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Old Man's War #4
Zoe's Tale
How do you tell your part in the biggest tale in history?
I ask because it's what I have to do. I'm Zoe Boutin Perry: A colonist stranded on a deadly pioneer world. Holy icon to a race of aliens. A player (and a pawn) in a interstellar chess match to save humanity, or to see it fall. Witness to history. Friend. Daughter. Human. Seventeen years old.
Everyone on Earth knows the tale I am part of. But you don't know my tale: How I did what I did — how I did what I had to do — not just to stay alive but to keep you alive, too. All of you. I'm going to tell it to you now, the only way I know how: not straight but true, the whole thing, to try make you feel what I felt: the joy and terror and uncertainty, panic and wonder, despair and hope. Everything that happened, bringing us to Earth, and Earth out of its captivity. All through my eyes.
It's a story you know. But you don't know it all.
word count = 90,000
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2008
1858 people are currently reading
13221 people want to read
About the author
John Scalzi
185 books28.6k followersJohn Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,530 reviews
August 27, 2016
John Scalzi: Young Adult Author?
YES! this enjoyable book was not just enjoyable for its story, but also for how it helped me realize that John Scalzi has been writing like a YA author since the beginning of his career. it just took an actual YA novel penned by him for me to realize that.
he has so much in common with the modern YA authors I've read:
- pleasant but generic writing style that has no interest in impressing its reader with challenging prose
- pleasant characters who are sympathetic but who also lack a certain depth and richness
- pleasingly critical of various oppressive, individuality-deadening structures and systems and institutions yet not particularly nuanced in that critique
- lack of in-depth details in his descriptions. Scalzi has never met an alien or even a setting that he's wanted to actually describe.
- focus on simple but resonant emotions with which the reader can quickly identify
all of those things have somewhat bothered me during readings of prior novels in this series. they bothered me, but not enough for me to actually dislike the books. just enough to give them 3 stars - much like I give most YA novels I've read (although I should point out that, for me, 3 stars actually means "I Liked It", unlike many other goodreads reviewers. *cough*).
that YA style is a perfect fit for Zoe's Tale, which is a story recounted by a teenage protagonist. it runs parallel to John Perry's story in the prior novel, except from his daughter's perspective. many readers have expressed frustration with what they see as a "pointless" story, one that's already been told. I'd like to take this book and smack those readers across the head with it (lightly). are they reading just for narrative thrills? do different perspectives not interest them? that's like reading by checking off boxes on a narrative checklist and I don't get that. plotline is just one thing in a book. as far as the 4 books in this series I've read so far, this one is my favorite.
Scalzi does a great job with Zoe and her voice. she feels real. she's special, sure, but I love how Scalzi doesn't make her amazingly unique and secretly powerful and super duper extra-special. she's a teenage girl like many teenage girls (and boys). she's excitable, often melodramatic, knows a lot more than people thinks she knows, puts up a tough front, spends a lot of time thinking about the boy she likes, and spends even more time thinking about the person she thinks she is and would like to be. insular and open; snarky and genuine. the strange, remote alien companions of The Last Colony are transformed into adorable sidekicks when seen through Zoe's eyes. and the romance that is barely glimpsed in the prior book takes center stage in this one, starting off as eye-rollingly predictable but ending up as genuinely moving.
this book answers many questions raised in The Last Colony but it still feels separate - and it's an equally worthy novel. the political intrigues are replaced by an emotional journey that ends in a simplistic but resonant triumph of the spirit for Zoe. a familiar but timeless lesson is learned and earned: in the end, Zoe realizes that she is her own person and doesn't belong in any box that has been built for her; she must forge her own path. that's so classic Young Adult.
YES! this enjoyable book was not just enjoyable for its story, but also for how it helped me realize that John Scalzi has been writing like a YA author since the beginning of his career. it just took an actual YA novel penned by him for me to realize that.
he has so much in common with the modern YA authors I've read:
- pleasant but generic writing style that has no interest in impressing its reader with challenging prose
- pleasant characters who are sympathetic but who also lack a certain depth and richness
- pleasingly critical of various oppressive, individuality-deadening structures and systems and institutions yet not particularly nuanced in that critique
- lack of in-depth details in his descriptions. Scalzi has never met an alien or even a setting that he's wanted to actually describe.
- focus on simple but resonant emotions with which the reader can quickly identify
all of those things have somewhat bothered me during readings of prior novels in this series. they bothered me, but not enough for me to actually dislike the books. just enough to give them 3 stars - much like I give most YA novels I've read (although I should point out that, for me, 3 stars actually means "I Liked It", unlike many other goodreads reviewers. *cough*).
that YA style is a perfect fit for Zoe's Tale, which is a story recounted by a teenage protagonist. it runs parallel to John Perry's story in the prior novel, except from his daughter's perspective. many readers have expressed frustration with what they see as a "pointless" story, one that's already been told. I'd like to take this book and smack those readers across the head with it (lightly). are they reading just for narrative thrills? do different perspectives not interest them? that's like reading by checking off boxes on a narrative checklist and I don't get that. plotline is just one thing in a book. as far as the 4 books in this series I've read so far, this one is my favorite.
Scalzi does a great job with Zoe and her voice. she feels real. she's special, sure, but I love how Scalzi doesn't make her amazingly unique and secretly powerful and super duper extra-special. she's a teenage girl like many teenage girls (and boys). she's excitable, often melodramatic, knows a lot more than people thinks she knows, puts up a tough front, spends a lot of time thinking about the boy she likes, and spends even more time thinking about the person she thinks she is and would like to be. insular and open; snarky and genuine. the strange, remote alien companions of The Last Colony are transformed into adorable sidekicks when seen through Zoe's eyes. and the romance that is barely glimpsed in the prior book takes center stage in this one, starting off as eye-rollingly predictable but ending up as genuinely moving.
this book answers many questions raised in The Last Colony but it still feels separate - and it's an equally worthy novel. the political intrigues are replaced by an emotional journey that ends in a simplistic but resonant triumph of the spirit for Zoe. a familiar but timeless lesson is learned and earned: in the end, Zoe realizes that she is her own person and doesn't belong in any box that has been built for her; she must forge her own path. that's so classic Young Adult.
July 15, 2018
What is worse than writing a bad book?
Writing it twice under two different titles.
The fourth book in the Old Man’s War series is completely unnecessary. Zoe, an adopted daughter of John and Jane, essentially retells the same story we have already read in “The Last Colony.”
Does it make sense?
None whatsoever. I grant you that some elements, seen from Zoe’e perspective, gain new details, while in the previous books they were either just mentioned or ignored altogether. The question is whether it was truly necessary to present them in a separate novel. In my opinion it would suffice to slightly modify the narratives and extend “The Last Colony” by a few dozen pages; it’s not like it was too long to do that.
I am sad to say that from volume to volume the series clearly loses its attractiveness and quality. After a brilliant opening to mediocre follow-up to suboptimal quasi-finale of which “Zoe's Tale” is weak regurgitation. This is my general reflection regarding the whole series: it evolves from a smart satire of the genre to a pompous sermon. From old man’s war to young girl’s utopia.
If you have read “The Last Colony” and wasn’t that much impressed with it, you can safely let this one fly by you. If you enjoy the world and want to have more fun with the protagonists, go for it, but do not expect incredible developments.
I will continue to the Human Division but honestly just for the sake of finishing the series.
---
Also in the series:
1. Old Man's War ★★★★★
2. The Ghost Brigades ★★★★☆
3. The Last Colony ★★☆☆☆
5. The Human Division ★★☆☆☆
Writing it twice under two different titles.
