Scan barcode
trin's review against another edition
3.0
I thought I should finally try some Kim Stanley Robinson, as he’s kind of a classic at this point. This was…huh. I’m not really sure what this was. It was the first book in a trilogy, certainly—I’m not sure I’ve ever read such a long book that was almost entirely setup. Seriously, almost nothing happened until the very end—though that end is very dramatic. I wasn’t particularly wowed by the writing—DUDE PUNCTUATE YOUR DIALOGUE DO YOU SEE HOW ANNOYING THIS IS KTHX—or the characters, either; Frank was pretty much the only one who grabbed me, and I found him to be an asshole most of the time. Still…I kind of want to read the next volume and see what happens next. I mean, Robinson’s got to be building to something, right? Also, I just like the idea of there being a series about science and political intrigue and global warming. Therefore, I am kind of determined to like these books despite my reservations. Bring on volume two!
timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the snapshot of science and parenting and politics from a decade ago. It felt familiar and accurate to my experiences (which people who know me know I almost NEVER say about books about scientists!). But, overall the book felt disjointed and really unfinished (I know, it's a trilogy, but......).
traci1974's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
sarabz's review against another edition
3.0
The action in this book is so understated that it made it hard for me to get through. I keep telling myself that that is part of the point. But I also wasn't in love with any of the characters or the writing in particular. The story and the writing picked up steam at the end, which further highlighted what I was missing in the rest of the story. Not that it wasn't interesting to think about the impacts of climate change, how its happening, and the very slow actions and reactions of bureaucratic structures to this looming crisis.
iceberg0's review against another edition
3.0
Felt a little like an introduction to a book. Lots of "getting to know the characters" without moving forward. If he wasn't such a good writer I may have dropped it.
jmoses's review against another edition
3.0
This was....acceptable? It was fairly science-y, as expected, and we're kind of introduced to a lot of concepts and settings and characters. It's not quite as sharply focused as I had expected, although I feel like it was good setup for the series as a whole.
lilawillow's review against another edition
2.0
Terrible pacing--quite a slog to get through. It seems like this book is Act I of a story, and it doesn't really hold together on its own.
junglefabrixxx's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A lot of people get attracted to looks or personality, but I'm personally attracted to intelligence. Anna Quibler is the perfect representation in that sense. A dedicated scientist who is also devoted to her family and is helping her husband write a bill that could change the course of climate action in a government that does not fully believe in climate change. Pretty appealing to me.
Aside from that, the amount of facts and data shared in the book is impressive. It made it feel quite real, from a scientific context, and gave us an idea on how advanced was climate change in the book's universe. Then, you get the chance to see how urgent action was needed when Anna meets delegates from a recently founded but already at risk nation. She will do everything in her hands to help them, but the future is not looking good for them either because something happens that will leave you saying this was what I expected from the start of the book.
I enjoyed it, but there was a lot of information and sometimes, it made me lose interest but the end was worth it and I hope to get ahold of the second book to keep reading this saga and getting inspired to act before it's too late.
bkp's review against another edition
5.0
Science Fact and Political Fantasy
I came into Kim Stanley Robinson late in the game, but since several of his books were showing up on "must read" lists (including this series) , I figured it was time.
For the most part, I found this to be a solid introduction to a very-near future world where climate change finally starts happening in less than subtle ways. In this world, scientists mostly react as best they can and--unrealistically--so do the politicians. The fact that a major natural disaster turns Washington on its ear seems to have a cathartic effect on the movers and shakers of the U.S.
Basically, Robinson builds a pretty interesting world with an unusual amount of self-awareness, and likely more honest politicians than is realistic. But the characters are so engaging and the impending world changes so engrossing, I was willing to accept such oddities.
A decent read and a good series starter.
I came into Kim Stanley Robinson late in the game, but since several of his books were showing up on "must read" lists (including this series) , I figured it was time.
For the most part, I found this to be a solid introduction to a very-near future world where climate change finally starts happening in less than subtle ways. In this world, scientists mostly react as best they can and--unrealistically--so do the politicians. The fact that a major natural disaster turns Washington on its ear seems to have a cathartic effect on the movers and shakers of the U.S.
Basically, Robinson builds a pretty interesting world with an unusual amount of self-awareness, and likely more honest politicians than is realistic. But the characters are so engaging and the impending world changes so engrossing, I was willing to accept such oddities.
A decent read and a good series starter.