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lenore2185's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
The reverse racism "Diversity Alliance" arc continues. Yippee.
I really don't have the energy to go off too hard about this book, but some notable moments include:
- Lowie insisting that racism is not systemic but is just a character flaw in a few humans (Wookies were used as slaves shortly before you were born, my guy)
(minor spoilers from this point on)
- Raynar being shocked an offended at the idea that aliens might not trust him just because he's a human (and also a trust fund baby with an attitude problem). Instead of reflecting on the fact that he's never faced any adversity or discrimination in his life and had everything handed to him on a silver platter, while all these aliens joining the diversity alliance clearly have had bad experiences with humans and have faced systemic oppression, he just brushes past it. No thoughts, no lessons learned. This rich white dipshit manages to come to the conclusion that these poor misled aliens just need to learn that humans have never done anything wrong and the diversity alliance are actually the racist ones. He definitely does not need to examine his own privilege or question why aliens may not be satisfied with the New Republic. The aliens just need to get over it and stop being mean to him because all this "systemic racism" stuff is all in their heads.
- Tyko programming an assassin droid not to kill humans but killing aliens is fine. The kids brush past this one as though it was just an oversight. My guy, that is some pretty aggressive and intense racism. He straight up does not see aliens as people and the kids are like "oops uncle Tyko making mistakes, we'll just fix it for him and not call him out on it at all". Even if this book wants to argue that systemic racism isn't real and all racism is just a character flaw in some individuals, they could have gone way harder on Tyko for this one.
- Star Wars in general can't seem to decide if droids are people or not. A bunch of droids got bombed and Jacen's reaction was "well thank God there weren't any people in those buildings!" while poor Em Teedee is so upset about droids dying. I feel like if Artoo was the one in danger, it would be a problem, but apparently a bunch of random droids are not people? Are we deciding who counts as "people" based on how much we like them?
- Speaking of droids, I need some justice and appreciation for Em Teedee. My guy is a valuable member of the team who has saved their asses more than once, on top of being a translator for Lowbacca. He is the only reason Lowie can communicate with his friends and navigate the galaxy outside of Kashyyyk. And how is he treated? Like shit. I get that dunking on him for being annoying is kind of the comic relief in this series, but this poor guy gets bullied constantly and rarely do they appreciate anything he does to help. He expresses that he misses Lowie and feels directionless and useless without him, and Jana's response is to dunk him in an oil bath and leave him there because he's annoying her. What the hell is even that? I almost wish there was an arc where Em Teedee finally snapped from how horribly he's treated and starts a droid uprising. These shitty kids would absolutely have it coming.
I really don't have the energy to go off too hard about this book, but some notable moments include:
- Lowie insisting that racism is not systemic but is just a character flaw in a few humans (Wookies were used as slaves shortly before you were born, my guy)
(minor spoilers from this point on)
- Tyko programming an assassin droid not to kill humans but killing aliens is fine. The kids brush past this one as though it was just an oversight. My guy, that is some pretty aggressive and intense racism. He straight up does not see aliens as people and the kids are like "oops uncle Tyko making mistakes, we'll just fix it for him and not call him out on it at all". Even if this book wants to argue that systemic racism isn't real and all racism is just a character flaw in some individuals, they could have gone way harder on Tyko for this one.
- Star Wars in general can't seem to decide if droids are people or not. A bunch of droids got bombed and Jacen's reaction was "well thank God there weren't any people in those buildings!" while poor Em Teedee is so upset about droids dying. I feel like if Artoo was the one in danger, it would be a problem, but apparently a bunch of random droids are not people? Are we deciding who counts as "people" based on how much we like them?
- Speaking of droids, I need some justice and appreciation for Em Teedee. My guy is a valuable member of the team who has saved their asses more than once, on top of being a translator for Lowbacca. He is the only reason Lowie can communicate with his friends and navigate the galaxy outside of Kashyyyk. And how is he treated? Like shit. I get that dunking on him for being annoying is kind of the comic relief in this series, but this poor guy gets bullied constantly and rarely do they appreciate anything he does to help. He expresses that he misses Lowie and feels directionless and useless without him, and Jana's response is to dunk him in an oil bath and leave him there because he's annoying her. What the hell is even that? I almost wish there was an arc where Em Teedee finally snapped from how horribly he's treated and starts a droid uprising. These shitty kids would absolutely have it coming.
crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
4.0
Bullet Review:
If I had tried harder, I probably could have finished this book last year. No matter.
