Disclaimer: I do not read sci-fi very often. I'll watch sci-fi movies and shows but I usually don't read from that genre.
My overall thoughts about this book:
it was entertaining and I found the characters to be really sweet and endearing. The book was also pretty hopeful despite the end of the world situation. That surprised me since sci-fi can be quite bleak and serious…and with characters that are always brooding about. I don't think this is a book we should take too seriously. I'm not going to go on about whats realistic or not. The writer's job in these sorts of genres is to write in a way where the reader is able to suspend their disbelief, and I can say this book did that for me..for the most part anyway.
1) I loved that the antagonist wasn't a living being, but really a science problem that needed a good ol' solving. I'm glad Rocky was a friend and not some evil alien trying to eat Ryland Grace and impregnate him with alien babies. I really didn't want the weird alien trope.
2) I love a good buddy-buddy dynamic where they bicker. Grace and Rocky's dynamic is…adorable. And Rocky sacrificing himself and by extension, his planet, was touching. And Grace sacrifices returning to Earth to save Rocky! True friendship. I think Grace ended up exactly where he needed to be in a way. He didn't seem that attached to any particular person on Earth to begin with.
3) Both Rocky and Grace have different skills but their skill level itself is about the same. I enjoyed that that one alien race isn't seen as "superior" over the other. And the bit about their races being the same intelligence level was a nice little "sci-fi logic". Alien races that have progressed far more than them wouldn't be in situation…and aliens races that are "behind" wouldn't even know what was coming to them until it was too late.
4) I'm so curious to know how Grace's English and syntax translated to Eridian in Rocky's mind.
5) I'm assuming Eridians do not have google and yelp reviews for food. LOL. I remember there was some old kids movie. The family and an alien were all sitting at the dinner table and the alien places his food under his butt. Cannot remember this movie's name though. Anyway, the Eridian way of eating brought back this vague memory.
6) The egg laying thing for procreating seems so much easier and physically safer than the extreme pain Earthly mammals go through.
7) Stratt endeared herself to me. I know she's technically not "endearing" but sometimes…you just need someone who will get stuff done. I liked it! Althoughthe comment about the US army had me rolling my eyes. It was giving me Marvel script. And that is not a compliment.
8) Don't take this the wrong way, but Grace's tone and personality reminded me of really good fan-fiction. Also, he's chill and smart and a little bit childish even. He just enjoys science and isn't conceited about it.
Well, thats all I can remember for now! It was an entertaining book. I did kind of get a tad bit exhausted with the Tauameoba acting up agaaaaaain but at least, it ended with Rocky and Grace getting back together as the dynamic duo!
by TokkiJK