⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was fucking meh
I was excited to discover this LGBTQ+-friendly and mostly female-led story set in space. The blurb grabbed my attention, so I requested a copy of Persephone Station from NetGalley and jumped in.
The usual establishment of characters, their personalities, and quirks turned into a stumble through Mississippi mud as I trudged through Act I, and the slow start had me putting the book down for weeks at a time. It felt very uneven, and the characters all seemed to bleed together. Without dialogue tags, I couldn’t distinguish one speaker from the next; they seemed interchangeable. I never connected with any of them, and I didn’t care enough about them to be affected by their trials and tribulations. Even their banter fell short, despite the author’s many attempts at quick, edgy dialogue. My favorite character was Kurosawa, the ship. It had more personality than most of the people, if that tells you anything.
The pacing was a huge issue for me as well. There were so many missed opportunities when conflicts exploded but were quickly resolved with little or no effort—sometimes by forces that weren’t even the main characters. The lack of character agency in some parts was a real stumbling block as conflicts were launched off the table like crumbs with a quick swipe of a hand. Long setting descriptions and inexplicably detailed rambles about things like coffee also slowed things down for me in several spots. I love coffee as much as the next person, but give me a fucking break with the descriptions. Fuck's sake, I know what it tastes and smells like. Move on! I also don't give a dry fuck on a sandy beach about what people are wearing, eating, drinking, or looking at. The author could've cut this story in half if she'd minimized some of this indulgently descriptive bullshit.
The story itself was convoluted and didn’t hold my attention. I can abide a simple/minimal story if the characters have amazing voices that keep me entertained for the duration. Alas, that wasn’t the case here, and the lack of strong, compelling voices really hampered my enjoyment.
I encountered many technical/grammatical issues as well: Excessive instances of passive voice; repeated words and phrases; awkward and wordy sentences that could easily be tightened or reworked into simpler, less confusing thoughts; and too much telling instead of showing. I realize the version I received wasn’t final, and many of these mistakes might have been fixed in final edits. I hope they were.
Somewhat off topic, but what the fuck is up with that cover? I don't have a problem with the art itself, but it doesn't suggest sci-fi space opera when I look at it. I get the computer motherboard imagery on the person's face, but it has exactly nothing to do with the book itself. Why not show the aliens or the ship instead? Hell, even some hot bitches with laser guns and raucous space uniforms would be better than this. Massive fail on the cover.
It may seem like I hated the book. It was okay overall, but not something I would reread or recommend to friends. The epilogue was the best part. It’s the only bit of the entire story where I actually felt for any of the characters.
Good concept, mediocre execution. I hoped for more from a book description hailing strong heroines, but the story came up short for me.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from NetGalley.
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