This arc is finally hitting its stride. The characters are finally moving in interesting directions - the whole Diversity Alliance concept is fascinating if flawed (as I’ve noted a million times, it sounds like “reverse racism” to me, a concept that was quite prevalent in the 90’s). I’ll also add, seeing yet another Empire bounty hunter and that the blurb’s description of IG-88 doesn’t happen until the last 10 pages was a bit eyerolling. Despite that, this has definitely picked up after the rather sloppy “Shards of Alderaan” and struggling “Diversity Alliance”.
Full Review:
Bornan Thul is still missing but now Tyko, his brother, has also been captured by the feared bounty hunter, IG-88; the Young Jedi Knights want to find them both for their friend, Raynar (who has actually turned into a pretty decent kid by this point), but a lot of things are going on with Lowbacca. With his friend (and let's face it - love interest), Raaba, back, Lowie finds himself caught between Raaba and her new beliefs and hatred of humans and the Young Jedi (who are strangely all humans). Meanwhile, Zekk gets a new bounty - but his employer seems rather fishy.
After a trip and a stumble, I feel like this arc is finally hitting its stride. It's a lot more focused and isn't quite as eye-roll inducing as "Shaards of Alderaan" and "Diversity Alliance". It's cringy - but we're going to jump immediately into that.
Reverse racism. I remember talking about how our society (American of course) had come full circle and was now oppressing white people and not giving them chances back in the early 2000's. Affirmative action was hiring any unqualified person of color off the street while ignoring the capable white person right in front of them. Colleges were full of people who couldn't pass a test but got a scholarship because of their skin color while those poor white kids couldn't get a break!
In case it's not clear, I now realize what a load of baloney the above is. The above ignores years of systemic racism - not the calling people names or lynching, but the type where you can't get a loan because of your name, you can't get a job because of your speech, where your natural hair makes people think you are a slob so you aren't taken seriously. I am not nearly as experienced or eloquent enough to get into the details - my knowledge has come from years of listening to minority voices and opening my mind to different experiences - but there are loads of articles, books, videos about these very things. If you are interested, take 15 min, look it all up.
Perhaps I am reading too much into it, but it's kinda hard not to read "Aliens = Minorities" and to read this series as a "Poor humans/white people who are now experiencing unjust violence against them! It's not human/white people's fault for what's happened to aliens/minorities - just a few bad apples out there!" Which is a shame, because this plot is on to something - humans are overwhelmingly present in Star Wars. They basically are front and center of the entire plot of the movies and most of the Legend book lines. Their actions cause great harm to aliens - and yes, the Empire was hella sexist and xenophobic! So I think a story about "Black Lives Matter" in a galaxy far, far away was totally needed - just this isn't at ALL what we needed. We don't need to incite more fear of minorities and their organizations that just ask to give themselves the chance for success (the chance that I, for one, have definitely benefitted from). Reverse racism doesn't exist.
And here I get canceled over a silly Star Wars young adult book. Ha ha!
Because the entire plot is contingent on this sketchy premise, I will admit to having a bit of trouble to jump into the good parts. However, just because there are problems with the theme of the book, doesn't mean in the end, I couldn't see the redeeming qualities. This book is doing great things with Lowbacca - I actually love to see him struggling between old and new friends, to see Raaba so entrenched in Diversity Alliance and being wary himself. It's like the mid-late 90's were warning us of the things we are seeing today - people adopting beliefs in QAnon, essential oils, climate change denial, flat earth and refusing to look outside their echo chamber. Seeing how it can take good characters and twist them to evil in people like Lusa is astounding (BTW, always neat to see recurring characters!), while it's also inspiring to see pompous characters of privilege like Raynar learn how to be better people. These characters get the spotlight - Jaina, Jacen and Tenel Ka are more helping guide the story along now (but they had their own arc already).
Then we have Zekk. Zekk's story of becoming a bounty hunter and redemption is also interesting - it gives us insight into the world of bounty hunters and he even does some admirable sleuthing in this book. His investigation made me question why our Young Jedi Knights hadn't uncovered the very obvious plot element much much earlier. (But then last book I believed I commented that these kids are far too trusting - and my guess last book of Tyko being suspicious it proven 100% right in this one.)
I also want to congratulate this book on having its teenaged characters show interest without spending the entire book mooning over their love lives. It's almost startling how incidental these moments are - Jaina blushing at Zekk, Jacen pondering Tenel Ka as she works out - but it feels nice to keep the romance there but not dominating the action.
One other complaint (Sorry I know, I can't help myself!): Dengar. Why did we have to drop him in? Last book I complained that the authors seemed to want to drag every bounty hunter from "Empire Strikes Back" in here; if I thought it bad with Boba Fett and IG-88, it's worse and sillier now with Dengar. I lay odds we see 4-LOM and Zuckuss in the next book.
