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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Imitation (Clone Chronicles, #1) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Heather Hildenbrand’s latest young adult science fiction series <i>Clone Chronicles</i> gets off to a good start in this book, <i>Imitation</i>. Raven Rogen is a shallow eighteen-year-old girl whose father holds a high position in the city. The main character, however, is known as Ven and is an imitation of Raven, a clone. The purpose of the imitations is to be available for their Authentics whenever they are needed, whether it is organ transplants or taking their place completely. When the real Raven is attacked, Ven is instructed to take her place as bait to draw the attackers out of the shadows. Although they may look the same, their personalities are completely different meaning that Ven has to try extra hard to convince people that she is Raven.
Ven is a very likable character and it is easy to feel for her as she struggles to live up to the expectations of Raven’s father. The book takes a turning point when Ven decides to run away with the help of a security guard, Linc, who she has fallen in love with. To complicate things even further it is not clear for a long time who the real bad guys are.
There were times when the storyline became really exciting but some of the characters were really annoying to read about. Although Raven was not actually in the book, Ven had to behave like her which involved being rather rude and sarcastic. Raven’s friends were also of the same nature. Other than Ven and Linc most characters were rather irritating.
The novel ends leaving the reader wondering what will happen next. It is not a cliffhanger as such, but it does leave the story wide open in regards to how things will be resolved.
<i>Imitation</i> would fit in well in a selection of other popular science fiction books that young adults have become addicted to. The ending of book one leaves us with the feeling that book two, <i>Deviation</i>, will be even more exciting.
Heather Hildenbrand’s latest young adult science fiction series <i>Clone Chronicles</i> gets off to a good start in this book, <i>Imitation</i>. Raven Rogen is a shallow eighteen-year-old girl whose father holds a high position in the city. The main character, however, is known as Ven and is an imitation of Raven, a clone. The purpose of the imitations is to be available for their Authentics whenever they are needed, whether it is organ transplants or taking their place completely. When the real Raven is attacked, Ven is instructed to take her place as bait to draw the attackers out of the shadows. Although they may look the same, their personalities are completely different meaning that Ven has to try extra hard to convince people that she is Raven.
Ven is a very likable character and it is easy to feel for her as she struggles to live up to the expectations of Raven’s father. The book takes a turning point when Ven decides to run away with the help of a security guard, Linc, who she has fallen in love with. To complicate things even further it is not clear for a long time who the real bad guys are.
There were times when the storyline became really exciting but some of the characters were really annoying to read about. Although Raven was not actually in the book, Ven had to behave like her which involved being rather rude and sarcastic. Raven’s friends were also of the same nature. Other than Ven and Linc most characters were rather irritating.
The novel ends leaving the reader wondering what will happen next. It is not a cliffhanger as such, but it does leave the story wide open in regards to how things will be resolved.
<i>Imitation</i> would fit in well in a selection of other popular science fiction books that young adults have become addicted to. The ending of book one leaves us with the feeling that book two, <i>Deviation</i>, will be even more exciting.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Total Recall (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Remaking classic films is always risky business. Mainly because there is a specific reason those movies are so well received – because they are the best of their time. Remakes are inherently risky because the filmmakers have a bar they have to at least reach, and they absolutely cannot tread the exact same ground as the original. They have to do something new, modern, or innovate. Or, at least they are expected to. When remakes work, they soar. When they don’t… Well, that’s another story. Paul Verhoeven’s “Total Recall” (1990) was an excellent science fiction monolith of its time. It stood out as a heartfelt science fiction story, one that was exceptionally aware of its own identity, design, and overall setting. It reflected the vary soul of its time – intentionally representational of culture at the time (late 80s and early 90s). If Len Wiseman’s remake, “Total Recall” (2012) is supposed to be a representation of contemporary culture in the same way as the original, then I fear our popular culture is too shallow for high minded science fiction. While not a bad movie – in fact, it is actually quite entertaining overall – it just does not feature the same soul and passion of the original film.
The premise follows the original in only a rough sense. Sometime in the future, the world has been left mostly uninhabitable due to a deadly chemical war across the globe. Humanity has been left to residing in the only remaining habitable landmasses – Western Europe and “The Colony”, the latter being modern-day Australia. Because air travel is now impossible, the only travel between the landmasses is through a massive elevator called “The Fall” that cuts through the center of the Earth. Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) is a factory worker who works in Europe but lives in “The Colony” with his wife, Lori (Kate Beckinstale). His chronic nightmares lead him to become interested in the “Rekall” service – a machine that can implant memories into customers. His interest will lead him on a wild journey with Melina (Jessica Biel) to learn about his true self as well as secrets of Cohaagen’s (Bryan Cranston) tyrannical administration.
