Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s Reviews > The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

It’s awesome space opera!

Man, maybe I should just cough up the two bucks for it. If I read the library copy and love it, I’ll be sad I missed the Kindle sale. 😞

I love this book so much! I'd recommend shelling the $2 ;-)

You should give the audiobook a try - it has ambiance music and sound effects throughout (which are not cringy here) and a wonderful narrator.

Eva wrote: "You should give the audiobook a try - it has ambiance music and sound effects throughout (which are not cringy here) and a wonderful narrator."

Thanks for the recommendation!

I loved this book, but agree that the plot is not really the compelling part - I'd recommend giving the 2nd book a shot. It's much tighter, plot-wise, and comes together really nicely.

This one I loved, but the relative absence of plot became an issue for me in the second book and especially in the third.

Oooh - conflicting opinions on book 2! All things considered, I think I'll give it a pass, but thanks!

Oh, that’s too bad! I got this as a Christmas gift from a friend who loved it. After two DNFs you definitely deserve a five star read.

JW wrote: "Oh, that’s too bad! I got this as a Christmas gift from a friend who loved it. After two DNFs you definitely deserve a five star read."

I think most people do enjoy this book, so give it a shot. I read a lot of SF so my expectations for a good SF read are probably set higher than most people’s. 😁

I'm with you on this one.
It was adorable and sweet and cute and that's just not what I find appealing in my adult sci-fi.

Erica wrote: "I'm with you on this one.
It was adorable and sweet and cute and that's just not what I find appealing in my adult sci-fi."

Yes! I loved this from your review: "I also felt it was heavy handed on the Important Social Messages, like 90's sitcom heavy. Oof." It was just clunky, like HERE'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR YOU, FAITHFUL READER.

It got pretty tiresome, didn't it?
And I haven't followed up with the next book so I probably lied in my review.

Erica wrote: "It got pretty tiresome, didn't it?
And I haven't followed up with the next book so I probably lied in my review."

Like all the times I've lied about "Full review to come."

I totally agree with you, it’s like you were reading my mind. I too DNF this one. Just seemed inelegant and lacked any sense of gravitas.

John wrote: "I totally agree with you, it’s like you were reading my mind. I too DNF this one. Just seemed inelegant and lacked any sense of gravitas."

Yes, pretty bland. SF doesn’t have to be all serious for me to enjoy it, but this one just never clicked for me.

Finally someone else who doesn't love this book. I thought I was the only one. I love the idea of this book and I usually have no problem with overly 'sweet' books and I like books with no high risk plots a lot of the time. I think this was her first book which usually makes me more forgiving of writing quality but I just don't get why people love this book/series so much. None of the characters felt real to me and if I remember right the multi POV (?) just underscored the blandness and sameness of everyone. No one felt real or distinct to me or of having any depth. The love between the short guy whose name i don't remember and the ship or computer or whatever was so unbelievable to me because no one felt real. Everyone just felt like cookie cut characters pasted on a page.

Obviously I am in the very small minority here and I'm sad about it because the idea of these books is right up my alley. I finished this one and have no interest in continuing the series at all. Chambers has a new novella out I think that I keep hearing about and the premise sounds interesting. I think I'll seek it out some time down the road. If I have the same feelings towards it as I did this book I think unfortunately she just won't be the author for me.

Hillary wrote: "Finally someone else who doesn't love this book. I thought I was the only one. I love the idea of this book and I usually have no problem with overly 'sweet' books and I like books with no high risk plots ..."

I'm right there with you! I will say that Becky Chambers' new novella was recently nominated for the Hugo award, and I'd read it if a copy came my way. But I've seen a lot of works get Nebula and Hugo nominations because they're very topical and current, not because they're actually fantastic literary works, so I'd take it with a grain of salt.

As someone who really liked this book, I don't think I can explain, except that I enjoyed hanging out with the crew? The 2nd book, I also really enjoyed, it explores what it means to be human and what it means to be other. I just recently read the 3rd book, and didn't care for it at all. I've not tried the new novella yet, so I can't speak for it.

Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ wrote: "I will say that Becky Chambers' new novella was recently nominated for the Hugo award, and I'd read it if a copy came my way.."

That's about what I am thinking as well. I don't think I've read much Hugo or Nebula nominations at all to be honest but I've looked at the lists before; it's funny how some titles from years ago are still so well known and well regarded and others I've never even heard of.

Dichotomy Girl wrote: "As someone who really liked this book, I don't think I can explain, except that I enjoyed hanging out with the crew? The 2nd book, I also really enjoyed, it explores what it means to be human and w..."

I believe her novella, To Be Taught, If Fortunate, is set in the same universe as this series. I think you should go read it and report back to us. :)

I think To Be Taught... is a standalone. It's set in the future, but other than that is more in the realistic vein. The characters are Earth astronauts who are part of a relatively normal Earth space program. There are alien animals they discover, but no alien "people."

You may have read only half of it, but your summary of its themes and who it will appeal to is spot on.

Cecily wrote: "You may have read only half of it, but your summary of its themes and who it will appeal to is spot on."

Thanks! :) I do like diversity and inclusion in literature; I just don’t like it to be the main focus of the story, or so important that it distracts from other elements of the plot.

Agreed. I couldn’t make myself finish it either.

Anna wrote: "Agreed. I couldn’t make myself finish it either."

Glad I’m not the only one!