Can't remember the last time I felt so viscerally ill and distressed. Fantastic, 4.5 Stars.Can't remember the last time I felt so viscerally ill and distressed. Fantastic, 4.5 Stars....more
"This isn't new," Juno murmurs, and I nod. "This is what it's always been like under Bridger, and even before. The fascists were just waiting
"This isn't new," Juno murmurs, and I nod. "This is what it's always been like under Bridger, and even before. The fascists were just waiting for a time when they had enough backing they could say the quiet part out loud.
The Good: — Castor and Juno. Together they are the beating heart and shining soul of Junker Seven. Junker Seven is strongest when they're together. All of their scenes together are just so GOOD, from the quiet moments when they open up to each other to the nerve-wracking moments when potential danger lurks nearby. — Defiant and optimistic spirit. It's in all the quiet rebellions, like placing Juno's sticker over graffitied slurs, and in finding community and support. — Castor's character development. Castor's initial position as someone who only wants to keep their head down changes considerably over the course of the story, and Kelley does an excellent job executing this change in graceful stages. — Great rep. Castor is a nonbinary lesbian, autistic, and uses prosthetics, and their love interest, Juno, is a trans lesbian. — Very readable. Kelley's prose is well-structured, natural, and readable. — Small heroic actions. The depiction of how small everyday actions save lives under fascist regimes. The port master didn't need to lead a rebellion or use a weapon to make a difference: she just asked the police to look at something so Castor and Juno could slip to their ship.
The Bad: — Gaps and lack of clarity in setting/background information. Junker Seven's setting mirrors the real life loss of rights for trans individuals, increase in anti-queer sentiment and overall rise in fascism over the last handful of years. However, J7 is set 250+ years in the future. Have we stalled in this political position for two centuries? Has it gone back and forth? Have we experienced progressive periods and periods of loss? A tiny bit more clarity would go a long way. — Story structure is a bit wonky. Junker Seven's most exciting situation happens from the 45%-55% mark, and it leaves the plot in a vague state of "Now what?" until near the end. Although the time Castor and Juno spend together is enjoyable to read, there's a distinct lack of forward momentum. — Some repetitive information. Example: The "generic round face description" for Castor in the first few chapters comes to mind.
YMMV: — Avoidable trouble. Some of the trouble Castor and Juno run into is avoidable. Like, Juno is on the run. But she still leaves the ship when they refuel. And she doesn't dye her very noticeable hair until it's already caused problems. — Some typos. Nothing wild. Under YMMV because I assume most will be corrected by publication. But I know some folks hate ANY typos. — What does the seven stand for??????
(Final thoughts: I enjoyed Junker Seven quite a bit! It's full of heart and Kelley is skilled–Junker Seven is an incredible debut. I'm looking forward to the second book in the duology. Thank you to Olive J. Kelley for the opportunity to review an advance copy!)
Final Rating Story: C+ Prose: B Characters: A World: B- Theme(s): B- Enjoyment: B
"This isn't new," Juno murmurs, and I nod. "This is what it's always been like under Bridger, and even before. The fascists were just waiting for a time when they had enough backing they could say the quiet part out loud.
The Good: — Castor and Juno. Together they are the beating heart and shining soul of Junker Seven. Junker Seven is strongest when they're together. All of their scenes together are just so GOOD, from the quiet moments when they open up to each other to the nerve-wracking moments when potential danger lurks nearby. — Defiant and optimistic spirit. It's in all the quiet rebellions, like placing Juno's sticker over graffitied slurs, and in finding community and support. — Castor's character development. Castor's initial position as someone who only wants to keep their head down changes considerably over the course of the story, and Kelley does an excellent job executing this change in graceful stages. — Great rep. Castor is a nonbinary lesbian, autistic, and uses prosthetics, and their love interest, Juno, is a trans lesbian. — Very readable. Kelley's prose is well-structured, natural, and readable. — Small heroic actions. The depiction of how small everyday actions save lives under fascist regimes. The port master didn't need to lead a rebellion or use a weapon to make a difference: she just asked the police to look at something so Castor and Juno could slip to their ship.
The Bad: — Gaps and lack of clarity in setting/background information. Junker Seven's setting mirrors the real life loss of rights for trans individuals, increase in anti-queer sentiment and overall rise in fascism over the last handful of years. However, J7 is set 250+ years in the future. Have we stalled in this political position for two centuries? Has it gone back and forth? Have we experienced progressive periods and periods of loss? A tiny bit more clarity would go a long way. — Story structure is a bit wonky. Junker Seven's most exciting situation happens from the 45%-55% mark, and it leaves the plot in a vague state of "Now what?" until near the end. Although the time Castor and Juno spend together is enjoyable to read, there's a distinct lack of forward momentum. — Some repetitive information. Example: The "generic round face description" for Castor in the first few chapters comes to mind.
YMMV: — Avoidable trouble. Some of the trouble Castor and Juno run into is avoidable. Like, Juno is on the run. But she still leaves the ship when they refuel. And she doesn't dye her very noticeable hair until it's already caused problems. — Some typos. Nothing wild. Under YMMV because I assume most will be corrected by publication. But I know some folks hate ANY typos. — What does the seven stand for??????
(Final thoughts: I enjoyed Junker Seven quite a bit! It's full of heart and Kelley is skilled–Junker Seven is an incredible debut. I'm looking forward to the second book in the duology. Thank you to Olive J. Kelley for the opportunity to review an advance copy!)
Final Rating Story: C+ Prose: B Characters: A World: B- Theme(s): B- Enjoyment: B
Kate (Feathered Turtle Press Reviews)
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