The problems of the film really start with the premise. While I enjoy the creativity of something like “The Fall”, it is simply too ridiculous to take seriously. They deserve credit for coming up with a relatively unknown science fiction concept, but an elevator that travels through the center of the Earth? Peoples’ suspension of disbelief can only be pushed so far. It serves a practical purpose in the plot – to create the conflict between “The Colony” and the mainland and between the government and the Resistance. Yet, too much time is spent trying to introduce this concept and make it seem plausible than the film should. It honestly seems easier to just use the original film’s conflict between settings – Mars and Earth. I have to ask, what makes an elevator between two lands more contemporary of an idea than a conflict between colonial Mars and Earth. This is especially true considering recent news that a Mars colony might be seen in our lifetimes.
The other problems are more literary. Colin Farrell’s Douglas Quaid is portrayed very well throughout the film, and he manages to make the character satisfactory in the emotional portrayal of a man with a confused past and an insane situation. But even then, I have to say Arnold’s original portrayal seemed overall more human. The problem with Colin Farrell’s character is a mixture of performance and writing in his introduction. It is hard to believe him as someone so distraught over his nightmares that he absolutely feels compelled to go to Rekall. If they spent more time exploring his inner demons and how they are bringing his life down, then he would have been a much more compelling character. As it stands, he just goes through the motions of a protagonist. All of the other characters are the same way. Kate Beckinstale’s villainous Lori and Jessica Biel’s Melina are fairly shallow characters. They are not bad at their roles but that is all they, unfortunately, are: roles. Like Quaid, they just go through the motions, playing their part as clichéd character archetypes. Bryan Cranston is always awesome in any role, but in this he is not given much to work with. All he ends up being is just an evil tyrant with a megalomaniacal plot – with very little reason or background.
Those issues said, there are many things that do work. The pacing is good throughout, with no moments feeling awkward. The art design is exceptional, and there are no moments in the film that are boring to look at. To its credit, almost every scene is full of beautiful science-fiction design. The only complaint in this area is that some of the action scenes feel very cluttered due to the overall noise of The Colony’s design. The plot moves forward steadily, and it is overall simple to understand. That said, it is not without its own faults. The plot starts out great but becomes full of usual secret agent thriller clichés. Also, the plot becomes very campy, not to mention unbelievable, in its third act. The third act is also where there are the most plot holes – notable plot holes at that.
If you can shut your brain off for a couple hours, you can enjoy “Total Recall”. The film is pretty to look at and is absolutely packed with action sequences. All of the action sequences are well shot, well paced, and entertaining. The actors all do great with what they are given; but the problem is that they are not given much. They are all fairly flat characters, but are all satisfactory for the service of the plot – a plot that is well paced and understandable, but one that becomes campy, ridiculous, and peppered with notable plot holes. It is not as tightly written and directed to be a great secret agent thriller, and not as inspired to be a great science fiction story. The original was exceptional in its setting construction – pulling the audience into the amazingly designed Paul Verhoeven world. It was full of comedy and thrills, thought and design. As it stands, the moments that could really go far in establishing a passionate soul-filled, inspired world are instead spent on making quick references to those vary moments from the original. It could have established its own voice, its own heart and soul, but it just settles on being your clichéd average science fiction blockbuster.
The premise follows the original in only a rough sense. Sometime in the future, the world has been left mostly uninhabitable due to a deadly chemical war across the globe. Humanity has been left to residing in the only remaining habitable landmasses – Western Europe and “The Colony”, the latter being modern-day Australia. Because air travel is now impossible, the only travel between the landmasses is through a massive elevator called “The Fall” that cuts through the center of the Earth. Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) is a factory worker who works in Europe but lives in “The Colony” with his wife, Lori (Kate Beckinstale). His chronic nightmares lead him to become interested in the “Rekall” service – a machine that can implant memories into customers. His interest will lead him on a wild journey with Melina (Jessica Biel) to learn about his true self as well as secrets of Cohaagen’s (Bryan Cranston) tyrannical administration.
