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Ventura Saga #1
Eenzaam en extreem ver weg
''Wij zijn een interstellaire generatie. Wij hebben de aarde nooit gezien en wij zullen onze bestemming ook nooit bereiken.''
Seren leeft aan boord van de Ventura, een ruimteschip van de NASA. De bemanning omvat meerdere generaties en is op weg naar de dichtstbijzijnde bewoonbare planeet. Haar generatie werd aan boord geboren, heeft de aarde nooit gekend, maar zal ook de eindbestemming niet bereiken. Haar leven speelt zich af aan boord van de Ventura, en iets anders zal ze nooit kennen. Seren worstelt met de zin van het leven en vraagt zich af wat het doel is van haar bestaan.
Maar als Dom in haar leven komt verandert alles. Bij hem voelt ze zich zoals ze zich nog nooit eerder heeft gevoeld; hij begrijpt haar. Hun liefde is sterk, maar ook compleet onmogelijk door de strikte regels aan boord. Uiteindelijk zullen ze moeten kiezen: trouw zijn aan aan het enige huis dat ze ooit hebben gekend of aan elkaar?
Seren leeft aan boord van de Ventura, een ruimteschip van de NASA. De bemanning omvat meerdere generaties en is op weg naar de dichtstbijzijnde bewoonbare planeet. Haar generatie werd aan boord geboren, heeft de aarde nooit gekend, maar zal ook de eindbestemming niet bereiken. Haar leven speelt zich af aan boord van de Ventura, en iets anders zal ze nooit kennen. Seren worstelt met de zin van het leven en vraagt zich af wat het doel is van haar bestaan.
Maar als Dom in haar leven komt verandert alles. Bij hem voelt ze zich zoals ze zich nog nooit eerder heeft gevoeld; hij begrijpt haar. Hun liefde is sterk, maar ook compleet onmogelijk door de strikte regels aan boord. Uiteindelijk zullen ze moeten kiezen: trouw zijn aan aan het enige huis dat ze ooit hebben gekend of aan elkaar?
271 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2016
39 people are currently reading
3673 people want to read
About the author
Kate Ling
5 books61 followersSecondary school librarian by day, YA author by night (The Loneliness of Distant Beings, The Glow of Fallen Stars, The Truth of Different Skies). Avid reader whenever I get the chance. Running on the seafront and the eating of prawns on an ad-hoc basis.
Follow @katelingauthor on Twitter and Instagram. Website: www.kateling.co.uk. Read my book reviews on my blog www.kateling.co.uk/blog
Follow @katelingauthor on Twitter and Instagram. Website: www.kateling.co.uk. Read my book reviews on my blog www.kateling.co.uk/blog
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
March 3, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley.)
This was a YA sci-fi/romance story, featuring a group of people living on a space ship.
Seren was a girl who spoke out about her thoughts and didn’t care what other people thought, even when it got her into big trouble. Dom was a more reserved character and thought about consequences first, it just wasn’t possible for him to keep Seren in line though!
The storyline in this reminded me a bit of ‘Across the Universe’ only without the cryogenically frozen scientists. Partners were picked for people by computers, and not going along the computers choice was not allowed at all, so Seren and Dom had no chance of being together without facing harsh punishments, so this was a bit of a forbidden romance. Seren and Dom were cute together though, and it was terrible the way they weren’t allowed to be together.
The ending to this was pretty action packed, and left me thinking ‘wow’.
8 out of 10
“We are responsible for our own survival, for the survival of our species. And it is our duty, every one of ours, to make that our priority.”
This was a YA sci-fi/romance story, featuring a group of people living on a space ship.
Seren was a girl who spoke out about her thoughts and didn’t care what other people thought, even when it got her into big trouble. Dom was a more reserved character and thought about consequences first, it just wasn’t possible for him to keep Seren in line though!
“It’s perfection.”
“Or another thing that’s suspiciously convenient.”
The storyline in this reminded me a bit of ‘Across the Universe’ only without the cryogenically frozen scientists. Partners were picked for people by computers, and not going along the computers choice was not allowed at all, so Seren and Dom had no chance of being together without facing harsh punishments, so this was a bit of a forbidden romance. Seren and Dom were cute together though, and it was terrible the way they weren’t allowed to be together.
“And then it’s happening: we’re kissing. And right then I know that I am his and always will be. Always was.”
The ending to this was pretty action packed, and left me thinking ‘wow’.
8 out of 10
May 20, 2016
“I want you here. I don't care if it's a hundred degrees and every blade of grass dies. Without you, none of that matters to me.”
----Kami Garcia
Kate Ling, an English author pens a heart-touching and fascinating YA science-fiction in her debut book, The Loneliness of Distant Beings that narrates the story of a young teenager who longs to live life in her own way not by the rules set by the leader of the spaceship that she and her family has been resident of for hundreds of years and will be for the next six hundred years. But the grim and strict orders and rules must be followed by the residents, even though they seem a bit meaningless and disobeying those rules might jeopardize the free existence of the residents.
Synopsis:
'It is that quick, it is that strong, it is that beautiful. And it is also totally impossible.'
Even though she knows it's impossible, Seren longs to have the sunshine on her skin. It's something she feels she needs to stay sane. But when you're floating through space at thousands of kilometers an hour, sometimes you have to accept there are things you cannot change.
Except that the arrival of Dom in her life changes everything in ways she can barely comprehend. For a while he becomes the Sun for her; and she can't help but stay in his orbit. Being with him flaunts every rule designed to keep their home in order, but to lose him would be like losing herself.
In the end they must decide what is most important: loyalty to the only home they've ever known, or to each other?
Seren has forever lived with her father, elder sister and grandfather aboard the spaceship, Ventura, travelling at a speed more than one thousand km/hr through the dark space to cover the 700 years long journey to a planet which they are going to inhabit. And the residents of this spaceship need to abide by the rules set by the leader of the ship and disobeying those rules might imperil their freedom in the ship. There are so many systems set on the spaceship that are supposed to make the lives of the residents balanced and organized, like the Breeding Program which is supposed to ensure the heritage and the proper lives of the future generation which is done by the help of the computer, a complete random selection of two partners after their basic graduation. And the residents are supposed to work in the spaceship like in the manufacturing or farming or nursing departments and the teenagers are recruited in one of such department after their graduation.
Due to Seren's deteriorating mental health, a.k.a, depression, Seren has been assigned to go see the doctor, where she met the boy, who stole her heart at the very first glance- Dom. Yes, he is the guy who will make her breathe finally in this stale air and will make her chant her name. But there's a slight problem, Seren has been partnered next to the boy, Ezra, who is the spaceship leader's son. And they are supposed to get married soon. And now that Dom has entered her life, it is impossible for Seren to settle with Ezra.
Well the world building is done quite strikingly by the author, as she has not left any gaps while explaining life aboard the spaceship and the logic and the reasons behind it. The world development has depth and edge that are bound to make the readers connect with this fictional situation. The book's cover image is another such aspect which gives the readers an arresting feel towards the story. Moreover, the author has aptly captured that cover image and the readers will get an idea about it as soon as they start reading the book.
The author's writing style is eloquent and is laced with deep, heart-felt emotions considering the fact that the book is a part love story between Dom and Seren. The narrative is equally engaging and free-flowing and will immediately catch the attention of the readers and will beg them to stay glued to this intriguing yet heart-touching story. The pacing is quite fat and swift and moves smoothly with the events and the twists of the story. Right from the opening page itself, the story is highly addictive and will keep the readers' minds curious with such an innovative story line.
There are some major twists and turns which are quite hard to anticipate and predict and they make the story even more enchanting and thrilling. There are lots of action scenes which are depicted vividly by the author which are bound to make the readers feel that adrenaline rush through their skin. Hats off to this author for giving birth to such an unique and exciting and challenging story line and not only that, but also delivering it successfully with so much flair.