Now that I hope I've gotten what's bothered me about this Diversity Alliance plot out of the way, I am hoping to focus completely on the characters and story in the next book. This definitely has picked up from the disappointing "Shaard of Alderaan" (though the blurb authors once again take some liberties - the events concerning IG-88 happen in the last 10 or so pages of the book), and once again, I do look forward to see where this story goes and how it is resolved.
If I had tried harder, I probably could have finished this book last year. No matter.
This arc is finally hitting its stride. The characters are finally moving in interesting directions - the whole Diversity Alliance concept is fascinating if flawed (as I’ve noted a million times, it sounds like “reverse racism” to me, a concept that was quite prevalent in the 90’s). I’ll also add, seeing yet another Empire bounty hunter and that the blurb’s description of IG-88 doesn’t happen until the last 10 pages was a bit eyerolling. Despite that, this has definitely picked up after the rather sloppy “Shards of Alderaan” and struggling “Diversity Alliance”.
Full Review:
Bornan Thul is still missing but now Tyko, his brother, has also been captured by the feared bounty hunter, IG-88; the Young Jedi Knights want to find them both for their friend, Raynar (who has actually turned into a pretty decent kid by this point), but a lot of things are going on with Lowbacca. With his friend (and let's face it - love interest), Raaba, back, Lowie finds himself caught between Raaba and her new beliefs and hatred of humans and the Young Jedi (who are strangely all humans). Meanwhile, Zekk gets a new bounty - but his employer seems rather fishy.
After a trip and a stumble, I feel like this arc is finally hitting its stride. It's a lot more focused and isn't quite as eye-roll inducing as "Shaards of Alderaan" and "Diversity Alliance". It's cringy - but we're going to jump immediately into that.
Reverse racism. I remember talking about how our society (American of course) had come full circle and was now oppressing white people and not giving them chances back in the early 2000's. Affirmative action was hiring any unqualified person of color off the street while ignoring the capable white person right in front of them. Colleges were full of people who couldn't pass a test but got a scholarship because of their skin color while those poor white kids couldn't get a break!
In case it's not clear, I now realize what a load of baloney the above is. The above ignores years of systemic racism - not the calling people names or lynching, but the type where you can't get a loan because of your name, you can't get a job because of your speech, where your natural hair makes people think you are a slob so you aren't taken seriously. I am not nearly as experienced or eloquent enough to get into the details - my knowledge has come from years of listening to minority voices and opening my mind to different experiences - but there are loads of articles, books, videos about these very things. If you are interested, take 15 min, look it all up.
Perhaps I am reading too much into it, but it's kinda hard not to read "Aliens = Minorities" and to read this series as a "Poor humans/white people who are now experiencing unjust violence against them! It's not human/white people's fault for what's happened to aliens/minorities - just a few bad apples out there!" Which is a shame, because this plot is on to something - humans are overwhelmingly present in Star Wars. They basically are front and center of the entire plot of the movies and most of the Legend book lines. Their actions cause great harm to aliens - and yes, the Empire was hella sexist and xenophobic! So I think a story about "Black Lives Matter" in a galaxy far, far away was totally needed - just this isn't at ALL what we needed. We don't need to incite more fear of minorities and their organizations that just ask to give themselves the chance for success (the chance that I, for one, have definitely benefitted from). Reverse racism doesn't exist.
And here I get canceled over a silly Star Wars young adult book. Ha ha!
Because the entire plot is contingent on this sketchy premise, I will admit to having a bit of trouble to jump into the good parts. However, just because there are problems with the theme of the book, doesn't mean in the end, I couldn't see the redeeming qualities. This book is doing great things with Lowbacca - I actually love to see him struggling between old and new friends, to see Raaba so entrenched in Diversity Alliance and being wary himself. It's like the mid-late 90's were warning us of the things we are seeing today - people adopting beliefs in QAnon, essential oils, climate change denial, flat earth and refusing to look outside their echo chamber. Seeing how it can take good characters and twist them to evil in people like Lusa is astounding (BTW, always neat to see recurring characters!), while it's also inspiring to see pompous characters of privilege like Raynar learn how to be better people. These characters get the spotlight - Jaina, Jacen and Tenel Ka are more helping guide the story along now (but they had their own arc already).
Then we have Zekk. Zekk's story of becoming a bounty hunter and redemption is also interesting - it gives us insight into the world of bounty hunters and he even does some admirable sleuthing in this book. His investigation made me question why our Young Jedi Knights hadn't uncovered the very obvious plot element much much earlier. (But then last book I believed I commented that these kids are far too trusting - and my guess last book of Tyko being suspicious it proven 100% right in this one.)