The fourth book in the Old Man’s War series is completely unnecessary. Zoe, an adopted daughter of John and Jane, essentially retells the same story we have already read in “The Last Colony.”
Does it make sense?
None whatsoever. I grant you that some elements, seen from Zoe’e perspective, gain new details, while in the previous books they were either just mentioned or ignored altogether. The question is whether it was truly necessary to present them in a separate novel. In my opinion it would suffice to slightly modify the narratives and extend “The Last Colony” by a few dozen pages; it’s not like it was too long to do that.
I am sad to say that from volume to volume the series clearly loses its attractiveness and quality. After a brilliant opening to mediocre follow-up to suboptimal quasi-finale of which “Zoe's Tale” is weak regurgitation. This is my general reflection regarding the whole series: it evolves from a smart satire of the genre to a pompous sermon. From old man’s war to young girl’s utopia.
If you have read “The Last Colony” and wasn’t that much impressed with it, you can safely let this one fly by you. If you enjoy the world and want to have more fun with the protagonists, go for it, but do not expect incredible developments.
I will continue to the Human Division but honestly just for the sake of finishing the series.
---
Also in the series:
1. Old Man's War ★★★★★
2. The Ghost Brigades ★★★★☆
3. The Last Colony ★★☆☆☆
5. The Human Division ★★☆☆☆
January 19, 2012
Zoe Boutin-Perry, teenage colonist and idol to the Obin race, gets stranded on Roanoke along with her parents, John Perry and Jane Sagan. While the Roanoke Colony survive with the Conclave breathing down its neck?
Zoe's Tale is a retelling of the previous John Scalzi book, The Last Colony, from Zoe's point of view. Instead of being a pointless rehash, Zoe's Tale ends up being an emotional tale and completely worth the effort.
Re-telling The Last Colony from Zoe's point of view served multiple purposes. It fleshed out some bits of the Last Colony that weren't very clear, like why the werewolves stopped attacking the colony and where the sapper field came from. The society of the Obin and their relationship to the Consu was expanded. It also gave us an insight to the lives of Zoe and her friends.
Zoe's telling of the events was hilarious, as funny as Abby Normal narrating Christopher Moore's Bite Me without being so distracting. The Scalz did a good job of recreating teenage relationships and the relationship between Zoe and her Obin protectors nearly yanked a tear from my manly tear ducts.
Any complaints? Not really. Zoe's Tale was quite an enjoyable read. I loved the additional scenes with General Gau and the interplay between Zoe and her friends and family. Once again, Scalzi has me wrapped around his little finger.
Zoe's Tale is a retelling of the previous John Scalzi book, The Last Colony, from Zoe's point of view. Instead of being a pointless rehash, Zoe's Tale ends up being an emotional tale and completely worth the effort.
Re-telling The Last Colony from Zoe's point of view served multiple purposes. It fleshed out some bits of the Last Colony that weren't very clear, like why the werewolves stopped attacking the colony and where the sapper field came from. The society of the Obin and their relationship to the Consu was expanded. It also gave us an insight to the lives of Zoe and her friends.
Zoe's telling of the events was hilarious, as funny as Abby Normal narrating Christopher Moore's Bite Me without being so distracting. The Scalz did a good job of recreating teenage relationships and the relationship between Zoe and her Obin protectors nearly yanked a tear from my manly tear ducts.
Any complaints? Not really. Zoe's Tale was quite an enjoyable read. I loved the additional scenes with General Gau and the interplay between Zoe and her friends and family. Once again, Scalzi has me wrapped around his little finger.
August 6, 2018
HOORAY FOR ZOE!
And Hooray! for John Scalzi.
Taking a page from Orson Scott Card’s playbook, he tells the same story from a different POV and gets a great result.
Scalzi published The Last Colony in 2007, the third in his wildly popular Old Man's War universe and it was good SF, garnering a nod from the Hugo award committee with a nomination for best novel.
Zoe’s Tale was published the next year and was nominated for the Andre Norton Award for YA fiction.
That’s right, Scalzi channeled his inner child, apparently a spunky teenage girl, and wrote this first person perspective narrative in Zoe’s voice and knocked it out of the park.
This is The Last Colony story but from Zoe’s POV. Scalzi demonstrates his great talent and in doing so also gives us an English Lit 101 lesson in perspective. The Last Colony was and is a fine SF story, but told from Zoe’s personable and charismatic viewpoint this becomes a humanistic, empathetic and approachable story about more than a cool SF idea.
In Zoe’s voice Scalzi explores concepts of self versus the group; we are asked to determine the distinction between what we are as opposed to and contrasted with who we are. Libertarian ideals about individualism and community as well as our responsibilities to ourselves and to our society are sorted out from a strong female lead who is also coming to terms with her first kiss.
A very good SF book and another great story from John Scalzi.
And Hooray! for John Scalzi.
Taking a page from Orson Scott Card’s playbook, he tells the same story from a different POV and gets a great result.
Scalzi published The Last Colony in 2007, the third in his wildly popular Old Man's War universe and it was good SF, garnering a nod from the Hugo award committee with a nomination for best novel.
Zoe’s Tale was published the next year and was nominated for the Andre Norton Award for YA fiction.
That’s right, Scalzi channeled his inner child, apparently a spunky teenage girl, and wrote this first person perspective narrative in Zoe’s voice and knocked it out of the park.
This is The Last Colony story but from Zoe’s POV. Scalzi demonstrates his great talent and in doing so also gives us an English Lit 101 lesson in perspective. The Last Colony was and is a fine SF story, but told from Zoe’s personable and charismatic viewpoint this becomes a humanistic, empathetic and approachable story about more than a cool SF idea.
In Zoe’s voice Scalzi explores concepts of self versus the group; we are asked to determine the distinction between what we are as opposed to and contrasted with who we are. Libertarian ideals about individualism and community as well as our responsibilities to ourselves and to our society are sorted out from a strong female lead who is also coming to terms with her first kiss.
A very good SF book and another great story from John Scalzi.
August 1, 2014
What a cynical cash grab this book feels like. Good grief. What else can you say about a book that came out the next year after the previous book where the author proclaimed, in post-text notes, that the story had been concluded?
And yet, before long, there arrived Zoe's Tale, a story told in parallel to The Last Colony, first-person in the perspective of Zoe Boutin-Perry, as you might expect from such a titled book. It's basically like if you take The Last Colony and take out 85% of the good parts. Zoe Gumps her way around the periphery of the story, occasionally re-hashing conversations that already took place, verbatim, in the previous book, with little added value to giving us her perspective on those matters.
There is no tension to be found in the story because the reader of the series is already aware of exactly who does and who doesn't die, and when. There is little entertainment to be found in this teenage angst-heavy story if only because these people don't feel like teenagers stuck on a 20th century-ish tech seed colony. The sense of humor is just so particular, so right now, just this very specific kind of snark that's apparently preserved exactly through the centuries, as humans expand across the fabric of space.
There's little cultural differences to be seen or explored through the ten different groups of colonial people. There's just a whole lot of sarcasm that's very aware of the fact that it's trying to be a book with a lot of sarcasm, rather than just feeling like a book that has sarcastic characters, if that makes sense. About all that's missing is some kind of fourth wall-breaking monologue.
Across the whole book, there is approximately one real, earned emotion. The stuff I slogged through to get to it was not worth the payoff. It's all the more frustrating because there were very scattered interesting parts or phrases, especially more towards the end of the book, once we get out into the things that Zoe experienced on her own, off Roanoke, that Perry, the previous book's narrator, could not have known. The parts with the Obin, the Conclave, and the Consu in particular are mostly solid, even if these also have a tendency to skip over what could have been some of the best parts. Before that, it's a whole lot of meh.