The characters in this book are not only interesting and dynamic but are drawn from realism even though they are traveling aboard a spaceship through time and space. The main character, Seren, is not a perfect heroine material as she is highly relatable, flawed as she is suffering from mental problems, and rebellious. She feels suffocated in the spaceship thus she loves to break those hard laws at all time, especially when she falls for Dom, it becomes her mission to go against the whole breeding program. Seren speaks openly about her thoughts and her fearless attitude makes her highly likable character for the readers.
Dom, on the other hand, is an exact opposite of Seren, although he too disapproves the hard laws of the spaceship, but he knows how to keep his thoughts to himself and to be caring and to open up to Seren about the secrets harbored by the spaceship and their actual motive. Dom is an adorable, dark and broody character, who will easily warm up to the hearts of the readers. The supporting cast are very much well-developed but they share very little time in the story, and it could have been much better if Erza or his mother or his brother, Jonah, could share some scenes in the story.
The love story between Dom and Seren is portrayed with lots of feels, emotions and passion. It feels like the author has poured out her best emotions while penning the cute yet moving love story between Dom and Seren, that is bound to make the readers deeply root for both the characters' union till the very end. The author throws a lot of challenges on their way to make their love realistic and hard.
In a nutshell, this is a must-read page-turner which will not only captivate the readers but will also provoke their best thoughts about this story.
Verdict: One of the most compelling and gripping YA science fiction story that I have read in a long while.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Hachette India for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
----Kami Garcia
Kate Ling, an English author pens a heart-touching and fascinating YA science-fiction in her debut book, The Loneliness of Distant Beings that narrates the story of a young teenager who longs to live life in her own way not by the rules set by the leader of the spaceship that she and her family has been resident of for hundreds of years and will be for the next six hundred years. But the grim and strict orders and rules must be followed by the residents, even though they seem a bit meaningless and disobeying those rules might jeopardize the free existence of the residents.
Synopsis:
'It is that quick, it is that strong, it is that beautiful. And it is also totally impossible.'
Even though she knows it's impossible, Seren longs to have the sunshine on her skin. It's something she feels she needs to stay sane. But when you're floating through space at thousands of kilometers an hour, sometimes you have to accept there are things you cannot change.
Except that the arrival of Dom in her life changes everything in ways she can barely comprehend. For a while he becomes the Sun for her; and she can't help but stay in his orbit. Being with him flaunts every rule designed to keep their home in order, but to lose him would be like losing herself.
In the end they must decide what is most important: loyalty to the only home they've ever known, or to each other?
Seren has forever lived with her father, elder sister and grandfather aboard the spaceship, Ventura, travelling at a speed more than one thousand km/hr through the dark space to cover the 700 years long journey to a planet which they are going to inhabit. And the residents of this spaceship need to abide by the rules set by the leader of the ship and disobeying those rules might imperil their freedom in the ship. There are so many systems set on the spaceship that are supposed to make the lives of the residents balanced and organized, like the Breeding Program which is supposed to ensure the heritage and the proper lives of the future generation which is done by the help of the computer, a complete random selection of two partners after their basic graduation. And the residents are supposed to work in the spaceship like in the manufacturing or farming or nursing departments and the teenagers are recruited in one of such department after their graduation.
Due to Seren's deteriorating mental health, a.k.a, depression, Seren has been assigned to go see the doctor, where she met the boy, who stole her heart at the very first glance- Dom. Yes, he is the guy who will make her breathe finally in this stale air and will make her chant her name. But there's a slight problem, Seren has been partnered next to the boy, Ezra, who is the spaceship leader's son. And they are supposed to get married soon. And now that Dom has entered her life, it is impossible for Seren to settle with Ezra.
Well the world building is done quite strikingly by the author, as she has not left any gaps while explaining life aboard the spaceship and the logic and the reasons behind it. The world development has depth and edge that are bound to make the readers connect with this fictional situation. The book's cover image is another such aspect which gives the readers an arresting feel towards the story. Moreover, the author has aptly captured that cover image and the readers will get an idea about it as soon as they start reading the book.
The author's writing style is eloquent and is laced with deep, heart-felt emotions considering the fact that the book is a part love story between Dom and Seren. The narrative is equally engaging and free-flowing and will immediately catch the attention of the readers and will beg them to stay glued to this intriguing yet heart-touching story. The pacing is quite fat and swift and moves smoothly with the events and the twists of the story. Right from the opening page itself, the story is highly addictive and will keep the readers' minds curious with such an innovative story line.
There are some major twists and turns which are quite hard to anticipate and predict and they make the story even more enchanting and thrilling. There are lots of action scenes which are depicted vividly by the author which are bound to make the readers feel that adrenaline rush through their skin. Hats off to this author for giving birth to such an unique and exciting and challenging story line and not only that, but also delivering it successfully with so much flair.
The characters in this book are not only interesting and dynamic but are drawn from realism even though they are traveling aboard a spaceship through time and space. The main character, Seren, is not a perfect heroine material as she is highly relatable, flawed as she is suffering from mental problems, and rebellious. She feels suffocated in the spaceship thus she loves to break those hard laws at all time, especially when she falls for Dom, it becomes her mission to go against the whole breeding program. Seren speaks openly about her thoughts and her fearless attitude makes her highly likable character for the readers.
Dom, on the other hand, is an exact opposite of Seren, although he too disapproves the hard laws of the spaceship, but he knows how to keep his thoughts to himself and to be caring and to open up to Seren about the secrets harbored by the spaceship and their actual motive. Dom is an adorable, dark and broody character, who will easily warm up to the hearts of the readers. The supporting cast are very much well-developed but they share very little time in the story, and it could have been much better if Erza or his mother or his brother, Jonah, could share some scenes in the story.
The love story between Dom and Seren is portrayed with lots of feels, emotions and passion. It feels like the author has poured out her best emotions while penning the cute yet moving love story between Dom and Seren, that is bound to make the readers deeply root for both the characters' union till the very end. The author throws a lot of challenges on their way to make their love realistic and hard.
In a nutshell, this is a must-read page-turner which will not only captivate the readers but will also provoke their best thoughts about this story.
Verdict: One of the most compelling and gripping YA science fiction story that I have read in a long while.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Hachette India for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 20, 2017
4 sehr gute Sterne von mir! Ich mochte das Buch von Anfang an. Die Idee hat mich total gefesselt und ich konnte Seren absolut nachvollziehen. An manchen Stellen war es mir leider etwas zu schnulzig, aber es ist nun mal ein Jugendbuch und es geht natürlich auch um die Liebe ... Gegen Ende wurde es nochmal richtig spannend und ich freue mich tierisch auf Band 2!! :)
July 5, 2016
Eenzaam en extreem ver weg begon wat te zoetsappig naar mijn smaak, maar gaandeweg werd het verhaal steeds spannender. Ondanks een extreme vorm van insta love heb ik zeker van het verhaal genoten; de wereld van het ruimteschip was erg interessant en zit tot in de details goed in elkaar. Het einde was ietwat voorspelbaar, maar tegelijkertijd heel spannend. Ben ik trouwens de enige die Seren met Ezra shipt? ;)
Mijn complete recensie vind je op Oog op de Toekomst.
Mijn complete recensie vind je op Oog op de Toekomst.
January 24, 2021
I'm bored so this seems like a good time to review the
worst
book I've read this year. Let's go!
I thought this would turn out to be a super cool, highly underrated, sci-fi story. I couldn't have been more wrong.
The author's writing is comparable to Wattpad fanfiction written by a 12-year-old.
There may be spoilers below. If anyone even plans on reading this poor excuse of a book, that is.
There are so many problematic things in this book. We barely know anything about Seren, the disappointing main character, apart from the fact that she is madly in love with her soulmate, Dom. What even drew her to Dom that after a few meetings they fall for each other? All the author has bothered to describe, in excruciating detail, is their smutty escapades. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO A LOVE STORY THAN MAKING OUT. (I think. I don't really read romance.) Also, I hate anything that involves cheating, so there's that.
