So, because I started this without knowing anything about it, I thought it’d be a cute YA SF book about an AI and a group of internet friends. This is actually a THRILLER. And it gets kind of intense.
I enjoyed it, loved the diverse characters, and thought the writing was solid.
So, because I started this without knowing anything about it, I thought it’d be a cute YA SF book about an AI and a group of internet friends. This is actually a THRILLER. And it gets kind of intense.
I enjoyed it, loved the diverse characters, and thought the writing was solid....more
This one starts with a great premise but quickly loses its way. The setup—driving a mysterious woman and her black box across the country with a ton oThis one starts with a great premise but quickly loses its way. The setup—driving a mysterious woman and her black box across the country with a ton of odd rules—was really intriguing at first. There’s also some smart commentary on internet culture and conspiracy theories, which could’ve been interesting. But the characters just fell flat for me. I couldn’t connect with them, and honestly, I didn’t really care what happened to them.
The pacing was also all over the place. What starts as a potential page-turner turns into a long, drawn-out adventure. The initial tension fizzles out, and the story ends up feeling more absurd than thrilling. I found myself struggling to keep going. For a book with such a wild premise, I was surprised by how uneven and slow it felt overall. I really wanted to like it more, but it just didn’t click for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press!...more
I requested this immediately when I saw “cozy debut science fiction” and was imagining something like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Then I reI requested this immediately when I saw “cozy debut science fiction” and was imagining something like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Then I read the first chapter and thought it’d be A Gentleman in Moscow but in SPACE. But then I kept going, and it wasn’t quite either of these things. There’s a crew of misfits, yes. And there’s a hotel and its innerworkings, sure. But just under the surface is dystopia that permeates the story in an unnerving kind of way.
It is awesome.
I wasn’t sure about this for chapters two through maybe five because I couldn’t see where it was going and I felt thrown off that it wasn’t “cozy”, but then I was in it and I loved it and I thought it was both disturbing and heartwarming. Both tragic and uplifting.
On one hand, this was a super quick read and I always wanted to turn the page. It’s 100% a thriller. There were good twists and the premise was truly On one hand, this was a super quick read and I always wanted to turn the page. It’s 100% a thriller. There were good twists and the premise was truly excellent: in a future where babies can be selected based on their genetic profile, celebrities have to guard their genetic material so it’s not stolen to create children. This is the interwoven story of a bio-security guard, a surrogate, and a young woman trying to understand her past. I was totally sold.
However, there were also some ridiculous plot holes that I had a hard time getting over. On top of that, the relationships between characters weren’t developed: we just jumped into them, being told that they were now in love or now best friends or what have you. Because of these factors, I found myself skimming just to find out what was going to happen next rather that being totally immersed in the story.
On the whole, while I wouldn’t *not* recommend this book, I do wish it were tightened up just a bit because this easily could’ve been great.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books!...more
Loved the premise (to test the feasibility of time travel, the government is bringing people who have died in the past to the present and the main chaLoved the premise (to test the feasibility of time travel, the government is bringing people who have died in the past to the present and the main character is a "bridge" who helps one of these "expats" adjust to modern life): this was fast and fun, and we do get attached to the characters and their quirks. I cared about what happened to them.
This reads like a fluffy thriller romance with twists and turns, but at times, the language is overwrought and trying so hard to be kind of high brow, that it didn't match. To be clear: I liked the writing itself and I liked the plot itself, but it felt like a mismatch, and every time I noticed the mismatch, I was pulled out of the story. There were also just a couple of unbelievable parts of the story that I had a hard time getting over.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press!...more
I really wanted to love this. I thought the premise of children disappearing related to a super popular YA portal series was amazing, and I expected tI really wanted to love this. I thought the premise of children disappearing related to a super popular YA portal series was amazing, and I expected this to be a cross of Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series with Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. And in a way, it was, but unfortunately I found the main character deeply unlikable (thanks mostly to the subtle misogyny that permeates everything he says and does) and, more than that, his actions seemed so random that I couldn’t get comfortable in the story. I’m all for a good redemption arc, but that redemption has to be earned, and it didn’t ring true for me here.