The problems of the film really start with the premise. While I enjoy the creativity of something like “The Fall”, it is simply too ridiculous to take seriously. They deserve credit for coming up with a relatively unknown science fiction concept, but an elevator that travels through the center of the Earth? Peoples’ suspension of disbelief can only be pushed so far. It serves a practical purpose in the plot – to create the conflict between “The Colony” and the mainland and between the government and the Resistance. Yet, too much time is spent trying to introduce this concept and make it seem plausible than the film should. It honestly seems easier to just use the original film’s conflict between settings – Mars and Earth. I have to ask, what makes an elevator between two lands more contemporary of an idea than a conflict between colonial Mars and Earth. This is especially true considering recent news that a Mars colony might be seen in our lifetimes.
The other problems are more literary. Colin Farrell’s Douglas Quaid is portrayed very well throughout the film, and he manages to make the character satisfactory in the emotional portrayal of a man with a confused past and an insane situation. But even then, I have to say Arnold’s original portrayal seemed overall more human. The problem with Colin Farrell’s character is a mixture of performance and writing in his introduction. It is hard to believe him as someone so distraught over his nightmares that he absolutely feels compelled to go to Rekall. If they spent more time exploring his inner demons and how they are bringing his life down, then he would have been a much more compelling character. As it stands, he just goes through the motions of a protagonist. All of the other characters are the same way. Kate Beckinstale’s villainous Lori and Jessica Biel’s Melina are fairly shallow characters. They are not bad at their roles but that is all they, unfortunately, are: roles. Like Quaid, they just go through the motions, playing their part as clichéd character archetypes. Bryan Cranston is always awesome in any role, but in this he is not given much to work with. All he ends up being is just an evil tyrant with a megalomaniacal plot – with very little reason or background.
Those issues said, there are many things that do work. The pacing is good throughout, with no moments feeling awkward. The art design is exceptional, and there are no moments in the film that are boring to look at. To its credit, almost every scene is full of beautiful science-fiction design. The only complaint in this area is that some of the action scenes feel very cluttered due to the overall noise of The Colony’s design. The plot moves forward steadily, and it is overall simple to understand. That said, it is not without its own faults. The plot starts out great but becomes full of usual secret agent thriller clichés. Also, the plot becomes very campy, not to mention unbelievable, in its third act. The third act is also where there are the most plot holes – notable plot holes at that.
If you can shut your brain off for a couple hours, you can enjoy “Total Recall”. The film is pretty to look at and is absolutely packed with action sequences. All of the action sequences are well shot, well paced, and entertaining. The actors all do great with what they are given; but the problem is that they are not given much. They are all fairly flat characters, but are all satisfactory for the service of the plot – a plot that is well paced and understandable, but one that becomes campy, ridiculous, and peppered with notable plot holes. It is not as tightly written and directed to be a great secret agent thriller, and not as inspired to be a great science fiction story. The original was exceptional in its setting construction – pulling the audience into the amazingly designed Paul Verhoeven world. It was full of comedy and thrills, thought and design. As it stands, the moments that could really go far in establishing a passionate soul-filled, inspired world are instead spent on making quick references to those vary moments from the original. It could have established its own voice, its own heart and soul, but it just settles on being your clichéd average science fiction blockbuster.
Shaun Collins (3 KP) rated Faster Than Light, Volume 1: First Steps in Books
Jan 12, 2018
The time is now. Humanity has deciphered an alien message that basically says, "we're dead, bad things are coming for you, take our technology and get the hell out." Of course, the message arrived in 1945, so we're a little behind. Faster Than Light marries the hard science fiction of The Martian, 2010, and Gravity with the idealism of the original Star Trek. I love it. It's a very grounded series, with realistic characters doing realistic things.
The story comes in small 2 or 3 issues arcs, so the adventure of the week is easily digestible, but somehow it still feels choppy. Like in one instance an entire mission wasn't there, and we just got the end of it, but it didn't link up with anything else. Theres a nifty gimmick, where a free downloadable app can be used in conjunction with the comic. Scan pages and get access to the alien encyclopedia, Captains logs, a translation matrix for the alien dialogue, etc. (This may be the cause of the stories choppiness, as there may simply be pieces I'm missing out on.)
Unfortunately, some of the art isn't as up to par as the story telling, which can make it difficult to tell crew members apart, which causes the story to suffer. But overall this is definitely a title to keep an eye on, looking forward to Volume 2...
