In Our Stars

I get so tired of the repetitive sections - she says oh I’m awful and he says oh no no I love you and she says oh I’m awful and he says oh no no… and that will go on for pages and pages and pages. The whole book is very slow. Every scene is dragged out. I kept wondering if this is supposed to be a YA for a very very young group.Also the woman’s voice on the audiobook (Andrea Emmes) is hard on the ears - every time the voice changes from him to her, I cringe.Jack Campbell: I devoured the Lost Fleet books - I own every single one as kindle and audible from all the groups. Total of 28 books. I’ve read/listened to all of them twice. Love those books. I cannot believe this is the same author.

Because it was a dirty rotten trick to end in the middle of the story. I’m totally on board with the message even though I have to wonder WHY are so many humans so locked into hate and self gratification rather than tolerance and sharing.

This is the first book by this author that I’ve read. After I bought the book, I had an opportunity to meet the author at a scifi convention and had him sign the book. I see he’s written many other novels and is quite accomplished. I wish I could give a more positive review of this novel.When a shock wave hits a ship in space on page 2, that catapulted me from the book. A shock wave in space?Other weaknesses (at least from my perspective) include aliens who look like humans (improbable), dialogue where only two people speak and keep using each other’s name (not realistic), two unlikely coincidences, a rather weak male lead character, a disappointing ending, and the use of phrases like “exact same” (which means “same”).However, the book excels in other ways. The female lead character, Genji, is wonderful and very appealing. Setting aside the aliens’ resemblance to humans, they have a marvelous philosophy and some language idioms consistent with that philosophy.The novel contains several “Easter Egg” references, and I’m sure I missed some. The sentence, “Mars isn’t the kind of place to raise your kids” will resonate with Elton John fans. The character name Tecumseh has a Naval Academy connection, and the character name Arronax is a literary reference.Overall, it’s an adventurous romp through the inner solar system with a vital mission, a well-drawn female character, and very threatening and powerful antagonist forces. The author has set it up well for continued novels in this series.

Mister Campbell takes the reader on another action-packed adventure into the heavens and beyond. The storyline takes on the feeling of a RomCom wrapped in a TechnoWorld dash that only his forward-looking intellect could unmask. The setting allows the characters to develop their relationship against a Stockholm Syndrome backdrop, and as such adds a sense of realism not often found in cookie cutter plotlines. His interweaving of Old Earth tribal prejudice with cross species first contact events is masterful. In tackling the time travel paradox, Mister Campbell’s artful presentation is interlaced with a solid grounding not often found in the SciFi genre. A must read for those willing to explore both what lies beyond, as well as the refection in the mirror. One cautionary note, this is the first book in a series; the reader should anticipate the pacing and structure to reflect the same.

Campbell has cleverly crafted a story set in the future which parallels our current society. “When corruption gets bad enough, people start being willing to give extra powers to someone claiming to fight it and are willing to look the other way as long as the ‘right’ people get hammered. Which leads to a different form of corruption”. The book deals with greed - both individual and corporate, what happens when the concepts of diversity, equality and inclusion are no longer part of our culture and fear of anything different. It is a very appropriate book for our time period.4.5 Stars