Beautiful! Will say with me for a long time.
Interesting to learn more about the Ooloi experience.
The question of consent, whether it can be given in the circumstances given, and whether consent is important anyway if the outcome is better for all felt like the key theme of the book to me.
Enjoyable read, interesting how one’s (my?) perception of whether the human race as it is is worth saving or not shifts over time.
Some aspects such as the four parents plus Ooloi thing to create an offspring or the bonding between siblings felt a bit superfluous and tedious at points. Not as good as the first one.
Read because of Maree Brown‘s unrelenting recommendation and first foray into Afro-futurism!
Very captivating, read it within two days. An alien species that is benevolent (sort of? Who gets to decide that?) and a seemingly insurmountable conundrum for the protagonist: creating unity and collaboration within humanity, without hierarchy.
That was looooong. I liked many bits about it including Emma‘s character arc and Austen‘s writing of course but it felt way too long for no good reason.
Apparently it’s the season of books about a female narrator damned to fend alone for the rest of their lives. Very cool to read after “I who have never known men”, comparing and contrasting how two women, 30 years apart approached a similar concept.
Love the interiority, the honesty and the beautiful use of language.