The story comes in small 2 or 3 issues arcs, so the adventure of the week is easily digestible, but somehow it still feels choppy. Like in one instance an entire mission wasn't there, and we just got the end of it, but it didn't link up with anything else. Theres a nifty gimmick, where a free downloadable app can be used in conjunction with the comic. Scan pages and get access to the alien encyclopedia, Captains logs, a translation matrix for the alien dialogue, etc. (This may be the cause of the stories choppiness, as there may simply be pieces I'm missing out on.)
Unfortunately, some of the art isn't as up to par as the story telling, which can make it difficult to tell crew members apart, which causes the story to suffer. But overall this is definitely a title to keep an eye on, looking forward to Volume 2...
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Star Wars: Han Solo in Books
Aug 2, 2017
I believe this volume takes place shortly after Episode IV: A New Hope.
After deciding to take a break from the Rebellion and go back to being a smuggler, Han Solo is abruptly pulled back into the Rebellion by Leia with a proposal he finds hard to turn down: a chance to race the Dragon Void run, a prestigious racing competition. Of course, Leia has ulterior motives for needing Han, but all he sees is a chance at the prestige of winning this race. The race itself made me feel a little like this was a galactic version of the Hunger Games, as the race's organizers set up specific obstacles for the racers to avoid (not that this is a race to the death, but I just got the impression of that idea). There was also a little more science fiction than I'm used to with Star Wars, with the inclusion of wormholes and other dimensions, but it worked really well here. Marjorie Liu really had a grasp of the characters and handled them quite well; I had no problem hearing Han's and Leia's voices in my head. Mark Brooks' art is fantastic here and I'm hoping that Marvel utilizes him more frequently on the Star Wars titles. Overall, this is a solid addition to the Marvel portion of the Star Wars universe.
After deciding to take a break from the Rebellion and go back to being a smuggler, Han Solo is abruptly pulled back into the Rebellion by Leia with a proposal he finds hard to turn down: a chance to race the Dragon Void run, a prestigious racing competition. Of course, Leia has ulterior motives for needing Han, but all he sees is a chance at the prestige of winning this race. The race itself made me feel a little like this was a galactic version of the Hunger Games, as the race's organizers set up specific obstacles for the racers to avoid (not that this is a race to the death, but I just got the impression of that idea). There was also a little more science fiction than I'm used to with Star Wars, with the inclusion of wormholes and other dimensions, but it worked really well here. Marjorie Liu really had a grasp of the characters and handled them quite well; I had no problem hearing Han's and Leia's voices in my head. Mark Brooks' art is fantastic here and I'm hoping that Marvel utilizes him more frequently on the Star Wars titles. Overall, this is a solid addition to the Marvel portion of the Star Wars universe.
A three man team of soldiers is sent behind enemy lines to find and retrieve an elite corporate son, who should have been protected by his 'Ironclad' armour. It's fast moving (it's a novella, so the action has to come hard and fast), and jam packed with science fiction goodies.
The Conglomerates, originating in the USA, are 'annexing' other countries and eliminating socialism or anything that isn't capitalism. They are currently fighting against the Nord forces (Scandinavia) and not having an easy time of it - largely because of the Finns and their penchant for some serious biological tweaking.
I have to admit that I wasn't completely sure whether I'd enjoy this. It is essentially a war story. How wrong could I be though?The main character, Ted Regan, narrates the story, and we see everything from his perspective. They're all great, well written characters (except for the British one - why are they always the unlikeable ones?).
There isn't as much detail as there would be in a full length novel, but that's the nature of a novella, and to be honest I'm a fan of filling in the information yourself.
This has 'Movie Deal' written all over it, and I know plenty of people who would love to watch it! I'm going to have to get cracking on my other Tchaikovsky books on my bookshelf now that I've had a taste!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book to read!
The Conglomerates, originating in the USA, are 'annexing' other countries and eliminating socialism or anything that isn't capitalism. They are currently fighting against the Nord forces (Scandinavia) and not having an easy time of it - largely because of the Finns and their penchant for some serious biological tweaking.
I have to admit that I wasn't completely sure whether I'd enjoy this. It is essentially a war story. How wrong could I be though?The main character, Ted Regan, narrates the story, and we see everything from his perspective. They're all great, well written characters (except for the British one - why are they always the unlikeable ones?).
There isn't as much detail as there would be in a full length novel, but that's the nature of a novella, and to be honest I'm a fan of filling in the information yourself.