I also want to congratulate this book on having its teenaged characters show interest without spending the entire book mooning over their love lives. It's almost startling how incidental these moments are - Jaina blushing at Zekk, Jacen pondering Tenel Ka as she works out - but it feels nice to keep the romance there but not dominating the action.
One other complaint (Sorry I know, I can't help myself!): Dengar. Why did we have to drop him in? Last book I complained that the authors seemed to want to drag every bounty hunter from "Empire Strikes Back" in here; if I thought it bad with Boba Fett and IG-88, it's worse and sillier now with Dengar. I lay odds we see 4-LOM and Zuckuss in the next book.
Now that I hope I've gotten what's bothered me about this Diversity Alliance plot out of the way, I am hoping to focus completely on the characters and story in the next book. This definitely has picked up from the disappointing "Shaard of Alderaan" (though the blurb authors once again take some liberties - the events concerning IG-88 happen in the last 10 or so pages of the book), and once again, I do look forward to see where this story goes and how it is resolved.
hstapp's review against another edition
3.0
I'm rereading this so this isn't a full review, but the whole Diversity Alliance plotline really rubs me the wrong way.
The Diversity Alliance which is made up of all aliens seems to represent black people (or other minorities) who are struggling to uplift themselves and are seeking fair treatment by white people, or other oppressor's.
The book depicts them as being evil and malicious under the guise of a good cause. The humans (white people) are being well what about me as if they aren't already in power, in control.
And it honestly just feels like an attack from these white writers against POC, disparaging their movements and fights to be seen as equals. Portraying them as evil, or misguided.
Basically I think it's an awful plotline. Especially if they end up having the diversity alliance continue on under a human leader(haven't gotten that far yet, we shall see).
Humans are the people in power in the star wars galaxy. The imperials were fervently human supremacists. The alliance less so, but the people in charge are human. The main characters are largely human, and based on movies and art also largely white.
I love Star Wars but they do have a serious human problem.
The Diversity Alliance which is made up of all aliens seems to represent black people (or other minorities) who are struggling to uplift themselves and are seeking fair treatment by white people, or other oppressor's.
The book depicts them as being evil and malicious under the guise of a good cause. The humans (white people) are being well what about me as if they aren't already in power, in control.
And it honestly just feels like an attack from these white writers against POC, disparaging their movements and fights to be seen as equals. Portraying them as evil, or misguided.
Basically I think it's an awful plotline. Especially if they end up having the diversity alliance continue on under a human leader(haven't gotten that far yet, we shall see).
Humans are the people in power in the star wars galaxy. The imperials were fervently human supremacists. The alliance less so, but the people in charge are human. The main characters are largely human, and based on movies and art also largely white.
I love Star Wars but they do have a serious human problem.
cj13's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ifthebook's review against another edition
3.0
Hmmm...the plot thickens. I like how the fact that this is "just" a kids' book didn't stop the authors from pulling in important characters and having a plot that will seriously affect the future.
ragingcardboard's review against another edition
4.0
Another pretty good installment. Lots of action in this one and we start to get to heart of the conspiracy. The alternating perspectives are interesting but I still can't help but wish that these were all longer to allow for more character and story development. I think it's good that we start to add more characters into the story here because it allows the main four to grow in response to new friends.
verkisto's review against another edition
3.0
The caliber of stories in the series remains the same (reliable and serviceable), but I do find that the characterization becomes stronger the farther along it gets. This makes sense, but if you look at just one book's worth of characterization, they all come across as a bit flat; taken over the course of the whole series, though, they become distinctive.
Also, I like how the authors frame Tanel Ka's loss of a hand not as a disability, but just as something else that's a part of the character. There was grief and anger and guilt, of course, but now that she's accepted it, it's never a detriment to what she wants to accomplish. It's a very positive outlook, and though they may not have included that plot twist to be inclusive, it's become so.
Also, I like how the authors frame Tanel Ka's loss of a hand not as a disability, but just as something else that's a part of the character. There was grief and anger and guilt, of course, but now that she's accepted it, it's never a detriment to what she wants to accomplish. It's a very positive outlook, and though they may not have included that plot twist to be inclusive, it's become so.
bookworm_baggins's review against another edition
4.0
This was always one of my favorites in the series, but I found I didn't remember the plot going into it. I had a few inklings to what was going to happen, but on the whole u thought things played out really well and in a feel consistent with Star Wars. Super fun.
ferretbreeder's review against another edition
4.0
Really more of a 3.5 stars. Just not my favorite. The characters are still good, obviously, but there's a lot of talk of reverse space racism that hasn't aged particularly well, I think.