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vesper1931's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
An incident in a shuttle has left it drifting in space with its injured crew. While waiting for the Enterprise to find them, the small crew, in some cases reluctantly, related their Kobayashi Maru experiences.
An entertaining re-read.
An entertaining re-read.
vkeith27's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hneite's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chimichannika's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was so good!! I really enjoyed reading it, and getting a peek into the past and specifically the moments around the character’s experiences with the Kobayashi Maru was, to quote Spock, fascinating :) and was just so in character for each of them. I felt like the author truly gets Kirk in a way few others do, and the Sulu flashback was so sweet and emotive!! Scotty’s was so endearing and made me want to give him a hug. Chekov’s at first I wasn’t sure about and it felt a bit out of character, but by the time I finished reading his portion I’d come around on that— we don’t know a whole lot about what Chekov was like pre-TOS and I could see these character traits, tempered by the lessons he learned at that time, mellowing out into the helmsman we see in the original series.
The author also wrote Bones in the present (shortly post-TMP era) so, so beautifully in character— she really seems like an author who loves McCoy, and that’s always a delight to read. She wrote his mannerisms and his fierce yet gentle compassion so, so well. All throughout the book, she wrote the characters in the shuttle so well in character and, as they all worked to survive while stranded, highlighted each of their strengths (and weaknesses) and showed how when they all work together they’re an absolutely brilliant team— one who can truly pull a win from a no-win scenario ♡ And then!!! The book ended with some absolutely delightful Kirk/Spock (spirk) moments!! Such a perfect scene, and a happily emotionally satisfying ending for the book.
The only reason it’s getting a 4.5 instead of a 5 star rating from me, is because the author several times referred to both Sulu and other East Asian characters using what is, to paraphrase Riker, an incredibly outmoded and racist term. This seemed wildly out of character from the rest of her writing and I’m chalking it up to its’ having been written in ‘89– not an excuse for a racist term by any means, but perhaps still more common than today. In any case, that was startling and not fun to read, which brought my rating down a bit.
Otherwise, a fantastic book and such a good read!! It really felt like a classic Trek episode in the best way!
The author also wrote Bones in the present (shortly post-TMP era) so, so beautifully in character— she really seems like an author who loves McCoy, and that’s always a delight to read. She wrote his mannerisms and his fierce yet gentle compassion so, so well. All throughout the book, she wrote the characters in the shuttle so well in character and, as they all worked to survive while stranded, highlighted each of their strengths (and weaknesses) and showed how when they all work together they’re an absolutely brilliant team— one who can truly pull a win from a no-win scenario ♡ And then!!! The book ended with some absolutely delightful Kirk/Spock (spirk) moments!! Such a perfect scene, and a happily emotionally satisfying ending for the book.
The only reason it’s getting a 4.5 instead of a 5 star rating from me, is because the author several times referred to both Sulu and other East Asian characters using what is, to paraphrase Riker, an incredibly outmoded and racist term. This seemed wildly out of character from the rest of her writing and I’m chalking it up to its’ having been written in ‘89– not an excuse for a racist term by any means, but perhaps still more common than today. In any case, that was startling and not fun to read, which brought my rating down a bit.
Otherwise, a fantastic book and such a good read!! It really felt like a classic Trek episode in the best way!
lhunt54's review against another edition
2.0
The Kobayashi Maru is probably my favorite thing about Star Trek, the idea of facing the "no-win" scenario and changing the rules. If you don't like how the game is played, flip over the board. And so, I sought out this particular novel for that reason. It does have some cool moments in it but it tends to meander and doesn't really do its subject material justice.
kortirion's review against another edition
4.0
Most of the Star Trek books I've read were pretty lame, but this one had some good humor and action.
fireflyhollow's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audio version of this book and was very impressed with James Doohan's performance in narrating. It really added something extra to the story, and he was able to imitate the voices of the original actors for each character very well.
This story recounts the Kobayashi Maru scenarios of Kirk, Chekov, Sulu, and Scotty as they were stranded on a shuttle waiting for the Enterprise to rescue them. My husband introduced me to Star Trek a few years ago, and we have managed to watch every episode from every season and every movie released - and I still can't seem to get enough. Small stories like this that give a little insight to character backgrounds are really nice.
This story recounts the Kobayashi Maru scenarios of Kirk, Chekov, Sulu, and Scotty as they were stranded on a shuttle waiting for the Enterprise to rescue them. My husband introduced me to Star Trek a few years ago, and we have managed to watch every episode from every season and every movie released - and I still can't seem to get enough. Small stories like this that give a little insight to character backgrounds are really nice.
jazzypizzaz's review against another edition
3.0
Fun to see how different characters approached the test. Emotional descriptions I found sometimes melodramatic.
manuphoto's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A fine story for Star Trek fans, but really not great. The tales are pretty unequal and the characters even more clichéd than in the series or movies. Some good parts, especially Kirk’s and Scott’s tales. Chekov and Sulu’s were pretty sluggish.
gingerreader99's review against another edition
4.0
This one I really could not put down. Except for sleeping and eating I did not stop reading it. The Kobayashi Maru is more than just the stories of the each officers run in with the with the infamous test. It is a clear indication of who they each are. Their responses are based on their character and the leaders they are. Kirk of course does not believe in a no-win scenario. Scotty willing to fight to the end, in an amazing display of engineering genious. I have a deeper appreciation for the Original Series Command Officers after this novel.