This has 'Movie Deal' written all over it, and I know plenty of people who would love to watch it! I'm going to have to get cracking on my other Tchaikovsky books on my bookshelf now that I've had a taste!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book to read!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Calico in Books
Nov 9, 2023
A Shock and Some Flaws
After a scandal forces her from the LAPD, Beth McDade lands a job as a detective in Barstow, California. Nothing much happens in this middle of nowhere location until one night when a motorhome hits a vagrant. It appears to be a tragic accident, only no one knows who the vagrant is. And the autopsy turns up some surprising things. Can Beth figure out what is going on?
Since I normally enjoy Lee Goldberg’s books, I picked this one up without paying much attention to anything about it. As a result, I wasn’t aware it was a blend of Police Procedural, Science Fiction, and Western. It was initially shocking when I realized where the book was going, but then I got caught up in the story, which unfolds in the present and the past. It helped that I grew to enjoy the characters, although the raw nature of the first chapter made it a little hard for me. This book definitely has more content than the cozies I typically read. However, the book tried to do too much. There’s a subplot that really doesn’t go anywhere, and some of the story set in the past gets summarized for us. Meanwhile, the last couple of chapters have a bit too much exposition for me. I appreciate the attempt to do something different, but the execution could have been better.
Since I normally enjoy Lee Goldberg’s books, I picked this one up without paying much attention to anything about it. As a result, I wasn’t aware it was a blend of Police Procedural, Science Fiction, and Western. It was initially shocking when I realized where the book was going, but then I got caught up in the story, which unfolds in the present and the past. It helped that I grew to enjoy the characters, although the raw nature of the first chapter made it a little hard for me. This book definitely has more content than the cozies I typically read. However, the book tried to do too much. There’s a subplot that really doesn’t go anywhere, and some of the story set in the past gets summarized for us. Meanwhile, the last couple of chapters have a bit too much exposition for me. I appreciate the attempt to do something different, but the execution could have been better.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Bone Music in Books
Jun 6, 2019
Bone Music’s story by Christopher Rice is not a classical melody, but more like hard rock. The scenes are riveting and realistic enough that there is an element of believability, alternating between a thriller and the fringes of science fiction.
This consuming read has the heroine trying to overcome her tragic past by rebuilding her life and overcoming her trust issues. The intensity begins from page one when a husband and wife team of serial killers abducts a nine-month-old baby after brutally killing its mother. They raised Trina, hoping to include her in their viciousness, grooming her to follow in their footsteps. Luckily for her, at the age of seven, the FBI raided their hideout.
Yet, throughout her life Trina had to be under the suspicion of some who felt that she was complicit in the murders, labelled as “The Burning Girl.” She attempts to bury her past by changing her name to Charlotte Rowe, and baring her soul to psychologist, Dylan “Cole,” who was pretending to help, but actually had his own agenda. He gives her a supposed calming pill, which is actually an experimental drug. It transforms her adrenaline when triggered by a sense of fear, allowing her to have super strength. Now able to gain back her confidence with a life ruled less by fear, she decides to use her extraordinary ability to fight evil, a serial killer known as the Mask Maker, with the help of the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug.
This consuming read has the heroine trying to overcome her tragic past by rebuilding her life and overcoming her trust issues. The intensity begins from page one when a husband and wife team of serial killers abducts a nine-month-old baby after brutally killing its mother. They raised Trina, hoping to include her in their viciousness, grooming her to follow in their footsteps. Luckily for her, at the age of seven, the FBI raided their hideout.
Yet, throughout her life Trina had to be under the suspicion of some who felt that she was complicit in the murders, labelled as “The Burning Girl.” She attempts to bury her past by changing her name to Charlotte Rowe, and baring her soul to psychologist, Dylan “Cole,” who was pretending to help, but actually had his own agenda. He gives her a supposed calming pill, which is actually an experimental drug. It transforms her adrenaline when triggered by a sense of fear, allowing her to have super strength. Now able to gain back her confidence with a life ruled less by fear, she decides to use her extraordinary ability to fight evil, a serial killer known as the Mask Maker, with the help of the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Your Daily Brain: 24 Hours in the Life of Your Brain in Books
Jun 24, 2019
View the original review on my blog: https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/book-review-your-daily-brain-24-hours-in-the-life-of-your-brain/
I dont usually read non-fiction books, but Im a science geek at heart and couldnt resist requesting a copy of this in return for my honest review.
