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bennysbooks's Reviews (668)
Stunning. I cried full-body cries multiple times. I laughed aloud. I really don't know what to say other than that this was a devastating read and a healing read, all at once. So brutally, beautifully human.
Fantastic. The worldbuilding, pacing, and character development were so successful for such a short novella. My only gripe is that I wish the conversation between the Meduse and the people of Oozma Uni had been more drawn-out or tense, but other than that I loved this story.
Side note: I went into this with basically no idea what it was about - just that it was science fiction - and I think that was a boon.
Side note: I went into this with basically no idea what it was about - just that it was science fiction - and I think that was a boon.
I think I could enjoy this one day, but I've been feeling stressed and slumpy for weeks now so this slow-paced, grimdark book that's flipping between three different perspectives (and therefore losing momentum every chapter) isn't working for me.
So. Much. Fun.
Crichton does plot and atmosphere super well. It was tense and creepy and gory in all the right places. The 'science' was entertaining too, and the paragraphs of explanations, or conversations about Malcolm's philosophical musings, were never boring.
However, the characterizations were extremely flat, (is there a dumber villain than Hammond?) and occasionally inconsistent. (Genarro going from useless to courageous, and back again) And the dialogue? Hilarious. It typically followed one of two patterns:
1. A character says something dumb or asks a question, allowing another character to soapbox for a while.
Crichton does plot and atmosphere super well. It was tense and creepy and gory in all the right places. The 'science' was entertaining too, and the paragraphs of explanations, or conversations about Malcolm's philosophical musings, were never boring.
However, the characterizations were extremely flat,
1. A character says something dumb or asks a question, allowing another character to soapbox for a while.
2. Inane, doofy, contradictory, or bizarrely unrealistic quips between characters. Ex. Grant, upon hearing the explanation as to how they cloned the dinosaurs, saying: "I'll be damned - that just might work." ...despite the fact that he has already seen dinosaurs? So obviously it worked. OR this hilarious exchange:
"Timmy," Lex said. "You don't know what to do."
"Yes I do."
"If you know, then do it," Lex said.
And yet, I loved all of that too. You know when something is so bad that you love it? My go-to example is Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (my favourite christmas movie), or maybe Spice World. That's how I felt about this book. Even the bits I would have hated in any other book were done so poorly that - when paired with all of the amazing bits - the overall effect was charming. Like the pacing? Sometimes things that seemed really big would happen so quickly or with such little fanfare that it was disorienting.
They have already made it pretty obvious they like each other, which means the book is going to be all about how they get together, and that is just not my thing. I need drawn out ~yearning~
Also wasn't into the idea of waiting for the secret to come out and cause a breakup . It was so obviously going to be the source of tension here, and it filled me with dread. 🙃
Also wasn't into the idea of waiting for the