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desiree930 's review for:
Goddess in the Machine
by Lora Beth Johnson
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, especially since the beginning kind of dragged a bit for me. Once we got into the meat of the story, however, I found that I couldn't put the book down, and the last 160 pages of the book were read in one sitting.
I really love the idea of this premise - someone who was supposed to be put into cryogenic stasis for a certain period of time -- usually for a long trip in space -- either wakes up far too early or far too late, then has to figure out what happened and what is going on in the society around them. Unfortunately, I don't actually tend to enjoy the execution of these kinds of stories. I have to say this one definitely tops the list.
I loved the twists and turns as Andra tries to navigate her way through the strangeness of a futuristic society and all of the political machinations surrounding her. There are several reveals that I was not expecting at all, which I always appreciate in a story like this. There were some things I'd predicted that were not accurate. I love when a story surprises me.
There is one element to this story that I didn't really care for, and that is the way the author tried to create a language that was evolved from the English that exists today. I don't hate the idea of it. After all, language is ever-changing. If someone from a thousand years ago suddenly turned up in 2021, there is almost zero chance they would understand anything we were trying to say, and vice versa.
However, I did find the execution lacking. Certain things made sense. But there were inconsistencies with the way words were changed, and it made Zhade's chapters difficult, especially in the beginning of the book. I did get used to it a little more as we went on, but I still kept finding myself noticing things here and there that didn't quite feel organic.
As far as the plot goes, I was engaged throughout. I wanted to find out what was going on and where the story was going to take us. And the ending definitely threw me for a loop. I'm really excited to read the follow up and see what happens next.
I really love the idea of this premise - someone who was supposed to be put into cryogenic stasis for a certain period of time -- usually for a long trip in space -- either wakes up far too early or far too late, then has to figure out what happened and what is going on in the society around them. Unfortunately, I don't actually tend to enjoy the execution of these kinds of stories. I have to say this one definitely tops the list.
I loved the twists and turns as Andra tries to navigate her way through the strangeness of a futuristic society and all of the political machinations surrounding her. There are several reveals that I was not expecting at all, which I always appreciate in a story like this. There were some things I'd predicted that were not accurate. I love when a story surprises me.
There is one element to this story that I didn't really care for, and that is the way the author tried to create a language that was evolved from the English that exists today. I don't hate the idea of it. After all, language is ever-changing. If someone from a thousand years ago suddenly turned up in 2021, there is almost zero chance they would understand anything we were trying to say, and vice versa.
However, I did find the execution lacking. Certain things made sense. But there were inconsistencies with the way words were changed, and it made Zhade's chapters difficult, especially in the beginning of the book. I did get used to it a little more as we went on, but I still kept finding myself noticing things here and there that didn't quite feel organic.
As far as the plot goes, I was engaged throughout. I wanted to find out what was going on and where the story was going to take us. And the ending definitely threw me for a loop. I'm really excited to read the follow up and see what happens next.