Why does she have a rocky relationship with her family? What mental condition does she have? What really happened to her mother? Why was Seren so immature and dramatic, especially when she was in the "jail", that she can't live without Dom and blah blah blah. (If any of this was blatantly answered in the novel, I must have missed it.)
And - how was this book even published???
The author tried so hard to make Seren stand out and be "not like other girls", that she's pathetically characterless.
The setting was unique (not really, Carve The Mark, anyone?) and that's the only mildly interesting thing about this boring book.
The only reason(s) I finished this book -
(1) I don't dnf books. Well I've only dnfed one book. (An Abundance of Katherines takes the prize!)
(2) There was a raging super cyclone outside and I thought I'd take comfort in a new book. Worst. Decision. Ever.
Don't read it if you want to preserve your sanity.
And I'm sorry if this was too harsh haha.
I thought this would turn out to be a super cool, highly underrated, sci-fi story. I couldn't have been more wrong.
The author's writing is comparable to Wattpad fanfiction written by a 12-year-old.
There may be spoilers below. If anyone even plans on reading this poor excuse of a book, that is.
There are so many problematic things in this book. We barely know anything about Seren, the disappointing main character, apart from the fact that she is madly in love with her soulmate, Dom. What even drew her to Dom that after a few meetings they fall for each other? All the author has bothered to describe, in excruciating detail, is their smutty escapades. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO A LOVE STORY THAN MAKING OUT. (I think. I don't really read romance.) Also, I hate anything that involves cheating, so there's that.
Why does she have a rocky relationship with her family? What mental condition does she have? What really happened to her mother? Why was Seren so immature and dramatic, especially when she was in the "jail", that she can't live without Dom and blah blah blah. (If any of this was blatantly answered in the novel, I must have missed it.)
And - how was this book even published???
The author tried so hard to make Seren stand out and be "not like other girls", that she's pathetically characterless.
The setting was unique (not really, Carve The Mark, anyone?) and that's the only mildly interesting thing about this boring book.
The only reason(s) I finished this book -
(1) I don't dnf books. Well I've only dnfed one book. (An Abundance of Katherines takes the prize!)
(2) There was a raging super cyclone outside and I thought I'd take comfort in a new book. Worst. Decision. Ever.
Don't read it if you want to preserve your sanity.
And I'm sorry if this was too harsh haha.
June 18, 2016
Seren was born on a spaceship and, along with her entire family, she knows it is where she will die. Her ancestors volunteered to take part in a deep space mission expected to last over 700 years in order to investigate a signal received by earth and hopefully make first contact with a new alien species. Life on the spaceship is strictly regimented, jobs are assigned according to skills and even your future partner is selected by a computer program designed to ensure genetic diversity. Children aren't conceived naturally which enables them to control the number of boys and girls that will be born to each generation and life partners are expected to do their duty and procreate as required. It's not a life that many people would choose to live but it's all Seren has ever known and the only option she has.
Everything starts to change when Seren falls in love with Dom, a young man who isn't her assigned life partner. The couple fight back against the system that wants to keep them apart but they have no idea how much danger they are facing. Their attempts to be together start a chain of events that nobody could have predicted and nothing will be the same for the couple ever again.
I have really mixed feelings about The Loneliness of Distant Beings, on one hand it makes some really interesting observations about free will and being able to choose your own destiny but on the other it has one of the worst cases of insta-love I've come across in a long time. I wasn't the biggest fan of the relationship between Seren and Dom, it happened so quickly that I never fully believed in it and because of that I was never fully invested in them as a couple no matter how much they went through to be together. Seren can be quite childish at times and she was also quite selfish and uncaring about the effect her actions would have on the people around her. While I could understand her fight for the right to make her own choices I didn't like the way she was so negative about people who had managed to make peace with their path in life and find happiness where they could. She was particularly mean about her sister when as far as I could tell her sister had never done anything to deserve it.
Although I wasn't completely invested in the relationship side of things I did find this an incredibly quick and quite addictive read. I whizzed through it in no time and I did really like the way the author tackled issues like the lack of free will the citizens on board were given. It was such an interesting concept that your ancestors could have signed up for a deep space mission and given up all sense of freedom for many generations to come. They are on a mission following an unknown signal that they still haven't been able to decode over 90 years after first receiving it and they know it's going to take them at least 350 years to reach the source of the signal and can hope to get any answers. I'm really not sure what to make of that ending either. It wasn't the outcome I was expecting and if this turns out to be the first book in the series then I'm definitely going to have to buy the sequel to see what happens next.
The Loneliness of Distant Beings is an interesting read and I do think it has potential as the start of a series, I just wish the author had taken more time developing the relationship between Seren and Dom so I could give it a higher rating.
Source: Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review
Everything starts to change when Seren falls in love with Dom, a young man who isn't her assigned life partner. The couple fight back against the system that wants to keep them apart but they have no idea how much danger they are facing. Their attempts to be together start a chain of events that nobody could have predicted and nothing will be the same for the couple ever again.
I have really mixed feelings about The Loneliness of Distant Beings, on one hand it makes some really interesting observations about free will and being able to choose your own destiny but on the other it has one of the worst cases of insta-love I've come across in a long time. I wasn't the biggest fan of the relationship between Seren and Dom, it happened so quickly that I never fully believed in it and because of that I was never fully invested in them as a couple no matter how much they went through to be together. Seren can be quite childish at times and she was also quite selfish and uncaring about the effect her actions would have on the people around her. While I could understand her fight for the right to make her own choices I didn't like the way she was so negative about people who had managed to make peace with their path in life and find happiness where they could. She was particularly mean about her sister when as far as I could tell her sister had never done anything to deserve it.
Although I wasn't completely invested in the relationship side of things I did find this an incredibly quick and quite addictive read. I whizzed through it in no time and I did really like the way the author tackled issues like the lack of free will the citizens on board were given. It was such an interesting concept that your ancestors could have signed up for a deep space mission and given up all sense of freedom for many generations to come. They are on a mission following an unknown signal that they still haven't been able to decode over 90 years after first receiving it and they know it's going to take them at least 350 years to reach the source of the signal and can hope to get any answers. I'm really not sure what to make of that ending either. It wasn't the outcome I was expecting and if this turns out to be the first book in the series then I'm definitely going to have to buy the sequel to see what happens next.
The Loneliness of Distant Beings is an interesting read and I do think it has potential as the start of a series, I just wish the author had taken more time developing the relationship between Seren and Dom so I could give it a higher rating.
Source: Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review
June 17, 2016
I'm at a loss to explain how this got published, except that YA sci- fi in space is huge right now, so I guess anything will do.
Romance novels usually have a bit more substance to them than the romance. The main character lives and breathes independently of their love. Seren, the main character in this book, does not. She's a mood-killer for the first few pages before falling in love (yeah, it happens that fast), and after that she's utterly boring. There are too many descriptions of her thinking about or engaging in kissing and heavy petting with the love of her life to bear. She isn't interested in anything else apart from sometimes looking out of windows into space.
Let's go back to that falling in love thing first. The author tries to show how self-aware she is by having Seren acknowledge how cliche/typical it is when she's paired with the guy she hates the most for the community's breeding programme. But that's not a get out of jail card for the next few pages when Seren suddenly notices Domingo for the first time (even though it's a spaceship with limited, well, space) and falls immediately in love. This would only be acceptable if the book was meant to be some satirical postmodern literary work. But it's not. It's YA, and readers of YA deserve far better.
The book is just so, so boring. Scene after scene of Seren being told she has to pair with Ezra, then going off to canoodle with Dom. And here's the thing - Seren and Dom's lust and love for each other is so full-on, so frequently and heavily described, that it feels utterly hollow. There is never any actual sense of romance. This book is one big tell, without any show. And that's not even counting the terrible way the author forces intimacy, for example:
"... because he can he's only smiling at her, pulling on the front of his cap so that it shifts up and down on his head, something I've never actually seen him do before [because they've known each other for about a week] but which I feel instinctively he does when he's uncomfortable".
