Closer to 2.5 stars, but rounded up.

Honestly, this was just a compilation of tropes, and it would work better as a middle grade rather than YA novel (with Dess and Hope in middle school rather than high school): the morality was simplified, the outcomes predictable, the characters archetypical. Seriously though, Dess is your typical hardened delinquent-ish foster kid who only cares about her birth family; Hope is more relatable, but still a pretty typical tryhard good girl; their conflict boils down pretty easily to superificial petty dislike based on projections of their own resentments and insecurities (though Hope gets points for trying to be nice). I’m not sure why Dess’s chapters were told in first person and Hope’s in third; it seems to imply that Dess is the “real” main character, but that’s not what alternating-POV usually conveys.

It’s pretty much the definition of a feel-good novel, about different types of family, tasteful diversity (with mild incidents of racism to highlight the wholesome status quo, though it’s directly addressed at most once). So I guess it’s heartwarming, but not in the way that leaves an impression.

I feel like I should note that the 3-star rating is my "enjoyment" (for lack of a better term); if I was rating on the merits of the book itself, it would be at least 4 stars.

FRTC

Possibly the most practical, actually helpful textbook I've read this year. Lots of useful templates for documents, emails, and even worksheets to optimize the in-class-groupwork experience, as well as multiple methods to have constructive discussions (even when members disagree).

A quick read; though the nature of social media inherently means that this guide's statistics will soon become outdated, there are also some less-timebound recommendations for social media strategy.

RTC

1.5 stars

I kept meaning to DNF "at the end of this section," then before I knew it I was at the end having my initial guess about the Big Twist (aka the identity of the mysterious emailer) validated. With the novel's brevity and tight focus, it felt like it was chosen for shock value rather than social commentary or character analysis, which I find annoying because it seemed super cliched (and/or super obvious). On top of that, Hongmei wasn't a particularly compelling or sympathetic protagonist; her internal monologue and behavior were quite repetitive and seemed illogical. ("That's a super creepy thing to say. ... oh well, I'm just going to ignore it in my reply"; "I see his trap and I'm not going to fall for it! ... Why hasn't he emailed me back after I told him to leave me alone?")

To be fair, I could believe that the substance of this story was lost in translation: the nuance of the prose, the culture and beliefs. But at the end of the day I can only review what I read, which was really not at all impressive.

The actual prose itself wasn't the best I've read, but it was effective enough. The plot was fairly predictable too; luckily the vivid characters and certain situations really came to life.

content warnings:

Spoiler

major & minor character death(s), precanon character deaths, grief, trauma, graphic violence, nonconsensual body modification, parasitism, body horror, mind/memory manipulation, mention of predatory relationship (large age gap, implied intended date rape)

rep:

Spoiler

major characters with PTSD [Murderbot, Mensah], WLW major characters [Arada, Overse], bi/pan major character [Ratthi], established F/F relationship, established polyam F/F/M relationship, diverse minor characters incl. POC-coded and nonbinary

"This would have all been a lot easier if I wasn't so worried about the stupid humans."

Let's be real, this line pretty much sums up the series. One of the major selling points has always been Murderbot's snarky reluctance to admit it cares, and that comes through as strong as ever in this installment — as well as some truly excellent banter/shit-talking with

Spoiler

the inimitable ART and with Murderbot 2.0, RIP

, moments of delightfully, relatably uncomfortable emotions, and continued contemplations of the Big Questions of personhood and identity.

Network Effect is, in short, fairly consistent with yet better than the preceding novellas. The pacing and worldbuilding are at the same level, but there's more character development and deeper relationship development since we get to spend more time with this subset of the cast (new and recurring members alike).

Somehow Wells has come up with a fresh adventure that demonstrates just how much space [pun intended] is left to explore with these characters and 'verse. I for one am absolutely delighted to stick around as this wild ride continues.

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CONVERSION: 12 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5