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jennkei's review
4.0
I would have enjoyed more extraterrestrial action but this is a different way of doing things. Bittersweet.
apaulsen13's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Well I certainly had fun complaining, which is also the only reason I finished.
Yes. It is a family drama with the backdrop of a sci-fi adventure. I found the sci-fi plot compelling but, unfortunately, lacking depth. Most holes are explained away with “it’s some sci fi thing” and glossed over.
The way the the mother’s Alzheimer’s gets ‘cured’ by the space tech to magically go away again was deeply upsetting. Of course the way it is handled throughout the book is not great so I guess what did I actually expect.
Really, this wants to be a family epic. I want to see the family grow up and apart from each other, understand their tension and frustrations, and therefore really feel their motivations and conflicting emotions. Instead, we are only told how they feel and sometimes shown flashbacks that emphasize what the character just thought.
For being about the characters and their relationships, they barely talk and they grow even less, though it takes more than 75% of the book to get to either.
Yes. It is a family drama with the backdrop of a sci-fi adventure. I found the sci-fi plot compelling but, unfortunately, lacking depth. Most holes are explained away with “it’s some sci fi thing” and glossed over.
Really, this wants to be a family epic. I want to see the family grow up and apart from each other, understand their tension and frustrations, and therefore really feel their motivations and conflicting emotions. Instead, we are only told how they feel and sometimes shown flashbacks that emphasize what the character just thought.
For being about the characters and their relationships, they barely talk and they grow even less, though it takes more than 75% of the book to get to either.
vmtonn's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5
greywolfheir's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rainbowbookworm's review
4.0
This one was more family drama than sci-fi, but it was just I needed. It kept me reading way past my bedtime which is always a good sign.
j123's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
story_singer_101's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love the way Mike Chen writes people. They’re so human, and I love it.
kathym_robinson's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75