The author addresses some of this in the acknowledgements at the close of this book, observing that he felt like he had left things out of the last book, with readers having pointed out that the werewolves were never really resolved (which, I mean, they weren't) and that he resolved the plot with a deus ex machina - which, again, he did, since Perry knows nothing of Zoe's journey and the device she returns with.
To all of that, I would say WRITE A BETTER BOOK THE FIRST TIME. The only thing this tack-on book does is make the third book seem in retrospect like a lazy, incomplete effort, which he is now trying to solve by patching a second lazy, incomplete effort over it. Plot the previous book better and perhaps it would have been a bit longer, but it would have been a stronger book. Maybe he could have had Perry and Zoe telling these tales side-by-side within the same volume. As a separate entry to the story, it does not measure up. Highly disappointed.
I'm annoyed at myself for checking out the fifth book of the series concurrently, as I now feel obligated to read it despite having just plowed through this morass. Oh well, down the hatch.
And yet, before long, there arrived Zoe's Tale, a story told in parallel to The Last Colony, first-person in the perspective of Zoe Boutin-Perry, as you might expect from such a titled book. It's basically like if you take The Last Colony and take out 85% of the good parts. Zoe Gumps her way around the periphery of the story, occasionally re-hashing conversations that already took place, verbatim, in the previous book, with little added value to giving us her perspective on those matters.
There is no tension to be found in the story because the reader of the series is already aware of exactly who does and who doesn't die, and when. There is little entertainment to be found in this teenage angst-heavy story if only because these people don't feel like teenagers stuck on a 20th century-ish tech seed colony. The sense of humor is just so particular, so right now, just this very specific kind of snark that's apparently preserved exactly through the centuries, as humans expand across the fabric of space.
There's little cultural differences to be seen or explored through the ten different groups of colonial people. There's just a whole lot of sarcasm that's very aware of the fact that it's trying to be a book with a lot of sarcasm, rather than just feeling like a book that has sarcastic characters, if that makes sense. About all that's missing is some kind of fourth wall-breaking monologue.
Across the whole book, there is approximately one real, earned emotion. The stuff I slogged through to get to it was not worth the payoff. It's all the more frustrating because there were very scattered interesting parts or phrases, especially more towards the end of the book, once we get out into the things that Zoe experienced on her own, off Roanoke, that Perry, the previous book's narrator, could not have known. The parts with the Obin, the Conclave, and the Consu in particular are mostly solid, even if these also have a tendency to skip over what could have been some of the best parts. Before that, it's a whole lot of meh.
The author addresses some of this in the acknowledgements at the close of this book, observing that he felt like he had left things out of the last book, with readers having pointed out that the werewolves were never really resolved (which, I mean, they weren't) and that he resolved the plot with a deus ex machina - which, again, he did, since Perry knows nothing of Zoe's journey and the device she returns with.
To all of that, I would say WRITE A BETTER BOOK THE FIRST TIME. The only thing this tack-on book does is make the third book seem in retrospect like a lazy, incomplete effort, which he is now trying to solve by patching a second lazy, incomplete effort over it. Plot the previous book better and perhaps it would have been a bit longer, but it would have been a stronger book. Maybe he could have had Perry and Zoe telling these tales side-by-side within the same volume. As a separate entry to the story, it does not measure up. Highly disappointed.
I'm annoyed at myself for checking out the fifth book of the series concurrently, as I now feel obligated to read it despite having just plowed through this morass. Oh well, down the hatch.
July 17, 2022
I just picked up this book as a continuation of the series (which I have loved) after reading Book #3. I did not realize that this book is entirely a retelling of the previous one from Zoe’s point of view.
As the broad story line is the same as “The Last Colony”, there is not much to add by way of the story. The book does add greater depth to Zoe’s thinking, aspirations, relationships (including romantic) and her role in warding off the danger the inhabitants of Roanoke face. John Scalzi includes his reasons for writing this from Zoe’s point of view in the afterword – it provides depth to her character, as also ironing out some lack of detail in the previous book.
As other reviewers have pointed out – considering Zoe’s age, this book is written with a touch of YA. There is considerable space devoted to her finding love and also heartbreak. The touch of humour which is characteristic of Scalzi’s books, is very much a part of this book as well. I liked the incremental depth the book adds in the last sections as Zoe does her part in ensuring the safety of her parents and other inhabitants of Roanoke. Nevertheless, while a new point of view is refreshing, I certainly expected more than this book.
As the broad story line is the same as “The Last Colony”, there is not much to add by way of the story. The book does add greater depth to Zoe’s thinking, aspirations, relationships (including romantic) and her role in warding off the danger the inhabitants of Roanoke face. John Scalzi includes his reasons for writing this from Zoe’s point of view in the afterword – it provides depth to her character, as also ironing out some lack of detail in the previous book.
As other reviewers have pointed out – considering Zoe’s age, this book is written with a touch of YA. There is considerable space devoted to her finding love and also heartbreak. The touch of humour which is characteristic of Scalzi’s books, is very much a part of this book as well. I liked the incremental depth the book adds in the last sections as Zoe does her part in ensuring the safety of her parents and other inhabitants of Roanoke. Nevertheless, while a new point of view is refreshing, I certainly expected more than this book.
January 12, 2009
First impressions: This DEFINITELY reads like a YA book, even though it was shelved in the adult section of my local library. Zoe is an annoying little wench. Everyone just has the perfect retort for every comment. The weird part about it being a YA book is that it's not a stand-alone novel; if I hadn't already read the entire Old Man's War series, I don't think this would make sense. Or at the very least, it would come across as trite.
Many of the initial chapters say things like "My dad gave these aliens consciousness, so I'm a goddess to them. But that never got me out of homework. Har har, wink, nudge." It tries too hard to be witty, and without the full background story on the Obin it would be confusing or trite. I don't think I'm going to like this one, but may as well finish it.
Update:
The first 1/3 of the book was a bit of a bore, but the next 2/3 got better. I stand by my complaints about the characters/dialog, but it was great to get a more fleshed out story about the werewolves. In Scalzi’s notes at the end of the novel, he says that he resolved the werewolf conflict “subtly” in Last Colony; he resolved it so subtly that I didn’t know it was resolved, and apparently other people had the same thought.
I also enjoyed seeing how Zoe interacted with the Obin and how she ended up with the Consu technology towards the end of the book. (In Last Colony this seemed deus ex machina, but I accept the author’s explanation here.)
My overall impressions are that this book was a method to tie up loose ends in Last Colony, and it works well enough for that. But taken on its own merits, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, nor will I be reading it again.
Many of the initial chapters say things like "My dad gave these aliens consciousness, so I'm a goddess to them. But that never got me out of homework. Har har, wink, nudge." It tries too hard to be witty, and without the full background story on the Obin it would be confusing or trite. I don't think I'm going to like this one, but may as well finish it.
Update:
The first 1/3 of the book was a bit of a bore, but the next 2/3 got better. I stand by my complaints about the characters/dialog, but it was great to get a more fleshed out story about the werewolves. In Scalzi’s notes at the end of the novel, he says that he resolved the werewolf conflict “subtly” in Last Colony; he resolved it so subtly that I didn’t know it was resolved, and apparently other people had the same thought.