There are so many other problems with this book. The spaceship setting is poorly realised, Seren's home so difficult to picture and feel; and hinted-at themes of oppression and religion, usually such rich fare for sci-fi, are never anything more than wafer-thin. I also think it's insulting and cynical of the publishers to have said on the back of the advanced reader copy that the book "touches on the theme of mental health". It doesn't. Seren behaves and thinks like any human would do in her situation (not being allowed to be with the love of her life). That isn't mental illness. If you want a YA book that actually deals with mental illness and actually cares, try "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" or "The Rest of Us Just Live Here".
The only good thing about this book is the cover.
Romance novels usually have a bit more substance to them than the romance. The main character lives and breathes independently of their love. Seren, the main character in this book, does not. She's a mood-killer for the first few pages before falling in love (yeah, it happens that fast), and after that she's utterly boring. There are too many descriptions of her thinking about or engaging in kissing and heavy petting with the love of her life to bear. She isn't interested in anything else apart from sometimes looking out of windows into space.
Let's go back to that falling in love thing first. The author tries to show how self-aware she is by having Seren acknowledge how cliche/typical it is when she's paired with the guy she hates the most for the community's breeding programme. But that's not a get out of jail card for the next few pages when Seren suddenly notices Domingo for the first time (even though it's a spaceship with limited, well, space) and falls immediately in love. This would only be acceptable if the book was meant to be some satirical postmodern literary work. But it's not. It's YA, and readers of YA deserve far better.
The book is just so, so boring. Scene after scene of Seren being told she has to pair with Ezra, then going off to canoodle with Dom. And here's the thing - Seren and Dom's lust and love for each other is so full-on, so frequently and heavily described, that it feels utterly hollow. There is never any actual sense of romance. This book is one big tell, without any show. And that's not even counting the terrible way the author forces intimacy, for example:
"... because he can he's only smiling at her, pulling on the front of his cap so that it shifts up and down on his head, something I've never actually seen him do before [because they've known each other for about a week] but which I feel instinctively he does when he's uncomfortable".
There are so many other problems with this book. The spaceship setting is poorly realised, Seren's home so difficult to picture and feel; and hinted-at themes of oppression and religion, usually such rich fare for sci-fi, are never anything more than wafer-thin. I also think it's insulting and cynical of the publishers to have said on the back of the advanced reader copy that the book "touches on the theme of mental health". It doesn't. Seren behaves and thinks like any human would do in her situation (not being allowed to be with the love of her life). That isn't mental illness. If you want a YA book that actually deals with mental illness and actually cares, try "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" or "The Rest of Us Just Live Here".
The only good thing about this book is the cover.
July 11, 2016
I first heard about this book when all the Bookstagrammers from The Netherlands I follow posted this book and it looks so amazing! I wanted to know what it was about, and I really liked the blurb. I got excited, I love SciFi-ish books!
But by now a lot of those people have read this book and were a bit dissapointed. It was more of a lovestory than the SciFi-story they (and I) expected. So now I don't know what to expect anymore, but at least I'm a bit prepared :)
I really liked the Sci-Fi idea of this book, but it is kind of average, the between-generation and the problem of finding meaning in your life, and how to deal with the rules on the spaceship. The lovestory was a bit to goody-goody for my taste.
I really liked how everything turned out! There was some more technical stuff at the end, which really pleased me. I am curious for the sequel!
If you like this, you should definitely go and read The 100 series!
I noticed I really liked the SciFi-ish parts in this, and really disliked the emphasis on the love story. Maybe I should go and read more non-YA SciFi. Any recommendations?
But by now a lot of those people have read this book and were a bit dissapointed. It was more of a lovestory than the SciFi-story they (and I) expected. So now I don't know what to expect anymore, but at least I'm a bit prepared :)
I really liked the Sci-Fi idea of this book, but it is kind of average, the between-generation and the problem of finding meaning in your life, and how to deal with the rules on the spaceship. The lovestory was a bit to goody-goody for my taste.
I really liked how everything turned out! There was some more technical stuff at the end, which really pleased me. I am curious for the sequel!
If you like this, you should definitely go and read The 100 series!
I noticed I really liked the SciFi-ish parts in this, and really disliked the emphasis on the love story. Maybe I should go and read more non-YA SciFi. Any recommendations?
June 21, 2018
Das Buch ist definitiv Kitsch pur. 100%. Allerdings konnte es mich unterhalten, ich mag das Setting und wie alles abläuft. Den Schreibstil mochte ich gerne.
Eigentlich mag ich gar nicht so kritisch sein, aber meine innere Stimme schreit mich schon an. Also rein theoretisch ist das alles der größte Mist und Kitsch und ich verstehe viele Sachen nicht aber.. ein Teil von mir mag die Geschichte einfach. Fertig.
Eigentlich mag ich gar nicht so kritisch sein, aber meine innere Stimme schreit mich schon an. Also rein theoretisch ist das alles der größte Mist und Kitsch und ich verstehe viele Sachen nicht aber.. ein Teil von mir mag die Geschichte einfach. Fertig.
![Profile Image for Tina [kupfermuenze].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1735673938i%2F63316474._UY200_CR20%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 31, 2018
Oh, wie toll.
Ich möche die Reihe unbedingt weiterlesen.
Ich möche die Reihe unbedingt weiterlesen.
May 8, 2017
Kitaba daha başlarken kitabı sevmeyeceğimi anlamıştım fakat kitaba bir 100 sayfa şans tanımadan yarım bırakmak istemedim, sonra da kitap en başta korktuğumdan biraz daha iyi gider gibi olduğu için okumaya devam ettim. Aklımdaki düşünce şuydu: “Zaten 324 sayfa, hızlı bir şekilde biter.”
Hızlı bir şekilde bitti bitmesine de... ne gerek vardı ki şimdi bunu okumaya?
Beni bilen bilir, bunu kitap sohbetlerinde ara sıra dile getiririm, düzgün ele alınmış klişeler hoşuma gider yer yer. Ama bu kitap cidden çok kötüydü. Ayrıca, ondan 6 yıl sonra yayınlandığı halde bana yer yer Matched'i hatırlattı ve benzerlikleri, Uzak Varlıkların Yalnızlığı’nın orijinal bir kurgu olmasını engelleyecek kadar fazla. (Kaldı ki, bu benzerlikler olmasaydı bile bu kitabı "orijinal bir kurgu" olarak nitelendirmezdim.)
İki kitapta da,
- gelecekte geçen bir distopya
- hayatın, yöneticiler tarafından katı kurallarla belirlendiği bir toplum
- gelecekteki eşini senin için seçen bir sistem
- kural ihlali durumunda dramatik katı kurallar
- ve tabii ki de “yasak aşk” adı altında kural ihlali
var.
Ya her şeyi geçtim, Matched olmasaydı bile Kate Ling gerçekten bu kitabın özgün olduğunu düşünmüş mü acaba yazarken? Hayır kitapta şaşırtıcı hiçbir şey olmadı. Daha en başından,
- Ezra'nın aslında kötü ve kendini beğenmiş biri olmadığı, sadece aile baskısı nedeniyle hayatta kalmanın ve yaşamını sürdürmenin bir yolu olarak bunu seçtiği
- Seren'in tam bir geri zekalı olduğu
- Dom’la bir ilişkiyi sürdürürse Seren ve ikisinin başının belaya gireceği ve bunun çok kötü sonuçları olacağı,
- Bu durumu yaşayan tek kişinin Seren olmadığı (ve başka insanların da “doğru olmayan kişiye” zaman zaman aşık olduğu),
- Kitabın sonunda mutlu mesut yaşayacaklar9 (ya da en azından yanarak ölmeyecekleri),
- Bu kitabın baştan sona klişe olduğu,
o kadar belliydi ki, son 50-60 sayfaya kadar okumayı başardıktan sonra artık gözlerim kanamaya başlamıştı. “Yeter,” diyorlardı. “Okuma artık şunu Ezgi. Bize yazık değil mi?”
