people appear.
We could move on to the extraordinary handwaving of how things happen. The flying platforms that bring people up to the spaceship. The lasso thing that an untrained user can throw FORTY MILES with accuracy. Come on, CJ, that's just magic, why not say so?
Then the teens. Oh, gosh, I hated reading every paragraph that tried SO hard to sound like real teenagers and sounded SO much like the meme with the 40-year-old guy going to high school and trying to fit in.
Nah, not for me.
kitten94509's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
artyreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
jupiterjens666's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Perfectly okay YA read
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Tina Mains was told by her mother at a young age that she wasn't human and was in fact the clone of a decorated alien hero... a clone that was genetically modified to look like a human. When her embedded interstellar rescue beacon goes off, Tina and her best friend Rachel find themselves thrown into an epic adventure on a ship staffed with a crew of humanoids from various planets. They are trying to stop the baddies from their evil goal. They decide to recruit some fellow, brilliant teens from Earth to help them on their mission.
This was an action packed YA adventure with a truly diverse cast. The teens were from various races, genders, LGBTQ etc. The starship crew was also very into introducing themselves with preferred pronouns. This was a fun read with great messages for teens about staying true to themselves and caring for others. This is the first in a new series from author Charlie Jane Anders, who also wrote [b:All the Birds in the Sky|25372801|All the Birds in the Sky|Charlie Jane Anders|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429225322l/25372801._SY75_.jpg|45119441], which I read earlier this year. This book may appeal to fans of Anders along with fans of [a:Becky Chambers|8389735|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562580587p2/8389735.jpg]. I am looking forward to the second book in this series.
What to listen to while you read...
Under the Moon by Claptone
Are You Even Real? by James Blake
The Key to Life on Earth by Declan McKenna
Space Song by Beach House
Tranz by Gorillaz
Is it True by Tame Impala
Another Life by Jadu Heart
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
Tina Mains was told by her mother at a young age that she wasn't human and was in fact the clone of a decorated alien hero... a clone that was genetically modified to look like a human. When her embedded interstellar rescue beacon goes off, Tina and her best friend Rachel find themselves thrown into an epic adventure on a ship staffed with a crew of humanoids from various planets. They are trying to stop the baddies from their evil goal. They decide to recruit some fellow, brilliant teens from Earth to help them on their mission.
This was an action packed YA adventure with a truly diverse cast. The teens were from various races, genders, LGBTQ etc. The starship crew was also very into introducing themselves with preferred pronouns. This was a fun read with great messages for teens about staying true to themselves and caring for others. This is the first in a new series from author Charlie Jane Anders, who also wrote [b:All the Birds in the Sky|25372801|All the Birds in the Sky|Charlie Jane Anders|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429225322l/25372801._SY75_.jpg|45119441], which I read earlier this year. This book may appeal to fans of Anders along with fans of [a:Becky Chambers|8389735|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562580587p2/8389735.jpg]. I am looking forward to the second book in this series.
What to listen to while you read...
Under the Moon by Claptone
Are You Even Real? by James Blake
The Key to Life on Earth by Declan McKenna
Space Song by Beach House
Tranz by Gorillaz
Is it True by Tame Impala
Another Life by Jadu Heart
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.