I also enjoyed seeing how Zoe interacted with the Obin and how she ended up with the Consu technology towards the end of the book. (In Last Colony this seemed deus ex machina, but I accept the author’s explanation here.)
My overall impressions are that this book was a method to tie up loose ends in Last Colony, and it works well enough for that. But taken on its own merits, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, nor will I be reading it again.
August 18, 2017
4.5
I must admit that I was a little worried about this novel. To use the same plot as the one in The Last Colony, but told from a different point of view, is a dangerous thing to do. Well, I really should have trusted Scalzi because of course he pulls it off.
Zoe has a great voice, quite similar to John Perry's, with the same humour but tons more sarcasm, and that 'je-ne-sais-quoi' that teenagers have. Well, some. After a few pages, I was sold and completely engrossed in this character's perception and feelings. This is quite a feat from the author, because Zoe could have very easily turned out into a monster. Additionally, he added just the right amount of new material, fleshing out some characters, adding to some scenes or creating totally new ones, that slotted perfectly with the events related in the previous book, making the reader add 'known' data automatically. Very smart.
I must admit that I was a little worried about this novel. To use the same plot as the one in The Last Colony, but told from a different point of view, is a dangerous thing to do. Well, I really should have trusted Scalzi because of course he pulls it off.
Zoe has a great voice, quite similar to John Perry's, with the same humour but tons more sarcasm, and that 'je-ne-sais-quoi' that teenagers have. Well, some. After a few pages, I was sold and completely engrossed in this character's perception and feelings. This is quite a feat from the author, because Zoe could have very easily turned out into a monster. Additionally, he added just the right amount of new material, fleshing out some characters, adding to some scenes or creating totally new ones, that slotted perfectly with the events related in the previous book, making the reader add 'known' data automatically. Very smart.
February 9, 2015
The book is really difficult to rate, so let me explain quickly why it is only a 2 for me. Zoe's Tale on its own might be a 4 star read. It is filled with the usual Scalzi humor, its prose is very accessible and Zoe is a likeable character.
My issue with the book is that it is "only" a companion novel to the last book in the series. It tells exactly the same story and therefore it has zero tension. It clarifies 2-3 plotpoints from the The Last Colony, but I'm not sure if I needed a whole book for that.
I'm not really sure how it would work as a standalone, cause some of the main plot points of the overall story are solved in the last book and Zoe wasn't present, so we are only told f.e. of the climatic ending of the book.
It would be an interesting experiment to see a reader's reaction to it, who hasn't read The Last Colony.
So, overall the read was just "okay" for me. Keep in mind that it is well better written than most of the books that usually end up in my 2 star category and it is mainly for meta-reasons that my enjoyment of it wasn't higher.
As I had a similar meta experience with his book Red Shirts I think I can now say that Scalzi is an author I really like, when he is "just" writing books, but an author I can't really get behind when he tries out his writing experiments.
My issue with the book is that it is "only" a companion novel to the last book in the series. It tells exactly the same story and therefore it has zero tension. It clarifies 2-3 plotpoints from the The Last Colony, but I'm not sure if I needed a whole book for that.
I'm not really sure how it would work as a standalone, cause some of the main plot points of the overall story are solved in the last book and Zoe wasn't present, so we are only told f.e. of the climatic ending of the book.
It would be an interesting experiment to see a reader's reaction to it, who hasn't read The Last Colony.
So, overall the read was just "okay" for me. Keep in mind that it is well better written than most of the books that usually end up in my 2 star category and it is mainly for meta-reasons that my enjoyment of it wasn't higher.
As I had a similar meta experience with his book Red Shirts I think I can now say that Scalzi is an author I really like, when he is "just" writing books, but an author I can't really get behind when he tries out his writing experiments.
August 8, 2018
Mini Review: Discovering that this cheeky sci-fi series continued book 4 with an even cheekier YA POV was a bag of mixed emotions. I haven’t had the best luck with YA lately, but I loved the character Zoe. If anyone could pull off integrating this unconventional new perspective into an adult series, it would be Scalzi. Happily, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it may have revitalized the series for me. At first I was a bit bored with its shared (or dual) timeline with Last Colony (book 3) because I’m not the biggest fan of backtracking. However, Scalzi quickly shifted focus to new events that actually added to the “big picture” of what happened in Last Colony and, as a result, improved my opinion of both perspectives. The end of Zoe’s Tale was particularly satisfying, and overall it reinvigorated my interest in the series. Nice. :)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
May 25, 2017
ne, ne čitam ja tako brzo kako bi se moglo reći po počeo/završio ovdje zapisanom
preskakao sam i to velikim koracima - jednostavno ovo je nepotrebna knjiga koja opisuje potpuno istu radnju kao i prethodna no drugi je POV - ovaj put Zoein.
lako se vidi i po ostalim recenzijama da to baš nije dobro sjelo velikom broju čitatelja, a Scalzi se na kraju u "Zahvalama" opravdava na sve moguće načine (uglavnom mi smo ga namolili da to uradi)
obično u takvim Rashomon radovima (napisao je još dvije poslije pa mi se čini kako je opasnost da nam još neki lik prikaže isto kroz svoje oči minula) bude i dodatne radnje, neopisane ranije i to je bio moj glavni pokretač čitanja uopće, a "trka s preponama" je služila da nađem te trenutke.
ima ih barem 3:
- malkice opširnija povijest Obina iz njihove priče
- potpuno nespomenut događaj u šumi
- detaljan opis što je bilo s generalom Gauom (najzanimljivije)
i da, sve je dosta YAjasto, čak i previše - koliko je Scalzi uspio opisati tinejdžerske godine suprotnog spola ne znam, nešto mi baš nije previše uvjerljiv
ide mu dvojčica za ponavljanje radnje - sve novonapisano se moglo lijepo uklopiti u idući roman.
preskakao sam i to velikim koracima - jednostavno ovo je nepotrebna knjiga koja opisuje potpuno istu radnju kao i prethodna no drugi je POV - ovaj put Zoein.
lako se vidi i po ostalim recenzijama da to baš nije dobro sjelo velikom broju čitatelja, a Scalzi se na kraju u "Zahvalama" opravdava na sve moguće načine (uglavnom mi smo ga namolili da to uradi)
obično u takvim Rashomon radovima (napisao je još dvije poslije pa mi se čini kako je opasnost da nam još neki lik prikaže isto kroz svoje oči minula) bude i dodatne radnje, neopisane ranije i to je bio moj glavni pokretač čitanja uopće, a "trka s preponama" je služila da nađem te trenutke.
ima ih barem 3:
- malkice opširnija povijest Obina iz njihove priče
- potpuno nespomenut događaj u šumi
- detaljan opis što je bilo s generalom Gauom (najzanimljivije)
i da, sve je dosta YAjasto, čak i previše - koliko je Scalzi uspio opisati tinejdžerske godine suprotnog spola ne znam, nešto mi baš nije previše uvjerljiv
ide mu dvojčica za ponavljanje radnje - sve novonapisano se moglo lijepo uklopiti u idući roman.
January 31, 2015
[3.5 Stars]
Ultimately, I just don't particularly enjoy books that are the same story as a previous book told in a different POV.
Ultimately, I just don't particularly enjoy books that are the same story as a previous book told in a different POV.
March 8, 2022
نمونهی بارز سقوط قلم یک نویسنده از عرش به فرش.
January 23, 2013
I think "John Scalzi" is actually a teenage girl who's too smart for her own good. I began this book with the expectation of dropping it after a few chapters. How much could the perspective of a teenage girl interest me, after all, especially when channeled through a male writer?