It was definitely an interesting read. I loved the humour within the writing, and the combination of complicated scientific terms along with more simplified ones. It was easy to understand for the most part, and I hope I can truthfully say that Ive learned something over the past two days from reading this.
Due to my habit of reading books at the speed of light, I dont think the information in this book has sunk in as much as it could have. I personally found it a little hard to follow sometimes, though it was definitely better than skimming a textbook.
This is aimed at an older audience in my opinion, but I was still fascinated by what I read. A lot of it was information that Id never even considered learning. The effect having a child has on a mans brain? I can honestly say that it has never crossed my mind.
I did enjoy this book, even though I sped through it and am probably a little too young to fully appreciate some of the references. Id say Your Daily Brain deserves a strong 3.5 stars, maybe edging up near 4.
I dont usually read non-fiction books, but Im a science geek at heart and couldnt resist requesting a copy of this in return for my honest review.
It was definitely an interesting read. I loved the humour within the writing, and the combination of complicated scientific terms along with more simplified ones. It was easy to understand for the most part, and I hope I can truthfully say that Ive learned something over the past two days from reading this.
Due to my habit of reading books at the speed of light, I dont think the information in this book has sunk in as much as it could have. I personally found it a little hard to follow sometimes, though it was definitely better than skimming a textbook.
This is aimed at an older audience in my opinion, but I was still fascinated by what I read. A lot of it was information that Id never even considered learning. The effect having a child has on a mans brain? I can honestly say that it has never crossed my mind.
I did enjoy this book, even though I sped through it and am probably a little too young to fully appreciate some of the references. Id say Your Daily Brain deserves a strong 3.5 stars, maybe edging up near 4.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Wanderers in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
“As they look to the stars, what are they missing back home?” </i>In a handful of year’s time, it can be presumed that dreams of humans on Mars will become closer to a reality. In Meg Howey’s <i>The Wanderers</i>, the time has come to select the potential candidates to participate in the first crewed mission to the Red Planet. Yet, as the astronauts prepare to walk among the stars, their families are left to consider a life without them.
The story is told through the perspectives of seven characters. Perhaps the most important are the three astronauts: Helen, Sergei and Yoshi, who are enclosed in a tiny mock-spacecraft, as they practice the hypothetical challenges and experiences they may encounter on a real trip to Mars. The remaining chapters are shared out amongst family members: Mireille, Helen’s adult daughter; Dmitri, Sergei’s fifteen-year old son; and Madoka, Yoshi’s wife – the final character being Luke, a psychiatrist tasked with observing the mental state of the astronauts throughout the experiment.
Interestingly, those being left behind are less concerned about their parent or spouse, choosing to focus on their own, everyday life, problems. Left to their own devices, they worry about their careers, their sexuality and the ways in which others perceive them. All, presumably as a result of the lack of contact with their significant family member, have become capable of surviving independently, however do not appear to realize how lonely they are.
The astronauts, on the other hand, are preoccupied with thoughts of space, concentrating so hard on the mission ahead of them that they fail to think of anything else. However, after months of only having each other for company, their thoughts begin to drift in the direction of home, their childhood, worries about their family, guilt – all notions that are fairly alien to the career driven characters.
Whilst it is interesting to witness the character developments, there is not a significant storyline. The book only encompasses the training period for the prospective space mission, and does not appear to have a substantial conclusion. Whether the astronauts eventually make it to Mars, and whether their consciences encourage them to behave differently towards their families, remains unknown.
<i>The Wanderers</i> has the essence of a work of fiction that English Literature students or professors would enjoy pulling apart, examining the language and literary techniques as they seek the understanding of the various emotions portrayed. Unfortunately, the majority will not have chosen to read this book for this precise purpose, expecting a science fiction novel full of excitement and interesting plot. Without either of these elements taking precedence, many are bound to be disappointed.
My rating for this book (two of five stars) is on the basis of the storyline, rather than the concept of family versus space. Yes, Howey writes well, is informed of the ins and outs of space programmes, and is knowledgeable enough to write an accurate representation of an astronaut’s experience, however as a form of entertainment, it is considerably lacking. Those expecting a narrative similar to other well-written science fiction novels will be sorely disappointed.
“As they look to the stars, what are they missing back home?” </i>In a handful of year’s time, it can be presumed that dreams of humans on Mars will become closer to a reality. In Meg Howey’s <i>The Wanderers</i>, the time has come to select the potential candidates to participate in the first crewed mission to the Red Planet. Yet, as the astronauts prepare to walk among the stars, their families are left to consider a life without them.
