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A review by stormwhisper
Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley
2.0
Skyward Inn follows Jem and her son, in a near-future Earth, where humanity has made contact with alien life. Jem's community has reacted to the changing world by shutting itself off from most of humanity, forgoing advancement and integration with the larger universe in favour of clinging desperately to the nostalgic version of life they've long embraced.
Skyward Inn was unlike much of the science fiction I've read to date, skewing more towards the speculative than pure sci-fi. The narrative wasn't always linear, and the story was more concerned with exploring the human condition than getting from point A to point B.
The characters felt more like symbols and collections of ideas than distinct characters, eschewing individual characteristics in favour of archetypes. The strangers represent danger, the patriarch represents protectionism, and so on. Personally, I'm more prone to enjoying a book that features characters that feels more concrete, with more fleshed-out characteristics and relatable motivations, but those figures perhaps would not have felt at home in a narrative like Skyward Inn.
Skyward Inn will appeal to readers who enjoy less straightforward, more experimental stories. While it does feature classic sci-fi elements like aliens and space travel, the book is ultimately much more interested in exploring what it means to be human than anything outside of earth's borders.
Skyward Inn was unlike much of the science fiction I've read to date, skewing more towards the speculative than pure sci-fi. The narrative wasn't always linear, and the story was more concerned with exploring the human condition than getting from point A to point B.
The characters felt more like symbols and collections of ideas than distinct characters, eschewing individual characteristics in favour of archetypes. The strangers represent danger, the patriarch represents protectionism, and so on. Personally, I'm more prone to enjoying a book that features characters that feels more concrete, with more fleshed-out characteristics and relatable motivations, but those figures perhaps would not have felt at home in a narrative like Skyward Inn.
Skyward Inn will appeal to readers who enjoy less straightforward, more experimental stories. While it does feature classic sci-fi elements like aliens and space travel, the book is ultimately much more interested in exploring what it means to be human than anything outside of earth's borders.