In Zoe, Scalzi has created a sympathetic, believable and incredibly perceptive character. Though she's more self-aware and clever than any teenager I've ever known, I was willing to go along with it simply for the pleasure of hearing Zoe's smart-ass voice.
Zoe's Tale is not hard SF or space opera--it's a character-driven first-person description of the first year of a new colony's establishment, which Scalzi juxtaposes with some pretty nasty interplanetary politics. The politics are handled fairly simply, as is the military maneuvering. Things happen without a whole lot of the "how" being explained. For example, an entire armada of ships is destroyed and the explanation of how this was done takes about a paragraph. David Weber would make that scene last a third of the book. This isn't a criticism of Scalzi because that's not the kind of book he's writing. Events that occur are seen through the eyes of Zoe, and she really doesn't care how the armada was destroyed. She only cares about the way it affects her family and friends.
I enjoyed Zoe's Tale. And I'm pretty sure that John Scalzi did a better job of writing a teenage girl than I could have done. And I was a teenage girl once.
In Zoe, Scalzi has created a sympathetic, believable and incredibly perceptive character. Though she's more self-aware and clever than any teenager I've ever known, I was willing to go along with it simply for the pleasure of hearing Zoe's smart-ass voice.
Zoe's Tale is not hard SF or space opera--it's a character-driven first-person description of the first year of a new colony's establishment, which Scalzi juxtaposes with some pretty nasty interplanetary politics. The politics are handled fairly simply, as is the military maneuvering. Things happen without a whole lot of the "how" being explained. For example, an entire armada of ships is destroyed and the explanation of how this was done takes about a paragraph. David Weber would make that scene last a third of the book. This isn't a criticism of Scalzi because that's not the kind of book he's writing. Events that occur are seen through the eyes of Zoe, and she really doesn't care how the armada was destroyed. She only cares about the way it affects her family and friends.
I enjoyed Zoe's Tale. And I'm pretty sure that John Scalzi did a better job of writing a teenage girl than I could have done. And I was a teenage girl once.
July 14, 2020
3.5 stars
I was ambivalent about reading this because I really didn't want to read the same story as in The Last Colony from the POV of a teenage girl. It turned out to be pretty good, especially the second half, but I still don't know if it was worth a whole other book mostly to explain a plot issue in the previous one.
I was ambivalent about reading this because I really didn't want to read the same story as in The Last Colony from the POV of a teenage girl. It turned out to be pretty good, especially the second half, but I still don't know if it was worth a whole other book mostly to explain a plot issue in the previous one.
June 15, 2018
3.5 stars. Scalzi's first book that made me cry. Thrice. Well, the first two were more like sniffles, but I did bawl the third time.
This is much, much better than the tepid The Last Colony. Zoe's POV is not a retelling; there were so many events unfolding that you could only see through her eyes, especially the ones with the Obin and other aliens. I think her relationship with Hickory and Dickory is my favorite part of the book, as heartbreaking as it is.
I was rather worried that it would be too YA for me. It indeed was, at some parts, but luckily they're easy to ignore. Now I wish I have Zoe's POV for the rest of the series. She has her adopted dad's sense of humor, after all. Onward to The Human Division.
This is much, much better than the tepid The Last Colony. Zoe's POV is not a retelling; there were so many events unfolding that you could only see through her eyes, especially the ones with the Obin and other aliens. I think her relationship with Hickory and Dickory is my favorite part of the book, as heartbreaking as it is.
I was rather worried that it would be too YA for me. It indeed was, at some parts, but luckily they're easy to ignore. Now I wish I have Zoe's POV for the rest of the series. She has her adopted dad's sense of humor, after all. Onward to The Human Division.
December 7, 2016
Rating probably would be lower if I read right after previous installment since this is retalling of event of in The Last Colony seen through Zoe's eyes. There are few new bits of information mostly regarding Obin but it's basically same story but since I put some time between two books it didn't bother me. It was actually nice to be reminded what was "previously on" in Old man's war series before continuing on.
August 24, 2017
Nice complement to "The Last Colony". I like seeing some of the events from Zoe's perspective, but also like finding out what the heck Zoe was doing with her friend Gretchen and her boyfriend Enzo, while Jane and John were leading the colony. And it was great hearing Zoe's take on Jane, who Zoe loved but could also see as scary, and her two Obin bodyguards.
April 17, 2021
This novel is essentially a companion piece to The Last Colony, another book which I really enjoyed. Zoe's Tale takes place parallel to the events of that previous installment, but instead of being from the POV of John Perry, it is told from the first-person viewpoint of John (and Jane's) daughter Zoë Boutin-Perry. I think this was an excellent choice for Scalzi to further fill in the story, as Zoë has always been an interesting character and thus earned her turn in the spotlight.
While I was already aware of the overarching plot points, having recently finished The Last Colony, I was nonetheless engaged by this book and never found myself bored; I think it's because it really isn't about the plot so much as it's about the character of Zoë, as she internally struggles with the concept of what she is vs. who she is. We also get to see more characterization of General Gau, along with Hickory, Dickory, and several other Obin.
Also, there are many new scenes in Zoe's Tale that weren't in The Last Colony, and two big story questions are finally answered, questions that many readers of the prior book considered to be head-scratching deus ex machinas.
And although Zoë's voice is different from that of John, readers may be pleased to discover she shares her father's sense of humor. This is an ongoing element I've enjoyed about the series.
While I was already aware of the overarching plot points, having recently finished The Last Colony, I was nonetheless engaged by this book and never found myself bored; I think it's because it really isn't about the plot so much as it's about the character of Zoë, as she internally struggles with the concept of what she is vs. who she is. We also get to see more characterization of General Gau, along with Hickory, Dickory, and several other Obin.
Also, there are many new scenes in Zoe's Tale that weren't in The Last Colony, and two big story questions are finally answered, questions that many readers of the prior book considered to be head-scratching deus ex machinas.
And although Zoë's voice is different from that of John, readers may be pleased to discover she shares her father's sense of humor. This is an ongoing element I've enjoyed about the series.
November 24, 2016
Jaka četvorka, skoro petica. Bez obzira što prepričava već viđene događaje, daje im sasvim drugi kut gledanja, i opisuje stvari za koje iz ranijih knjiga ne znamo kako su se dogodile. I puna je snappy rečenica, i zanimljivih easter eggova. samo me jedno pitanje i dalje muči...
April 13, 2020
This is a re-telling of The Last Colony from Zoe’s POV. There are a few significant scenes but most of it is a character study: Zoe with the Oban and her new colonist friends and other relationships. I think it would have worked better as a novella. But it’s fine as is; just don’t expect tons of action.
I think the dialogue here is what really shines (except for the use of dialogue tags after every single phrase). It’s a definite YA vibe, and I can see a wide appeal to that audience.
Narrator Tavia Gilbert does a teenage narration very well but not so great at the other voices. In trying to make each character distinct, she gives them weird voices.
Clean content (occasional mild language, some non-graphic violence, no sexual content)
Book Blog
I think the dialogue here is what really shines (except for the use of dialogue tags after every single phrase). It’s a definite YA vibe, and I can see a wide appeal to that audience.
Narrator Tavia Gilbert does a teenage narration very well but not so great at the other voices. In trying to make each character distinct, she gives them weird voices.
Clean content (occasional mild language, some non-graphic violence, no sexual content)
Book Blog
May 23, 2022
Sostanzialmente inutile, ma malgrado questo è piacevole ripercorrere gli eventi del terzo volume attraverso gli occhi di Zoe.
