I figured this might be an interesting if dry history of the eclipse chasers. Instead its full of intrigue, politics (scarily similar to modern day nonsense) and excitement.
All to play for there is reputation, scientific advancement and women's rights are all on the table as they race across the country to be part of the great American Eclipse (like they owned it).
All this and Thomas Edison too.
Gripping and un-put-down-able as the first time you picked up Harry Potter or the Hunger Games.
The pace, the tension and the curiosity never let up and though it ends on a cliff-hanger I don't feel cheated or manipulated, I just want the next book now.
Bought it Tuesday, finished Friday - would have been sooner if I wasn't juggling a few other things.
I can see why it's an award winner and talked about so reverently.
I even love that I don't want to punch the protagonist, a common trait with me and YA novels.
Brilliant. Can't wait for the next two.
Well planned out and wholly constructed world. Love that they give center stage to queer youth and bring home that sense of connection for readers.
HOWEVER - just like Harry Potter book 5, it would be a lot better if teenagers were bloody annoying, as teenagers often are.
It's fantasy after all, can't the authour imagine them to be less obnoxious?
An excellent history book for the entire history of Humanity (Sapiensness?). As a single discussion though it varies and roams wildly, as a complete history of our species should do. Does make it hard to draw specific points or reach conclusions per se.
Most of the criticism is for things that are minor in the scale of the work itself, biology over choice, religion and governments as fictions. All of these are in fact true, like it or not.
To condemn this book because you don't like one section is like throwing away a phone book because there are too many Smiths in it.
On the while, as an exercise in math, it is 99% more agreeable than not.
A fascinating book, much like the cover claims. The first 2/3 of it flow pretty well and you learn about the Cephalopods (Octopi, Squid, Cuttlefish) and not only their evolution but the myriad ways they have complex and intelligent systems.
The back 1/3 delves into conscious thought, philosophical questions and the intersection of an "other" that is as alien to humans as you could think, but there may be more to them than the "apples and oranges" we generally think about.
The fact that you now have to use anesthetics when operating on them, and they seem capable of personality and almost rational thought, as well as time keeping and learning?
Don't know what think, even though the book is amazing and interesting.
I'll never eat squid or octopus again though.
Good read for all ages, and the witticisms and cartoon illustrations make it less dry than you'd expect.
I wanted to like this, it certainly started well. Soon enough though it descended into actual and figurative madness.
Where horror films are torture porn, this is despair porn w/added torture and gore for bad measure.
I was so tired and irritated that it would never end. And the not at all subtle religiosity of EVERYTHING just got annoying.
It's like experiencing someone else having a mental collapse.