Hayır bir de işin komik yanı, Seren daha 16 yaşında ve o kadar sinir bozucu ki, tüm kitap boyunca kızı sarsmak istedim. Ona göre “gemide onlara verilen sıkıcı hayatı sorgulamayan/kabul eden” herkes aptal. Ablası aptal, babası aptal, bir zamanlar yakın arkadaşı olan Emme aptal (çünkü o da bu hayattan memnun ve Ezra Lomax’la “eşleşmek” istiyor).
Ya tamam, 16 yaş ergenliğin tepede olduğu bir yaş fakat bu kızın bu halleri beni gerçekten çıldırttı. Dedim “Acaba depresyonda mı?” çünkü eğer öyle bir şey olsaydı çekilmez yanlarını kabul edip devam edecektim. (Kitap da bana depresyonu düşündürdü çünkü hikayenin açılışı, kızın büyük-büyükannesinin cenazesiydi, sonra hep mutsuz olduğundan ve Sağlık’a gitmesi gerektiğinden, herkesin onu “deli” olarak gördüğünden falan bahsetti.) Ama depresyonda gibi değildi kitapta?
Yani eğer depresyondaysa bilemiyorum, belki öyledir. (Bir an emin olamadı.)
Bir de şey çok komikti. Şimdi kızın en sonunda patladığı ve kendisiyle Dom arasındaki ilişkiyi, Ezra ile olan düğününden kaçarak tamamen ifşa ettiği noktada, şöyle bir şey diyor Dom:
Bu noktada Dom eğer gerçek bir insan olsaydı, suratına güler ve “Seren’in ne yeteneğini, ne aklını gördün ki?” derdim. Haksız da olmazdım.
İspanyolca bilen, konuşan, Dom.
Gitar çalabilen, şarkı yazabilen, Dom.
Hayata dair (göreceli olarak) daha sağlam fikirleri olan yine Dom.
Seren kitap boyunca sorun çıkartmak dışında ne yaptı ki? Hiçbir şey. Okulu yeni bitirmiş (kitap buna Eğitim adını vermiş, harika bir hayal gücü gerçekten) ve hiçbir şey yapmıyor. Yemek otomatı doldurma işine tayin ediliyor. Bunun çok yetenek ya da akıl gerektiren bir iş olduğunu da sanmıyorum.
Ha belki “sıkıcı hayatı istememek” ve dışarıda bir yerlerde “daha güzel” bir şeyler olduğuna dair hayal kurmak burada Seren’in akıllı olarak nitelendirilmesine neden olmuş olabilir, inanırım, ama bence kızın kitap boyunca verdiği kararlar baştan sona aptalcaydı. Kendisini tehlikeye attığı yetmedi, deliler gibi aşık olduğu Dom’u da tehlikeye attı. Çocuk ölüme bile mahkum edilebilirdi.
Tamam, kız 16 yaşında ve aptalca kararlar almasını anlayabiliyorum ama kitap bunu bana “sıradan olmamak” ya da “cesur olmak” ya da “akıllı olmak” gibi saçma sapan şekillerde sunmaya kalmasaydı keşke. Akıl bu mu? Ya bu tarz kitapların mantığının otoriteye karşı gelmek ve kazanmak olduğunu anlıyorum, yıllardır da böyle, Açlık Oyunları ve Uyumsuz’dan beri belki, belki de daha öncesinden, ama buradaki hikaye beni kanser etti okurken.
Belki eşlerinin onlar için seçiliyor olmasına ve 16-17 yaşlarındaki kızların hamile kalmasına bir itirazları olmamasına, hatta bunu desteklemelerine karşı başka bir hikaye olsaydı, kabul edebilirdim. Ama burada Seren’in karşı çıktığı şey bunlar değildi, tam olarak değil en azından. Karşı çıktığı şey, şımarık bir çocuk gibi, aşık olduktan sonra aşkının elinden alınması ve zorla başkasıyla “evlendirilmeye” çalışılmasıydı. Yani demek istediğim, aşık olmasaydı bütün bunlarla derdi pek yoktu.
Ki ben kitap içindeki sistemin de çok açığı olduğunu düşündüm. Neden Seren’in bir an önce hamileliğe başlamasını istiyorlar? Neden insanların onlar için seçilen insanla birlikte olmaları önemli? Yani seçimlerin neye göre yapıldığını asla açıklamadılar.
Maksat bir kız-bir erkek ise, neden birbirinden memnun olmayan çiftler başkalarıyla eşleşmek için başvuruda bulunamıyor?
Maksat katılımsal olarak yüksek verim almaksa, neden insanlar zaten lab ortamında döllenen yumurtalarla hamile kalıyorken, kişinin hayatının kiminle geçirdiği önemli? İnsanlar sevişerek hamile kalmıyor ki?
Maksat Seren ve Ezra’nın aileleri arasındaki bir “birleşme” ise, neden gemideki diğer herkes de bu duruma tabiiydi?
Falan da filan. Aklımda deli sorular. Hepsini tek tek yazmayacağım. Çünkü sıkıldım, çünkü yoruldum, çünkü artık başka kitaba geçip bu saçmalığı arkamda bırakmak istiyorum.
Yayınevi gönderdi ve okumazsam ayıp olur diye düşünerek elime almıştım. Sevmeyeceğimi düşünüyordum, haklı çıktım. “Okumamak mı, okuyup kötü yorum yapmak mı?” ikilemi arasında gidip gelirken Kristal Kitap’la konuştum, o da bana bazı şeyleri hatırlattı. Ben de en azından kitaba bir şans vererek, önyargılarım belki yanlış çıkar ve severim üzerinden okumaya karar verdim.
İnsanların okuyup sevebileceği bir hikaye ama ben sanırım bıktım artık bu tarz kurgulardan. Geçmişte çok okumamış olsaydım ve kitap biraz daha iyi yazılmış olsaydı sevebileceğimi biliyorum. Ama yeter artık.
Hızlı bir şekilde bitti bitmesine de... ne gerek vardı ki şimdi bunu okumaya?
Beni bilen bilir, bunu kitap sohbetlerinde ara sıra dile getiririm, düzgün ele alınmış klişeler hoşuma gider yer yer. Ama bu kitap cidden çok kötüydü. Ayrıca, ondan 6 yıl sonra yayınlandığı halde bana yer yer Matched'i hatırlattı ve benzerlikleri, Uzak Varlıkların Yalnızlığı’nın orijinal bir kurgu olmasını engelleyecek kadar fazla. (Kaldı ki, bu benzerlikler olmasaydı bile bu kitabı "orijinal bir kurgu" olarak nitelendirmezdim.)
İki kitapta da,
- gelecekte geçen bir distopya
- hayatın, yöneticiler tarafından katı kurallarla belirlendiği bir toplum
- gelecekteki eşini senin için seçen bir sistem
- kural ihlali durumunda dramatik katı kurallar
- ve tabii ki de “yasak aşk” adı altında kural ihlali
var.
Ya her şeyi geçtim, Matched olmasaydı bile Kate Ling gerçekten bu kitabın özgün olduğunu düşünmüş mü acaba yazarken? Hayır kitapta şaşırtıcı hiçbir şey olmadı. Daha en başından,
- Ezra'nın aslında kötü ve kendini beğenmiş biri olmadığı, sadece aile baskısı nedeniyle hayatta kalmanın ve yaşamını sürdürmenin bir yolu olarak bunu seçtiği
- Seren'in tam bir geri zekalı olduğu
- Dom’la bir ilişkiyi sürdürürse Seren ve ikisinin başının belaya gireceği ve bunun çok kötü sonuçları olacağı,
- Bu durumu yaşayan tek kişinin Seren olmadığı (ve başka insanların da “doğru olmayan kişiye” zaman zaman aşık olduğu),
- Kitabın sonunda mutlu mesut yaşayacaklar9 (ya da en azından yanarak ölmeyecekleri),
- Bu kitabın baştan sona klişe olduğu,
o kadar belliydi ki, son 50-60 sayfaya kadar okumayı başardıktan sonra artık gözlerim kanamaya başlamıştı. “Yeter,” diyorlardı. “Okuma artık şunu Ezgi. Bize yazık değil mi?”