In parte si ripresentano da questo diverso punto di vista gli eventi precedentemente letti (la fine della sua vita su Huckleberry, il periodo alla Stazione conoscendo gli altri ragazzi coloni, il salto verso il nuovo pianeta, la vita lì, gli attacchi subiti), in parte ci vengono proposti ovviamente dei contenuti "in più", nello specifico il rapporto tra Zoe, Gretchen, Enzo e Magdi, oltre a esplorare un poco più approfonditamente il legame di Zoe con i suoi amici/ombre/bodyguards Orbin Hickory e Zickory.
Ma queste sarebbero piccole aggiunte di colore, quello che salva il libro è il tentativo di Scalzi di aggiustare alcuni punti un po' troppo deboli del libro precedente.
Nello specifico, il ruolo "usa e getta" dei licantropi e quanto avvenuto durante la missione di Zoe.
Queste due "toppe", sortiscono senza dubbio l'effetto desiderato, per fortuna, e salvano il libro
In parte si ripresentano da questo diverso punto di vista gli eventi precedentemente letti (la fine della sua vita su Huckleberry, il periodo alla Stazione conoscendo gli altri ragazzi coloni, il salto verso il nuovo pianeta, la vita lì, gli attacchi subiti), in parte ci vengono proposti ovviamente dei contenuti "in più", nello specifico il rapporto tra Zoe, Gretchen, Enzo e Magdi, oltre a esplorare un poco più approfonditamente il legame di Zoe con i suoi amici/ombre/bodyguards Orbin Hickory e Zickory.
Ma queste sarebbero piccole aggiunte di colore, quello che salva il libro è il tentativo di Scalzi di aggiustare alcuni punti un po' troppo deboli del libro precedente.
Nello specifico, il ruolo "usa e getta" dei licantropi e quanto avvenuto durante la missione di Zoe.
Queste due "toppe", sortiscono senza dubbio l'effetto desiderato, per fortuna, e salvano il libro
March 2, 2016
This was a fun, fast, sci fi yarn, the type unashamed newspaper reviewers would call a 'romp'.
We pick up Zoe as she's turning from naive teenager into someone far more aware of her place in the world. And what an amazing place is it. Zoe forms the treaty between humans and another race of people called the Obin. Her father helped them out before he died, so she has become their link to him and the person they use to model their new found consciousness on. The book explains it much better, you'll be glad to hear.
Zoe is a great character, smart, witty, acerbic at times, but very likeable. At the beginning of the story, she and her family are moving to a unique colony, different from every other as it's the first colony made up of colonists from other colonies, rather than from Earth. It's a very special colony for plenty of reasons, as becomes clear through the course of the book.
*SPOILERS*
My only gripe was with a scene near the end, in which General Gau uses what I can only describe as a fairy tale technique for weeding out the traitor in his midst. For a book as tightly plotted as this, it felt out of place and a bit cheap. Not the end of the world, but a bit clumsy.
*END OF SPOILERS*
So a thoroughly enjoyable book, in equal parts amusing, though provoking and pleasingly huge in scope.
We pick up Zoe as she's turning from naive teenager into someone far more aware of her place in the world. And what an amazing place is it. Zoe forms the treaty between humans and another race of people called the Obin. Her father helped them out before he died, so she has become their link to him and the person they use to model their new found consciousness on. The book explains it much better, you'll be glad to hear.
Zoe is a great character, smart, witty, acerbic at times, but very likeable. At the beginning of the story, she and her family are moving to a unique colony, different from every other as it's the first colony made up of colonists from other colonies, rather than from Earth. It's a very special colony for plenty of reasons, as becomes clear through the course of the book.
*SPOILERS*
My only gripe was with a scene near the end, in which General Gau uses what I can only describe as a fairy tale technique for weeding out the traitor in his midst. For a book as tightly plotted as this, it felt out of place and a bit cheap. Not the end of the world, but a bit clumsy.
*END OF SPOILERS*
So a thoroughly enjoyable book, in equal parts amusing, though provoking and pleasingly huge in scope.
August 27, 2013
I've been a big fan of Scalzi ever since Old Man's War, but I was slightly worried that Zoe's Tale would be a some milking of The Last Colony, which is a POV change of that novel. I'm not entirely certain it was necessary, except for the fact that it develops what might have been a serious dues ex machina event and makes everything hunky-dory. It may sound as if I didn't like the novel, but that's plainly untrue. This was an excellent YA novel, and I have to admit I love the concept of an intelligent alien race without self-consciousness. The whole novel was solid and Zoe always had a strong voice. Even better, I never thought she was overblown or annoying or perfect. Well, for me, that's high praise for a YA heroine.
I will freely admit that I liked the first two novels best, but I see why this one was nominated for Hugo.
I will freely admit that I liked the first two novels best, but I see why this one was nominated for Hugo.
October 11, 2020
Leído en Febrero de 2011.
Cuarto libro de la serie "Fuerza de defensa coloniales". Como veis por la nota, la serie no decae con la llegada de nuevos libros y este está de maravilla.
Eso sí, es IMPRESCINDIBLE haberse leído primero la tercera parte.
Cuarto libro de la serie "Fuerza de defensa coloniales". Como veis por la nota, la serie no decae con la llegada de nuevos libros y este está de maravilla.
Eso sí, es IMPRESCINDIBLE haberse leído primero la tercera parte.
September 4, 2018
This was a solid "fill in the blanks" story but not sure the genre/age group it was going for.
It's a story that you can only read when you read book 3 of Old Man's War. With that being said, it feels like a different genre. The teenagers all act like YA novels but younger YA. Not cursing, no sexual talk, basically nothing like real teenagers. Now, I'm not saying I need that in a story, but when you have an adult series for 3 books and then it goes to young teen book, it's weird.
So this is the story of Zoe and her adventure through the last conoloy. It follows book 3 pretty well but get a little bit more detail on the werewolves as well as more closure on Enzo and other characters. The way Zoe looks at things is like John but not with much life experience and that's a new take.
Good: I liked Zoe. I liked her friends. I really enjoyed Dickory and Hickory. All the small emotional moments hit well. And the endings really worked for me.
Bad: The feel and tone felt off the whole time. Zoe doesn't feel like a 16 year old, more like a 12 year old. I also thought the book was a little stretched and then zoomed too much at the end.
Overall it's a solid book but lacking in a few spots. I can't give it higher than a 3.5.
It's a story that you can only read when you read book 3 of Old Man's War. With that being said, it feels like a different genre. The teenagers all act like YA novels but younger YA. Not cursing, no sexual talk, basically nothing like real teenagers. Now, I'm not saying I need that in a story, but when you have an adult series for 3 books and then it goes to young teen book, it's weird.
So this is the story of Zoe and her adventure through the last conoloy. It follows book 3 pretty well but get a little bit more detail on the werewolves as well as more closure on Enzo and other characters. The way Zoe looks at things is like John but not with much life experience and that's a new take.
Good: I liked Zoe. I liked her friends. I really enjoyed Dickory and Hickory. All the small emotional moments hit well. And the endings really worked for me.
Bad: The feel and tone felt off the whole time. Zoe doesn't feel like a 16 year old, more like a 12 year old. I also thought the book was a little stretched and then zoomed too much at the end.
Overall it's a solid book but lacking in a few spots. I can't give it higher than a 3.5.
April 26, 2010
Mmm, brain candy. And I don't mean that in any kind of bad way. This isn't hard SF, it's easy to read, easy to follow, nothing too complicated. It's more about people. I think I liked this more than I liked The Last Colony, though I gave that a similar rating -- it was good to get into Zoe's head, good to see things from a different perspective, and this way you could get to know the Obin a little better, and see what happened behind the scenes, so to speak.