The story is told through the perspectives of seven characters. Perhaps the most important are the three astronauts: Helen, Sergei and Yoshi, who are enclosed in a tiny mock-spacecraft, as they practice the hypothetical challenges and experiences they may encounter on a real trip to Mars. The remaining chapters are shared out amongst family members: Mireille, Helen’s adult daughter; Dmitri, Sergei’s fifteen-year old son; and Madoka, Yoshi’s wife – the final character being Luke, a psychiatrist tasked with observing the mental state of the astronauts throughout the experiment.
Interestingly, those being left behind are less concerned about their parent or spouse, choosing to focus on their own, everyday life, problems. Left to their own devices, they worry about their careers, their sexuality and the ways in which others perceive them. All, presumably as a result of the lack of contact with their significant family member, have become capable of surviving independently, however do not appear to realize how lonely they are.
The astronauts, on the other hand, are preoccupied with thoughts of space, concentrating so hard on the mission ahead of them that they fail to think of anything else. However, after months of only having each other for company, their thoughts begin to drift in the direction of home, their childhood, worries about their family, guilt – all notions that are fairly alien to the career driven characters.
Whilst it is interesting to witness the character developments, there is not a significant storyline. The book only encompasses the training period for the prospective space mission, and does not appear to have a substantial conclusion. Whether the astronauts eventually make it to Mars, and whether their consciences encourage them to behave differently towards their families, remains unknown.
<i>The Wanderers</i> has the essence of a work of fiction that English Literature students or professors would enjoy pulling apart, examining the language and literary techniques as they seek the understanding of the various emotions portrayed. Unfortunately, the majority will not have chosen to read this book for this precise purpose, expecting a science fiction novel full of excitement and interesting plot. Without either of these elements taking precedence, many are bound to be disappointed.
My rating for this book (two of five stars) is on the basis of the storyline, rather than the concept of family versus space. Yes, Howey writes well, is informed of the ins and outs of space programmes, and is knowledgeable enough to write an accurate representation of an astronaut’s experience, however as a form of entertainment, it is considerably lacking. Those expecting a narrative similar to other well-written science fiction novels will be sorely disappointed.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I think this was one of the very first books that I requested on Netgalley and I can’t even remember why I requested it, it’s not really something that I would go for. However I requested and finally read it and now reviewing :). This is a science-fiction/dystopian Young adult book, it is hard to categorise as it felt like several genres. We follow this boy and he is known as Boy 23 and lives in ‘My Place’ he doesn’t have any human contact and has no idea of the outside world, he communicates with ‘The voice’ who tells him his schedule and is a role model of such.One night Boy 23 is bundled in to the boot of a car and dumped into the woods with a backpack and ‘the voice’ telling him to run as far away as possible. With never being outside before he doesn’t know foe from friend. Someone is out to get him but he needs to let the right people know that he exists before he is captured. This book was OK! It was fast paced with an air of mystery, however it took a long time for the big reveal and I was getting a little bored to be honest. The writing was not the greatest and the use of ‘Squizz’ and ‘yomping’ was way too much and started irritating the hell out of me. The world building was pretty non-existent, we knew that it was set in Germany but we didn’t get much more than that.
I rated this 2.75/5 stars.
I think this was one of the very first books that I requested on Netgalley and I can’t even remember why I requested it, it’s not really something that I would go for. However I requested and finally read it and now reviewing :). This is a science-fiction/dystopian Young adult book, it is hard to categorise as it felt like several genres. We follow this boy and he is known as Boy 23 and lives in ‘My Place’ he doesn’t have any human contact and has no idea of the outside world, he communicates with ‘The voice’ who tells him his schedule and is a role model of such.One night Boy 23 is bundled in to the boot of a car and dumped into the woods with a backpack and ‘the voice’ telling him to run as far away as possible. With never being outside before he doesn’t know foe from friend. Someone is out to get him but he needs to let the right people know that he exists before he is captured. This book was OK! It was fast paced with an air of mystery, however it took a long time for the big reveal and I was getting a little bored to be honest. The writing was not the greatest and the use of ‘Squizz’ and ‘yomping’ was way too much and started irritating the hell out of me. The world building was pretty non-existent, we knew that it was set in Germany but we didn’t get much more than that.
I rated this 2.75/5 stars.