Jordan Spiece

Hard science in a good story.

Reviewed: 07-25-24

Andy Weir should be banned from writing dialogue. I've loved every story he's written, and he's an absolute genius when it comes to melding hard science with a riveting narrative, but I cannot stand his characters. Every time someone speaks, it reminds me of the socially awkward kid in high school who thought all his jokes were hilarious. You know the one. Every character has the same grating personality.

Will Wheaton's narration doesn't help the situation, but the thing is, he NAILS the personality of the characters he plays, and for that I applaud him. It's not his fault that he's a good actor.

Other than that, the story is great. There was not a moment that dragged or felt unnecessary. I just wish Weir could break out of his cringe inducing writing style.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Good writing, decent story.

Reviewed: 07-21-24

The story was well written and had some decent twists. A bit cliche with some of the scares (birds smashing into houses, the quintessential outcast woman everyone sees as a witch, scary kid) but those weren't enough to ruin the story. Some of the plot lines didn't really go anywhere, but again, those weren't enough to make this a bad story.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

Refreshing approach.

Reviewed: 07-21-24

It's been a very long time since I've read a book that genuinely scared me. Maybe it's the adult imagination (or lack thereof) that dampens the impact of a scare, but reading/listening to a book told through the eyes of a child was extremely effective. My only gripe was how annoying the mother character was, but I suppose that was the point. Great book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Very unique story paced well.

Reviewed: 05-06-24

I was really getting into the story, but it was difficult to sit through the some of the egregiously dramatic dialogues. At points, I found myself audibly groaning at how cringe-worthy some of the conversations played out. Some back and forths went on crazy tangential soliloquies, and I could tell this was written by millennials (I was born in 1987. It was painful). With that being said, the story was pretty awesome. I don't know if it was the overdramatic portrayals, but it seemed everyone in this story had emotional problems or were in grade school with the way they spoke.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Predictably Clarke

Reviewed: 10-31-23

I love Arthur C. Clarke. His penchant for the inclusion of hard science in everything he does belies his ability to weave a good story. Yeah his characters are universally one dimensional, and his prose takes the forefront to anything heart pounding, but I love what he creates and the mystery he presents. This one just didn't do it for me. 21 chapters in and nothing has happened.

I think Clarke used 3001 as a catalyst for explaining his idyllic utopia, and it's a thinly veiled critique of everything he seems to despise which is par for the course when it comes to Clarke. He tends to go on random conversational tangents in order to express and argue his opinion on various topics not wholly pertinent to the story. Of course there's the typical "we disproved every religion" dismissals familiar to a lot of his tales along with the inclusion of a vitriolic hammering of 20th and 21st century culture and way of life. It's rather obvious how he felt about humans and their idiosyncrasies, but he goes all out in this story to the point where it seems he's having schizophrenic internal dialogues regarding this.

With that being said, an author is entitled to create what they want to create. It's their baby and we readers can criticize to our hearts content, but at the end of the day, we can't force a writer to write to our comforts. I respect Clarke for sticking to his guns and being successful.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

I'm obviously too picky.

Reviewed: 10-23-23

*COULD BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS*


This started out as a really good read, and let me preface this by saying that I think the author spins a good tale and is an all around good writer. There was mystery, solid science, and impending doom. Then came the anthropomorphic aliens, and I'm not talking about the AI invaders. This absolutely will be a "splitting hairs" review, but that's technically the point of a review. It's personal opinion.


The aliens seemed far too familiar to be considered out of this world. Similar political landscapes, similar human emotion, similar cultural intricacies. They were basically humans with backwards facing knees. Nothing in that vein seemed fresh or intriguing. And while the science started out pretty solid, it veered into fantasy and lost me. 


The characters themselves also started out well, but then devolved into a bunch of adults with high school tendencies. Juvenile conversational exchanges, over dramatic emotional responses to rather mundane situations (I swear everyone hugged more often than a Care Bear), unrealistic approaches to diplomatic affairs just to seem "badass". Way too many out of character idiosyncrasies to count.


But with all that said, I think the author has something really good here and it's obviously captured the imaginations of a lot of people. I'm an anomaly in this instance, but at the end of the day, I just couldn't get through the glaring quirks. I honestly hope Stephen Moss continues to find success

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Started out really well

Reviewed: 08-12-22

The beginning half of the story was great. Loved the setup, the mystery, and parallels to another spaceship horror story I love. However, the reveal was so anticlimactic and lackluster. Liken it to a horror movie where you find out none of the ghosts were real and the main character was just crazy the whole time. Felt cheap.

I didn't mind the characters, but the main character made me want to open an airlock and fall into the void of space. The narrator didn't make the character's constant whining and lack of composure any more palatable. It literally sounded like she was on the verge of tears for the entirety of the latter half of the book. I had a hard time finishing, but the first part of the book was engaging. The author's writing is very well polished, but the story couldn't carry the weight.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

I'm an anomaly

Reviewed: 08-05-22

Loved the story. The narration was great, but coupled with the fourteen year old girl dialogue, it was hard at points. I'm not sure if it was because he was a grade school teacher, but Grace reminded me of a teenager talking with their friends. A lot of the characters employed the same execution of humour everyone else did: "No that's not what I mean... okay that's exactly what I mean" kind of stuff. But these things are very minor grievances and don't ruin the story as a whole.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!