I love Enzo's character, and totally forgot what happened to him until the moment Scalzi ripped out my heart. Ouch.
There was some awesome banter -- I remember that being a strength in other books, too. Definitely glad I finally got round to reading this, even if it's sad in places.
I love Enzo's character, and totally forgot what happened to him until the moment Scalzi ripped out my heart. Ouch.
There was some awesome banter -- I remember that being a strength in other books, too. Definitely glad I finally got round to reading this, even if it's sad in places.
May 6, 2023
عادت داشتم همیشه به بقیه بگم جنگ پیرمرد تا جلد سوم خیلی خوبه، بعدش افت میکنه. چون دو بار قبلا سعی کرده بودم جلد چهارم رو بخونم و از بخش اول نمیتونستم جلوتر برم. صد و پنجاه صفحه ی اول کتاب یکسری مشکل بزرگ داره، مثلا راویهای بالغ و باهوش جلدهای قبلی الان شخصیت فرعی شدن و یک دختر نوجوون اومده جاشون. همیشه اینطوری بودم که جان اسکالزی عزیز، چرا خیال کردی ما یانگ ادلت نیاز داریم؟ اگه داستان کندِ غیر جذاب با کاراکتر احمق میخواستم برندون سندرسون هزارتایی داره!
ولی جا دارم بگم اشتباه میکردم، داستانِ زویی از وسطش خودشو پیدا میکنه و خیلی خوبم پیدا میکنه. اینقدری که بعد از چند ماه من توی یک شب بیشتر از صد و پنجاه صفحه بخونم و از تک تک بخشهاش لذت ببرم. ایدهی این کتاب جدید نبود، اتفاقا تا آخرش هم مشخص بود و توی "آخرین مستعمره" همین داستان رو داشتیم، ولی بازم توی پردهی دوم و سوم خیلی خوب میشد. نقطهی اوج به خوبی جلدهای قبلی بود.
اگه شما جزو کسایی هستین که بهتون گفتم تا جلد سوم جنگ پیرمرد رو بخونین کافیه، باید ازتون عذرخواهی کنم و بگم بخش اول داستان زویی رو تحمل کنین تا برسین و بعدش مطمئنا شما هم ازش لذت میبرین. من اشتباه کردم چند سال پیش که دراپ کردم.
ولی جا دارم بگم اشتباه میکردم، داستانِ زویی از وسطش خودشو پیدا میکنه و خیلی خوبم پیدا میکنه. اینقدری که بعد از چند ماه من توی یک شب بیشتر از صد و پنجاه صفحه بخونم و از تک تک بخشهاش لذت ببرم. ایدهی این کتاب جدید نبود، اتفاقا تا آخرش هم مشخص بود و توی "آخرین مستعمره" همین داستان رو داشتیم، ولی بازم توی پردهی دوم و سوم خیلی خوب میشد. نقطهی اوج به خوبی جلدهای قبلی بود.
اگه شما جزو کسایی هستین که بهتون گفتم تا جلد سوم جنگ پیرمرد رو بخونین کافیه، باید ازتون عذرخواهی کنم و بگم بخش اول داستان زویی رو تحمل کنین تا برسین و بعدش مطمئنا شما هم ازش لذت میبرین. من اشتباه کردم چند سال پیش که دراپ کردم.
July 15, 2015
**This reviews will contain spoilers for "Last Colony", and as a result, for this book as well. However, if you already read the Last Colony, this book is spoiled for you anyway.**
I honestly don't know why this book was written.
This is a retelling of the Last Colony from Zoe's point of view. There might be compelling reasons to return to an already told narrative - to add a new perspective, to elucidate events which were unclear in the first telling, to squeeze a successful frnachise's teenage fandom for a few more bucks, etc, but besides that last point, I fail to see how Zoe's Tale achieves anything.
I'll start with what this book lacks:
1. Suspense. After having read The Last Colony, all the major plot point of Zoe's tale are already known to you. You know how it ends. You know who lives and who dies, you know everything. Zoe's Tale does not step outside the narrative, does not alter it, or makes events in The Last Colony seem different.
2. Conflict - Like any book by Scalzi, characters never fight with each other, nor do they have internal struggles. They all get along just fine.
What could have been an exploration of Zoe's conflicts with herself, her background, or the circumstances that brought to where she is, turned out to be the story of a well adjusted teen making good choices and enjoying good outcomes.
She never resents Jane's part in killing her father.
She never resents the circumstances that robbed her of her natural family.
She did not inherit her father's sense of betrayal from the CU, even though they ended up killing him.
Does she resent and blame the conclave for the death of Enso? No she does not.
Does she have a problem with her adoptive father's betrayal of the CU? Nope.
At one point Zoe recalls how the Obin killed her entire colony and left her a sole survivor. She bears them not the slightest ill will for this genocide, she doesn't even acknowledge that it's a possibility to bear such a grudge.
Because that would make her character CONFLICTED and INTERESTING and not the whistling-absently-to-herself happy go lucky charm-ball all of Scalzi's characters end up as.
How about the fact that she's subjectively older than her adoptive mother! Never brought up even once!
And Hickery and Dickery, wouldn't it have been interesting if one of them hated her guts? Forced to live with her and cater to her whims and hate her so, so much. How awesome would that have been? Oh well.
3. Substance - Nothing really happens in this book. That is, nothing that doesn't happen in Last Colony. This book is mostly snarky teens talking to each other with the Last Colony happening in the background.
There are exactly two things that happen in Zoe's Tale that happen behind the scenes in The Last Colony, I'd say they make up about 25% of this book and are definitely not worth the read because they lack any kind of suspense (see clause #1).
4. A lot of pages. It's pretty short. That's a point in its favor.
Things this book DOES have:
1. Snarky, sarcastic teens that good-naturedly make fun of each other but are really very nice people when you get to know them. Substance abuse? Sexual assaults? Racism? Who has time for all that with all this homework! These are the best behaved teenagers anywhere in the galaxy!
Again, this is not a book about mean people doing truly mean things. The meanest character in this book is as mean as some goody-shoes protagonists of other books.
2. Meaningless teenage drama of the most generic type. Reading Zoe's doomed relationship with her fling was grueling and boring as hell. Too bad it takes up a huge portion of the book.
To summarize - this book is a waste of time. It's a waste of the reader's time, it's a waste of Scalzi's time as a writer. This book does not tell anything new and it doesn't bring anything new to light.
I don't know who it's for.
You can't read this book without having read the last colony as it doesn't really elaborate on major plot points, but if you read the last colony you already know everything that's happened and all this book adds is a bunch of snarky dialogues that lead to nothing with absolutely no suspense in the thrilling bits.
Recommended for: Die-hard members of team Zoe.
I honestly don't know why this book was written.
This is a retelling of the Last Colony from Zoe's point of view. There might be compelling reasons to return to an already told narrative - to add a new perspective, to elucidate events which were unclear in the first telling, to squeeze a successful frnachise's teenage fandom for a few more bucks, etc, but besides that last point, I fail to see how Zoe's Tale achieves anything.
I'll start with what this book lacks:
1. Suspense. After having read The Last Colony, all the major plot point of Zoe's tale are already known to you. You know how it ends. You know who lives and who dies, you know everything. Zoe's Tale does not step outside the narrative, does not alter it, or makes events in The Last Colony seem different.
2. Conflict - Like any book by Scalzi, characters never fight with each other, nor do they have internal struggles. They all get along just fine.