Hayır bir de işin komik yanı, Seren daha 16 yaşında ve o kadar sinir bozucu ki, tüm kitap boyunca kızı sarsmak istedim. Ona göre “gemide onlara verilen sıkıcı hayatı sorgulamayan/kabul eden” herkes aptal. Ablası aptal, babası aptal, bir zamanlar yakın arkadaşı olan Emme aptal (çünkü o da bu hayattan memnun ve Ezra Lomax’la “eşleşmek” istiyor).
Ya tamam, 16 yaş ergenliğin tepede olduğu bir yaş fakat bu kızın bu halleri beni gerçekten çıldırttı. Dedim “Acaba depresyonda mı?” çünkü eğer öyle bir şey olsaydı çekilmez yanlarını kabul edip devam edecektim. (Kitap da bana depresyonu düşündürdü çünkü hikayenin açılışı, kızın büyük-büyükannesinin cenazesiydi, sonra hep mutsuz olduğundan ve Sağlık’a gitmesi gerektiğinden, herkesin onu “deli” olarak gördüğünden falan bahsetti.) Ama depresyonda gibi değildi kitapta?
Yani eğer depresyondaysa bilemiyorum, belki öyledir. (Bir an emin olamadı.)
Bir de şey çok komikti. Şimdi kızın en sonunda patladığı ve kendisiyle Dom arasındaki ilişkiyi, Ezra ile olan düğününden kaçarak tamamen ifşa ettiği noktada, şöyle bir şey diyor Dom:
“Onun karar vermek için bana ya da size ya da başka kimseye ihtiyacı yok. Hepimizden çok daha akıllı ve yetenekli. ...”
Bu noktada Dom eğer gerçek bir insan olsaydı, suratına güler ve “Seren’in ne yeteneğini, ne aklını gördün ki?” derdim. Haksız da olmazdım.
İspanyolca bilen, konuşan, Dom.
Gitar çalabilen, şarkı yazabilen, Dom.
Hayata dair (göreceli olarak) daha sağlam fikirleri olan yine Dom.
Seren kitap boyunca sorun çıkartmak dışında ne yaptı ki? Hiçbir şey. Okulu yeni bitirmiş (kitap buna Eğitim adını vermiş, harika bir hayal gücü gerçekten) ve hiçbir şey yapmıyor. Yemek otomatı doldurma işine tayin ediliyor. Bunun çok yetenek ya da akıl gerektiren bir iş olduğunu da sanmıyorum.
Ha belki “sıkıcı hayatı istememek” ve dışarıda bir yerlerde “daha güzel” bir şeyler olduğuna dair hayal kurmak burada Seren’in akıllı olarak nitelendirilmesine neden olmuş olabilir, inanırım, ama bence kızın kitap boyunca verdiği kararlar baştan sona aptalcaydı. Kendisini tehlikeye attığı yetmedi, deliler gibi aşık olduğu Dom’u da tehlikeye attı. Çocuk ölüme bile mahkum edilebilirdi.
Tamam, kız 16 yaşında ve aptalca kararlar almasını anlayabiliyorum ama kitap bunu bana “sıradan olmamak” ya da “cesur olmak” ya da “akıllı olmak” gibi saçma sapan şekillerde sunmaya kalmasaydı keşke. Akıl bu mu? Ya bu tarz kitapların mantığının otoriteye karşı gelmek ve kazanmak olduğunu anlıyorum, yıllardır da böyle, Açlık Oyunları ve Uyumsuz’dan beri belki, belki de daha öncesinden, ama buradaki hikaye beni kanser etti okurken.
Belki eşlerinin onlar için seçiliyor olmasına ve 16-17 yaşlarındaki kızların hamile kalmasına bir itirazları olmamasına, hatta bunu desteklemelerine karşı başka bir hikaye olsaydı, kabul edebilirdim. Ama burada Seren’in karşı çıktığı şey bunlar değildi, tam olarak değil en azından. Karşı çıktığı şey, şımarık bir çocuk gibi, aşık olduktan sonra aşkının elinden alınması ve zorla başkasıyla “evlendirilmeye” çalışılmasıydı. Yani demek istediğim, aşık olmasaydı bütün bunlarla derdi pek yoktu.
Ki ben kitap içindeki sistemin de çok açığı olduğunu düşündüm. Neden Seren’in bir an önce hamileliğe başlamasını istiyorlar? Neden insanların onlar için seçilen insanla birlikte olmaları önemli? Yani seçimlerin neye göre yapıldığını asla açıklamadılar.
Maksat bir kız-bir erkek ise, neden birbirinden memnun olmayan çiftler başkalarıyla eşleşmek için başvuruda bulunamıyor?
Maksat katılımsal olarak yüksek verim almaksa, neden insanlar zaten lab ortamında döllenen yumurtalarla hamile kalıyorken, kişinin hayatının kiminle geçirdiği önemli? İnsanlar sevişerek hamile kalmıyor ki?
Maksat Seren ve Ezra’nın aileleri arasındaki bir “birleşme” ise, neden gemideki diğer herkes de bu duruma tabiiydi?
Falan da filan. Aklımda deli sorular. Hepsini tek tek yazmayacağım. Çünkü sıkıldım, çünkü yoruldum, çünkü artık başka kitaba geçip bu saçmalığı arkamda bırakmak istiyorum.
Yayınevi gönderdi ve okumazsam ayıp olur diye düşünerek elime almıştım. Sevmeyeceğimi düşünüyordum, haklı çıktım. “Okumamak mı, okuyup kötü yorum yapmak mı?” ikilemi arasında gidip gelirken Kristal Kitap’la konuştum, o da bana bazı şeyleri hatırlattı. Ben de en azından kitaba bir şans vererek, önyargılarım belki yanlış çıkar ve severim üzerinden okumaya karar verdim.
İnsanların okuyup sevebileceği bir hikaye ama ben sanırım bıktım artık bu tarz kurgulardan. Geçmişte çok okumamış olsaydım ve kitap biraz daha iyi yazılmış olsaydı sevebileceğimi biliyorum. Ama yeter artık.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
I was so excited when I found this book in my Celebrate Books Box. I read this book together with Marieke, who is also a member of Books Ever After (a Goodreads book-club). So much fun to read books together and share thoughts about this story. There were definitely parts in this book where it was hard to wait and discus the book first, before reading another part. The book is fast paced and easy to read.
A longer review can be found at Bite Into books
The best part about this book is the world-building together with the setting. I loved the dreadful feeling I was having while reading the book. The fact that Seren is true to herself makes this a very interesting read. I kept wondering what not-so-smart thing she would do to keep the story-line going.
A longer review can be found at Bite Into books
The best part about this book is the world-building together with the setting. I loved the dreadful feeling I was having while reading the book. The fact that Seren is true to herself makes this a very interesting read. I kept wondering what not-so-smart thing she would do to keep the story-line going.
February 13, 2021
Stellt euch vor ihr werdet auf einem Raumschiff geboren das 700 Jahre für einen weg braucht um ein Signal zu verfolgen und ihr bekommt auch noch vorgeschrieben wer euer Partner wird.
Der erste Band war sehr gut und der Cliffhanger am Ende hat einen richtig neugierig auf den zweiten Teil gemacht.
Euer Readandfit
Der erste Band war sehr gut und der Cliffhanger am Ende hat einen richtig neugierig auf den zweiten Teil gemacht.
