Reviews

Natural Selection by Malinda Lo

theraveler's review

4.0

Loved it. A delicious morsel to tide us over until the sequel, Inheritance. Gave us some great character development for Amber's character, and set up the second novel well, I think.

ginnikin's review

1.0

This was not very good. It was waaaaay too heavy with exposition. The voice was just boring. It didn't add anything to the experience. I'm sad to be so harsh on a writer I support, but I also gotta be honest.

angelreadsthings's review

3.0

3.75 Stars. I loved this short addition to the Adaptation series. While the plot was simpler than that of the novels, the characterization felt stronger. I came to know Amber in a way I never completely got to know Reese in the novels and I wish more characters could have gotten the same fleshing out that she did in this novella. Besides characterization, I also appreciated the nods to the novels and also what I viewed as nods to issues the characters in the novels - particularly Reese, Amber, and David - might have to deal with in the years after Inheritance. My only qualm with this novella was that the writing felt weak in some places.

little_sour_bugs's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

dominicanbookworm's review

3.0

3.5

Queria mas info de Amber en la "actualidad", y sobre ella y Reese, y la historia no es de eso, es mas backstory sobre Amber. Igual, se me hizo MUY interesante leer sobre el pasado de ella y las costumbres de los Imria, ahora es mas facil entender algunas cosas de la historia.

sincerelystefanie's review

4.0

A wonderful companion book to Adaptation, this book is set between two worlds, Earth and Kurra. The story follows Amber, who we meet in Adaptation, as she sets off on a journey to find herself in more ways than one.

Natural Selection shows that sometimes the path we are destined to be on may not make sense but can ultimately be for the greater good of our own personal growth.

I give this book 4.5 stars

m3l89's review

1.0

I definitely didn't enjoy this as much as the other books in the series. I was expecting more of a tie in whereas the events described didn't have anything to do with the other books at all. Very very disappointing.

choirqueer's review

5.0

I read this immediately after reading Adaptation...like, literally within an hour of finishing Adaptation, I had found this in ebook format and started reading it. This was a perfect time to read it; it gave some really beautiful and compelling backstory that was really useful to have right after reading Adaptation. What a treasure of a series. I'm so excited to read the next book. And then everything else the author has ever written.

frakalot's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I really liked this short story. It's about figuring oneself out and features an alien coming of age ceremony and has a good blend of human and alien cultures. There are a few clues that give away the ending but whether you see it coming or not I think it's a nice moment.

debraserrins's review

4.0

I don't generally love these little interstitial pieces as I usually think they are just a way for the publisher/author to get an extra $1.99 or whatever without adding much to the overall story. But in this case I feel like this little story (which was 1.99 on kindle and not available through the library) actually did add to the story. It told quite a bit about the Imria culture and abilities and they way that Amber got her name.