I also think it’s possible that the way the story is told—through journal entries, emails, and recorded interviews—just wasn’t for me and made me feel disconnected from the story.
I’m sure there are other people out there who’ll love this, but the rating here is just my experience with this book.
Based on the premise, I was super excited about this one: time travel is a thing, and a company called Kairos has figured out how to use it to set peoBased on the premise, I was super excited about this one: time travel is a thing, and a company called Kairos has figured out how to use it to set people up on dates. Want a fling with a prince? Kairos can make that happen.
But I could not get over the execution. I think I was hate reading this by the end. I'm sorry--this one just wasn't for me.
This was something like Brave New World meets Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines series. There are other things I could compare it to but not without givingThis was something like Brave New World meets Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines series. There are other things I could compare it to but not without giving away some key plot points.
A traumatic event causes Proctor Bennet, a citizen of the idyllic Prospera, to notice more about the society he's in and he has questions. His serene and mostly blissful life is careens out of control as he tries to figure out what's going on.
This book took a couple of wild turns, requiring me to take a step back and consider what was happening. The story was compelling and the premise was fascinating, but four rather than five stars because I found it hard to really care about any of the characters and get invested in their choices. I was invested in finding out what was going on in Prospera but not in what happened to the people.
It’s hard to beat Blake Crouch when it comes to sci-if thrillers. His pacing is great: you always want to turn the page, and I devoured this in two siIt’s hard to beat Blake Crouch when it comes to sci-if thrillers. His pacing is great: you always want to turn the page, and I devoured this in two sittings.
Logan Ramsay lives in the shadow of a catastrophe and pays his penance through work with the Gene Protection Agency, and one day, he becomes the victim of a gene editing attack and finds himself changing.
I think this would have worked better in third-person: when you read all of Logan’s thoughts, it’s hard to believe he’s the quick-thinking genius he’s supposed to be.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I really enjoyed the author's afterword and wish I'd read it before starting the book. It really set the stage for this story.
I sought to write about
I really enjoyed the author's afterword and wish I'd read it before starting the book. It really set the stage for this story.
I sought to write about identity, loss, and injustice … and also of love, joy, connection, friendship, hope, laughter, and the beauty and strength in my Ojibwe community. It was paramount to share and celebrate what justice and healing looks like in a tribal community: cultural events, language revitalization, ceremonies, traditional teachings, whisper networks, blanket parties, and numerous other ways tribes have shown resilience in the face of adversity.
Growing up, none of the books I’d read featured a Native protagonist. With Daunis, I wanted to give Native teens a hero who looks like them, whose greatest strength is her Ojibwe culture and community. When making decisions for our tribe, we look seven generations ahead, considering the effect on our descendants. My hope is that, in sharing our Anishinaabeg experiences, Firekeeper’s Daughter will have that impact on future generations.
Three stars for the first half and five stars for the second. I’m also frustrated that we learn very little about what the actual motivations/plans arThree stars for the first half and five stars for the second. I’m also frustrated that we learn very little about what the actual motivations/plans are of the people in the story: we get the big picture, sure (and the big picture is an AWESOME premise that I loved and would love to read more of) but there are an extreme number of open questions.
Again, awesome premise, would love to read a full length novel in this world. ...more
Well, this was totally an unexpected delight. We're introduced to Pallavi and her mother Usha, and Usha is desperate for Pallavi to find a husband. ItWell, this was totally an unexpected delight. We're introduced to Pallavi and her mother Usha, and Usha is desperate for Pallavi to find a husband. It starts out so light and funny, and then it turns into a totally unnerving thriller. ...more
I would’ve given this five stars if any of the following were true: (1) there were fewer characters to keep up with (some parts were just unnecessarilI would’ve given this five stars if any of the following were true: (1) there were fewer characters to keep up with (some parts were just unnecessarily confusing with all the secondary characters to remember), (2) the how was explained at all, or (3) there was less of a whodunnit feel.
I enjoyed the pacing and character development and would recommend this to others, but it fell a little short compared to other speculative fiction thrillers. ...more