Euer Readandfit
December 18, 2016
This book had so much promise but it just didn't deliver. I found Seren to be quite annoying, immature and selfish. While I can completely understand her hatred of her life, she just constantly complains about it and swoons over Dom... and they fell 'in love' straight away!?!?! Ugh!!! Speaking of Dom, he was an okay character, but I actually preferred Ezra instead. The writing needed a lot of work, and I really feel this book could have been improved with a lot more editing. I did enjoy the parts of the story that weren't romance related and instead focussed on the actual sci-fi aspect, and it did get better as it went on. But there needed a lot of improvement.
June 20, 2016
Nop, dit was niet het epische avontuur waar ik op hoopte. Het is meer een liefdesverhaal met een spannend einde.
November 22, 2016
Jajajajajaja!! Dit was zo tof om te lezen en de hoofdpersonage is echt geweldig. Morgen het event rondom dit boek en een skype gesprek met de auteur! Spannend.
February 7, 2017
I went into this book with such high hopes. Beautiful cover, short yet gripping tag line on the back, a love story set aboard a ship deep in space – this pushed a lot of my buttons. Unfortunately, the summary didn't prepare me for the horrible nature of this story.
I can't really formulate my issues into a spoiler-free review so instead I've decided to list them here and then post more details under a spoiler tag for those who want to know more.
Ok, issues I had:
• Massive case of Insta-love
• Characters lacked depth. In fact, I didn't like any of them
• No chemistry or spark between Seren and Dom
• Absurd kind of structured society aboard the ship where everyone seems to exist solely to have babies to continue populating the ship with a crew.
• People have zero free will on board. They are paired up with someone, married off and then impregnated. Even their role/career aboard the ship is picked for them.
• The whole story was utterly unrealistic
• Predictable and dull ending (which continued with the massively unrealistic themes)
On the whole, this book had such a fantastic idea to begin with but the whole onboard society and absurdity of the events that took place just ruined that. The characters weren't particularly likeable, I started off thinking I'd love Seren but she eventually just became a typical YA girl obsessed with a boy to the point of self-destruction. I don't think I'd have even cared if they’d all plummeted to their death at the end – and that might’ve been a better ending because at least then it would have been realistic.
I've heard that this is book one in a saga, but sadly, I am not interested in reading any more.
I've given this 2 stars, the writing itself was actually very good and the base ideas behind the story were interesting, plus there were elements of what everyday life on a spaceship might be like that I enjoyed before all the crap got in the way.
If you're considering reading this then I would just say, be warned that there is very little Sci-Fi here outside the fact that it take place on a ship, its more like a sappy YA romance set in a bizarre world where you apparently have no free will.
I can't really formulate my issues into a spoiler-free review so instead I've decided to list them here and then post more details under a spoiler tag for those who want to know more.
Ok, issues I had:
• Massive case of Insta-love
• Characters lacked depth. In fact, I didn't like any of them
• No chemistry or spark between Seren and Dom
• Absurd kind of structured society aboard the ship where everyone seems to exist solely to have babies to continue populating the ship with a crew.
• People have zero free will on board. They are paired up with someone, married off and then impregnated. Even their role/career aboard the ship is picked for them.
• The whole story was utterly unrealistic
• Predictable and dull ending (which continued with the massively unrealistic themes)
On the whole, this book had such a fantastic idea to begin with but the whole onboard society and absurdity of the events that took place just ruined that. The characters weren't particularly likeable, I started off thinking I'd love Seren but she eventually just became a typical YA girl obsessed with a boy to the point of self-destruction. I don't think I'd have even cared if they’d all plummeted to their death at the end – and that might’ve been a better ending because at least then it would have been realistic.
I've heard that this is book one in a saga, but sadly, I am not interested in reading any more.
I've given this 2 stars, the writing itself was actually very good and the base ideas behind the story were interesting, plus there were elements of what everyday life on a spaceship might be like that I enjoyed before all the crap got in the way.
If you're considering reading this then I would just say, be warned that there is very little Sci-Fi here outside the fact that it take place on a ship, its more like a sappy YA romance set in a bizarre world where you apparently have no free will.
February 17, 2017
Auf der Ventura herrschen strenge Regeln, an die sich jeder Bewohner halten muss um die Sicherheit der über 8000 Menschen an Bord nicht zu gefährden und um den Fortbestand der Menschheit zu sichern.
Eine dieser "Regeln" ist die Zuweisung des Lebenspartners, sobald man die Schulausbildung hinter sich gebracht hat und bevor man ins Arbeitsleben eintritt.
Die 17-jährige Seren steht an dieser Schwelle, sollte sich eigentlich glücklich schätzen, in diesem Moment in dem sie erfährt, mit wem sie den Rest ihres Lebens verbringen wird. Doch in Seren nagen schon lange Zweifel, ob das alles so toll ist, wie es ihnen von der Führung verkauft wird. Deshalb lehnt sie sich auf, viele nennen ihre Ausbrüche "Verrücktheit" und schon einmal saß sie deshalb in der Besserungsanstalt, denn die Ventura duldet keine Freidenker und Rebellen.
Als sie auf Dom trifft, der plötzlich unvorhergesehene Gefühle in ihr weckt, obwohl sie beide anderen Lebenspartnern zugeteilt wurden, da lehnt sich Seren erst recht gegen das System auf, denn wie kann es sein, das so etwas Großartiges wie Liebe nicht zählt ?
Als sich eine Möglichkeit bietet, von der Seren niemals dachte, das diese eintreten könnte, entwickelt sich eine fixe Idee. Eine Idee, die sie und Dom retten, die aber auch ihr Verderben sein könnte....
Meinung:
Also eigentlich hab ichs ja nicht so mit "Weltraumbüchern" und "Sci-Fi". Doch an diesem Buch kam ich irgendwie schon deshalb nicht vorbei, weil mich der Klappentext und das darin erwähnte System, sowie die verbotene Liebe zwischen Dom und Seren, irgendwie ein bisschen an den Auftakt von "Cassia & Ky" oder "Godspeed" erinnerten. Und ja, es gibt auch hier dystopische Züge, sowas mag ich ja unheimlich gerne. Das wunderschöne, für einen Roman dieser Art beinahe schon schlichte Cover, hat mich ebenfalls angesprochen und so war ich gespannt was mich erwarten würde.
Tatsächlich hat mich die Geschichte, die vom Verlag als sogenannte "Space Opera" bezeichnet wird, recht schnell in ihren Bann gezogen.
Ich erlebe die Geschichte durch Ich-Erzählerin Seren, die seit ihrer Geburt auf der Ventura lebt. Einem "Raumschiff", wenn man so will, von der Erde vor über 80 Jahren ausgesandt um auf neuen Lebensraum zuzusteuern. Seren hat die Erde nie gesehen und sie wird auch niemals ihren Fuß auf einen anderen Planeten setzen, denn bis das Schiff den Fixpunkt erreicht, vergehen noch mindestens 200 Jahre.
Alles was ihr bestimmt ist, ist ein vom System durchgeplantes und organisiertes Leben. Sie macht ihren Abschluss, dann wird sie ihrem Lebenspartner zugeteilt, sie wird arbeiten und Kinder gebären, die sie großzieht und irgendwann wird sie sterben ohne auch nur die Chance auf ein freies, anderes Leben gehabt zu haben.
Und genau darauf hat sie keine Lust. Immer wieder fragt sie sich, ob das alles sein kann, ob es da nicht noch mehr geben muss, als dieses eintönige Leben.
Ich mochte Seren, auch wenn sie ein sehr wankelmütiger Charakter ist. Zum einen möchte sie gegen dieses strenge System ankämpfen, doch sobald man sie in die Enge treibt, wird sie zum braven Lämmchen das sich fügt. Außerdem neigt sie durch teilweise aufbrausende Handlungen dazu, sich und auch Dom immer wieder in Gefahr zu bringen.
Den Plot fand ich ganz interessant und ich habe die Geschichte supergerne und vor allem ziemlich flott gelesen, was nicht zuletzt dem wirklich flüssigen und tollen Schreibstil der Autorin geschuldet ist, ich mochte die Charaktere und das Setting, ABER es gab für mich auch leider viele Ungereimtheiten, die immer mehr werden, je länger ich darüber nachdenke.
