Reviews

The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi

vkshiro's review

Wow, I could not even make myself finish this even though it's only 50 pages.

jelbourn's review

3.0

Very different from the rest of Scalzi's novels set in the same universe. I feel that this is more a book of long-form poetry.

jmkemp's review

3.0

An interesting addition to the Old Man's War universe, unlike the others I've read this one is about the internal emotional state of Jane Sagan, a special forces lt from the three books in the series.

zenwombat's review

3.0

A departure from the tone of the overall series for sure.

qalminator's review

4.0

Introspective character study of Jane Sagan. Very different in flavor from the other Old Man's War books. I found it a fascinating look at the Special Forces and how being grown in that way affects people. It is less story than it is retrospective. Anyone who's read Old Man's War and Ghost Brigades is familiar with the events that made up those stories. Here, we get an in-depth look at Jane's reactions to some of those events.

Note: If you're looking for action, you will be disappointed. If you're not sure if this sounds like your cup of tea, read an excerpt before buying. A scan through the reviews suggests a lot of people did not do this.

shane_tiernan's review

3.0

So this was definitely not was I expected at all. It was more like prose-poetry, but it wasn't a full novel so that's okay. I would suggest reading it without having read at least the first book of the series. The writing was really great, but there was no action, just feelings and philosophies about Sagan's previously life as a trained killer and what her new life would be like settled down with Perry, in a new body that didn't have all the enhancements.

Not sure I would pay the full $20 price on the regular edition, but if you can find it cheap and like the Old Man's War books, would definitely suggest it.

mdpenguin's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is more or less a prose poem about what it means to be Jane Sagan, exploring her reaction to her life as a special forces soldier, the things that she has had to do, and the love and desire that she developed for John Perry. The ideas are expressed simply but beautifully, with a richness that really brings out the depths Jane's feelings about everything that has happened so far in the series. 

charlibirb's review

2.0

This short story is 100% skippable if you're reading the series. You don't learn anything new, you just get a super weird inner monologue from Jane's perspective. And a super weird one that has her apologizing for everything... did not likey. The writing was pretty, but it didn't fit the pattern of the rest of the series.

Seriously, skip it if you don't enjoy stream-of-consciousness narrative with zero plot.

alicjaz's review

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

ajmaybe's review

4.0

Really excellent, with one caveat: My rating assumes that you have read the Old Man's War series, or at least the first two books. The Diary is written from Jane Sagan's perspective, giving us a really interesting and unexpected sense of her most reflective self, not exposed in the main OMW books. This story does not, however, explain who or what Sagan is. It is very good when you already know those basics. I have no idea what it might be like if you have no other information about Sagan or the context in which these reflections take place.