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valdelane's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
thestarman's review
VERDICT: 2.8 stars, not rounded up. A good but not great Red Planet story, marred by the first slow 2/3, but it nearly makes up for it when things finally get interesting (after 'The Gathering' part). If you enjoy coming of age tales set on other planets, give this book a consideration.
Note: The format (a psychiatrist relating previous dialogue from a teen girl) is a bit unusual/distracting, but it eventually pays off, mostly.
Note: The format (a psychiatrist relating previous dialogue from a teen girl) is a bit unusual/distracting, but it eventually pays off, mostly.
dancarey_404's review
4.0
The adjective "Heinleinesque" is terribly overused. But in this case, it is quite apt. The echoes of Heinlein's "juveniles" (a term I dislike because it makes them sound less good than they are) are to be found throughout this whole book: the folksy vernacular, the emphasis on a teen-age character being thrust into situations that would challenge adults, etc. What I most appreciated about this book, though, was the science. Barnes really did his homework here; the science behind the story is good and solid. Unlike far too many authors I have read, he does not forget (ever) that his characters are moving in a lower gravity field. Little things like that mean a lot to me.
The only reason I'm not giving this a 5-star rating is because I'm not sure I'll come back and re-read it at some later date. (Only re-readables get the highest rating from me.) But if I do wind up re-reading it (and there's a better than average chance of this), then I'll raise my rating.
The only reason I'm not giving this a 5-star rating is because I'm not sure I'll come back and re-read it at some later date. (Only re-readables get the highest rating from me.) But if I do wind up re-reading it (and there's a better than average chance of this), then I'll raise my rating.
teancom's review
2.0
I don't remember when I first started trying to read this, but it was a while ago. I remember the beginning being very confusing, with very little in the way of hand-holding. I recently picked it up again from where I left off, about a third of the way through. I kept reading, it was more interesting this time. But I think I've bounced off it for the last time. I don't know if it's the excessive dialect and jargon or what, but I just had a very hard time staying engaged. I finally gave in, read the plot summary on Wikipedia, and walked away. Even though I didn't finish it, it wasn't horrible. I just...
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