What could have been an exploration of Zoe's conflicts with herself, her background, or the circumstances that brought to where she is, turned out to be the story of a well adjusted teen making good choices and enjoying good outcomes.
She never resents Jane's part in killing her father.
She never resents the circumstances that robbed her of her natural family.
She did not inherit her father's sense of betrayal from the CU, even though they ended up killing him.
Does she resent and blame the conclave for the death of Enso? No she does not.
Does she have a problem with her adoptive father's betrayal of the CU? Nope.
At one point Zoe recalls how the Obin killed her entire colony and left her a sole survivor. She bears them not the slightest ill will for this genocide, she doesn't even acknowledge that it's a possibility to bear such a grudge.
Because that would make her character CONFLICTED and INTERESTING and not the whistling-absently-to-herself happy go lucky charm-ball all of Scalzi's characters end up as.
How about the fact that she's subjectively older than her adoptive mother! Never brought up even once!
And Hickery and Dickery, wouldn't it have been interesting if one of them hated her guts? Forced to live with her and cater to her whims and hate her so, so much. How awesome would that have been? Oh well.
3. Substance - Nothing really happens in this book. That is, nothing that doesn't happen in Last Colony. This book is mostly snarky teens talking to each other with the Last Colony happening in the background.
There are exactly two things that happen in Zoe's Tale that happen behind the scenes in The Last Colony, I'd say they make up about 25% of this book and are definitely not worth the read because they lack any kind of suspense (see clause #1).
4. A lot of pages. It's pretty short. That's a point in its favor.
Things this book DOES have:
1. Snarky, sarcastic teens that good-naturedly make fun of each other but are really very nice people when you get to know them. Substance abuse? Sexual assaults? Racism? Who has time for all that with all this homework! These are the best behaved teenagers anywhere in the galaxy!
Again, this is not a book about mean people doing truly mean things. The meanest character in this book is as mean as some goody-shoes protagonists of other books.
2. Meaningless teenage drama of the most generic type. Reading Zoe's doomed relationship with her fling was grueling and boring as hell. Too bad it takes up a huge portion of the book.
To summarize - this book is a waste of time. It's a waste of the reader's time, it's a waste of Scalzi's time as a writer. This book does not tell anything new and it doesn't bring anything new to light.
I don't know who it's for.
You can't read this book without having read the last colony as it doesn't really elaborate on major plot points, but if you read the last colony you already know everything that's happened and all this book adds is a bunch of snarky dialogues that lead to nothing with absolutely no suspense in the thrilling bits.
Recommended for: Die-hard members of team Zoe.
June 19, 2013
Originally posted at FanLit:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Zoe’s Tale, the fourth book in John Scalzi’s OLD MAN’S WAR series, is the same story we were told in book three, The Last Colony, except it’s from Zoe’s perspective. Zoe is the 17-year-old daughter of the traitorous scientist Charles Boutin. Jane Sagan and John Perry adopted Zoe when she was a small child and they’ve been farming on one of Earth’s colonies for years. Now, though, the family is off to lead the settlers of a new colony called Roanoke (uh-oh). When they get there they realize they’ve been duped and life on Roanoke has a lot more going on than just terraforming a new planet.
While I was reading The Last Colony there were several times I wondered “what’s Zoe doing?” or “what does Zoe think about this?” or even “is Zoe the sweet innocent teenager her parents think she is?” I guess John Scalzi knew I was wondering those things, because the sole purpose of Zoe’s Tale is to let us know what Zoe was doing and thinking all this time. Thus we hear the same plot again — there isn’t really any plot progression — but we do get to know Zoe and we get information about the events that only Zoe experienced in The Last Colony. Mostly these occur at the end of the story when Zoe has a major role in saving Roanoke colony.
I liked getting to know Zoe in this novel, but I found the lack of new plot to be disappointing. I also was not convinced by Scalzi’s characterization of Zoe, mainly because she and her teenage friends banter with each other as if John Scalzi was writing their dialogue. They’re just too clever to be believed.
My favorite characters in Zoe’s Tale were Hickory and Dickory, the aliens who revere Zoe’s father and act as Zoe’s bodyguards. Their lack of a sense of humor, literal interpretation of human speech, and deadpan delivery of their lines is charming. I listened to Tavia Gilbert’s narration and she does a wonderful job with them (and Zoe and the rest of the characters, too). Hickory and Dickory also supply some background information about one of the alien races that I hope we will see more of in a future installment.
If you’re not interested in a sometimes angsty teenage girl’s perspective of the events that occurred in The Last Colony, there’s no reason to read Zoe’s Tale. If you haven’t read The Last Colony you could read Zoe’s Tale instead — you’d be caught up with the story so far. I don’t know if Scalzi plans for Zoe to be protagonist in a future book. If she is, then I’ll be glad I read this story of her childhood and teenage years.
I’m giving Zoe’s Tale 3.5 stars for those who haven’t read The Last Colony. In that case it’s an enjoyable novel with a lot of plot and some great characters. If you have read The Last Colony, I’d give this book a 3 star rating. It’s just not enough new plot.
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Zoe’s Tale, the fourth book in John Scalzi’s OLD MAN’S WAR series, is the same story we were told in book three, The Last Colony, except it’s from Zoe’s perspective. Zoe is the 17-year-old daughter of the traitorous scientist Charles Boutin. Jane Sagan and John Perry adopted Zoe when she was a small child and they’ve been farming on one of Earth’s colonies for years. Now, though, the family is off to lead the settlers of a new colony called Roanoke (uh-oh). When they get there they realize they’ve been duped and life on Roanoke has a lot more going on than just terraforming a new planet.
While I was reading The Last Colony there were several times I wondered “what’s Zoe doing?” or “what does Zoe think about this?” or even “is Zoe the sweet innocent teenager her parents think she is?” I guess John Scalzi knew I was wondering those things, because the sole purpose of Zoe’s Tale is to let us know what Zoe was doing and thinking all this time. Thus we hear the same plot again — there isn’t really any plot progression — but we do get to know Zoe and we get information about the events that only Zoe experienced in The Last Colony. Mostly these occur at the end of the story when Zoe has a major role in saving Roanoke colony.
I liked getting to know Zoe in this novel, but I found the lack of new plot to be disappointing. I also was not convinced by Scalzi’s characterization of Zoe, mainly because she and her teenage friends banter with each other as if John Scalzi was writing their dialogue. They’re just too clever to be believed.
My favorite characters in Zoe’s Tale were Hickory and Dickory, the aliens who revere Zoe’s father and act as Zoe’s bodyguards. Their lack of a sense of humor, literal interpretation of human speech, and deadpan delivery of their lines is charming. I listened to Tavia Gilbert’s narration and she does a wonderful job with them (and Zoe and the rest of the characters, too). Hickory and Dickory also supply some background information about one of the alien races that I hope we will see more of in a future installment.
If you’re not interested in a sometimes angsty teenage girl’s perspective of the events that occurred in The Last Colony, there’s no reason to read Zoe’s Tale. If you haven’t read The Last Colony you could read Zoe’s Tale instead — you’d be caught up with the story so far. I don’t know if Scalzi plans for Zoe to be protagonist in a future book. If she is, then I’ll be glad I read this story of her childhood and teenage years.
I’m giving Zoe’s Tale 3.5 stars for those who haven’t read The Last Colony. In that case it’s an enjoyable novel with a lot of plot and some great characters. If you have read The Last Colony, I’d give this book a 3 star rating. It’s just not enough new plot.
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