Reviews

A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys

noisydeadlines's review against another edition

hopeful reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

This is not really my flavour of sci-fi, but it gets points for its unique perspective.  It's a first contact story where the conflicts are not carried in a violent, physical way. For a first alien contact situation, things go pretty smoothly. There is a lot going on here: efforts to reverse climate change, representations of different identities, gender spectrum and sexuality, diverse families, exploitative corporations, Watershed Networks, ecology, Jewish culture, parenting. There is a LOT of talking:  most of the conflicts are resolved with dialogues. The story is told from the main character's point of view, and she doesn't hide her flaws and insecurities: we get to feel them all! I thought the future imagined was too close to our time (50 years ahead) for humanity to have changed that much. Interesting read, but it was not so easy to get to the end. This was a Book Club read for me and it certainly raised intriguing discussions.

obviouslyjudith's review against another edition

3.25

The type of book I really really wish had been a novella

dylex's review

adventurous hopeful reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

estefanacci's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? No

4.5

corvid_archivist's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

awildbrady's review against another edition

hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

codemasterpi's review

adventurous challenging hopeful slow-paced

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

4.5

a_mo_zing's review

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

funktious's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

This book made me feel really, really old. I nearly DNF'd in the Zealand chapters, but kept going because I think it's important to read outside of your comfort zone and experience. By the end I was more invested in the story and glad I finished it.

A unique first contact story, very 'alien' aliens, mothers as diplomats, lots of representation of different identities, a glimpse of a future where we've moved past violence and have learned to talk through our problems and brainstorm solutions together. 

But oh it just felt so 'worthy' and exhausting. I'm all for representation and being comfortable with your identity and found families - yay for all of it but there was just SO MUCH. The corporate chapters / characters felt particularly cartoonish.

We really don't get to learn much about the characters at all, beyond their pronouns and relationships. The plot is mostly political wrangling and positioning via endless dialogue. The constant use of technology to consult / share knowledge with others / vote on outcomes whilst in those dialogues was also exhausting and off putting - I do not want to end up with a thousand sub reddits plugged into my brain 24/7. And then there's the human / alien sex, which I skipped entirely.

The main thing that was missing for me though, was any clear love of the earth as motivation for wanting to stay here. There was a bit of it in the second half, but it was very science and data heavy, rather than the reverence or awe I was looking for. 

occlude's review

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

Very mid as the kids say. Has a lot of interesting ideas, but often felt pedestrian in the reading. Suffers from the common problem of the contortions required to make a small cast of characters pivotal in such a large event as first contact.