Zum Beispiel fand ich es seltsam, das Dom und Seren so leichtsinnig sind. Klar, wenn man verliebt ist, dann neigt man schon mal dazu, zu vergessen, das andere einen sehen könnten, weil man nur Augen für den jeweils anderen hat. Aber die Geschichte spielt auf einem Raumschiff, auf dem es nur circa 8000 Menschen gibt, irgendwann kennt man da jeden Einzelnen vom Sehen und es sollte wesentlich schwerer sein, nicht erwischt zu werden. Dann wird immer wieder von Serens Krankheit geredet, über die man nicht wirklich viel erfährt und auch sonst gibt es Infos wo ich mir nähere Ausführungen gewünscht hätte.
ABER man darf auch nicht vergessen, das es sich hierbei um den Auftakt einer Reihe handelt, was bedeutet, das sich manche Dinge sicher erst im weiteren Verlauf aufklären werden, von daher bin ich positiv gestimmt.
Sehr gelungen fand ich im Übrigen die Spannung die ab circa der Hälfte immer weiter zunimmt. Es mag vielleicht keine überraschenden Wendungen geben, zumindest für mich kam vieles vorhersehbar, doch trotzdem hat mich die Geschichte nicht losgelassen und an die Seiten gefesselt.
Fazit:
"Wir zwei in fremden Galaxien" hat einige kleine Schwachstellen, über die ich aufgrund des wirklich tollen Schreibstils, der in der zweiten Hälfte aufkommenden Spannung und der Protagonisten, die ich supergerne mochte, weitestgehend hinwegsehen konnte. In Band 2 muss die Autorin allerdings überall ein bisschen anziehen, damit es interessant bleibt.
Eine dieser "Regeln" ist die Zuweisung des Lebenspartners, sobald man die Schulausbildung hinter sich gebracht hat und bevor man ins Arbeitsleben eintritt.
Die 17-jährige Seren steht an dieser Schwelle, sollte sich eigentlich glücklich schätzen, in diesem Moment in dem sie erfährt, mit wem sie den Rest ihres Lebens verbringen wird. Doch in Seren nagen schon lange Zweifel, ob das alles so toll ist, wie es ihnen von der Führung verkauft wird. Deshalb lehnt sie sich auf, viele nennen ihre Ausbrüche "Verrücktheit" und schon einmal saß sie deshalb in der Besserungsanstalt, denn die Ventura duldet keine Freidenker und Rebellen.
Als sie auf Dom trifft, der plötzlich unvorhergesehene Gefühle in ihr weckt, obwohl sie beide anderen Lebenspartnern zugeteilt wurden, da lehnt sich Seren erst recht gegen das System auf, denn wie kann es sein, das so etwas Großartiges wie Liebe nicht zählt ?
Als sich eine Möglichkeit bietet, von der Seren niemals dachte, das diese eintreten könnte, entwickelt sich eine fixe Idee. Eine Idee, die sie und Dom retten, die aber auch ihr Verderben sein könnte....
Meinung:
Also eigentlich hab ichs ja nicht so mit "Weltraumbüchern" und "Sci-Fi". Doch an diesem Buch kam ich irgendwie schon deshalb nicht vorbei, weil mich der Klappentext und das darin erwähnte System, sowie die verbotene Liebe zwischen Dom und Seren, irgendwie ein bisschen an den Auftakt von "Cassia & Ky" oder "Godspeed" erinnerten. Und ja, es gibt auch hier dystopische Züge, sowas mag ich ja unheimlich gerne. Das wunderschöne, für einen Roman dieser Art beinahe schon schlichte Cover, hat mich ebenfalls angesprochen und so war ich gespannt was mich erwarten würde.
Tatsächlich hat mich die Geschichte, die vom Verlag als sogenannte "Space Opera" bezeichnet wird, recht schnell in ihren Bann gezogen.
Ich erlebe die Geschichte durch Ich-Erzählerin Seren, die seit ihrer Geburt auf der Ventura lebt. Einem "Raumschiff", wenn man so will, von der Erde vor über 80 Jahren ausgesandt um auf neuen Lebensraum zuzusteuern. Seren hat die Erde nie gesehen und sie wird auch niemals ihren Fuß auf einen anderen Planeten setzen, denn bis das Schiff den Fixpunkt erreicht, vergehen noch mindestens 200 Jahre.
Alles was ihr bestimmt ist, ist ein vom System durchgeplantes und organisiertes Leben. Sie macht ihren Abschluss, dann wird sie ihrem Lebenspartner zugeteilt, sie wird arbeiten und Kinder gebären, die sie großzieht und irgendwann wird sie sterben ohne auch nur die Chance auf ein freies, anderes Leben gehabt zu haben.
Und genau darauf hat sie keine Lust. Immer wieder fragt sie sich, ob das alles sein kann, ob es da nicht noch mehr geben muss, als dieses eintönige Leben.
Ich mochte Seren, auch wenn sie ein sehr wankelmütiger Charakter ist. Zum einen möchte sie gegen dieses strenge System ankämpfen, doch sobald man sie in die Enge treibt, wird sie zum braven Lämmchen das sich fügt. Außerdem neigt sie durch teilweise aufbrausende Handlungen dazu, sich und auch Dom immer wieder in Gefahr zu bringen.
Den Plot fand ich ganz interessant und ich habe die Geschichte supergerne und vor allem ziemlich flott gelesen, was nicht zuletzt dem wirklich flüssigen und tollen Schreibstil der Autorin geschuldet ist, ich mochte die Charaktere und das Setting, ABER es gab für mich auch leider viele Ungereimtheiten, die immer mehr werden, je länger ich darüber nachdenke.
Zum Beispiel fand ich es seltsam, das Dom und Seren so leichtsinnig sind. Klar, wenn man verliebt ist, dann neigt man schon mal dazu, zu vergessen, das andere einen sehen könnten, weil man nur Augen für den jeweils anderen hat. Aber die Geschichte spielt auf einem Raumschiff, auf dem es nur circa 8000 Menschen gibt, irgendwann kennt man da jeden Einzelnen vom Sehen und es sollte wesentlich schwerer sein, nicht erwischt zu werden. Dann wird immer wieder von Serens Krankheit geredet, über die man nicht wirklich viel erfährt und auch sonst gibt es Infos wo ich mir nähere Ausführungen gewünscht hätte.
ABER man darf auch nicht vergessen, das es sich hierbei um den Auftakt einer Reihe handelt, was bedeutet, das sich manche Dinge sicher erst im weiteren Verlauf aufklären werden, von daher bin ich positiv gestimmt.
Sehr gelungen fand ich im Übrigen die Spannung die ab circa der Hälfte immer weiter zunimmt. Es mag vielleicht keine überraschenden Wendungen geben, zumindest für mich kam vieles vorhersehbar, doch trotzdem hat mich die Geschichte nicht losgelassen und an die Seiten gefesselt.
Fazit:
"Wir zwei in fremden Galaxien" hat einige kleine Schwachstellen, über die ich aufgrund des wirklich tollen Schreibstils, der in der zweiten Hälfte aufkommenden Spannung und der Protagonisten, die ich supergerne mochte, weitestgehend hinwegsehen konnte. In Band 2 muss die Autorin allerdings überall ein bisschen anziehen, damit es interessant bleibt.
August 4, 2017
3.5
Das Buch hatte für mich eine durchschnittliche erste Hälfte, in der nicht allzu viel passiert und der Schwerpunkt eher auf der Liebesgeschichte liegt. Diese entwickelt sich zum Teil sehr schnell und passt in das typische YA-Schema der insta-love. Dennoch liest sich die Geschichte sehr flüssig und das setting mit dem Raumschiff fand ich sehr interessant. Es gibt ein paar Hintergrundinfos, aber hier hätte ich mir manchmal noch ein paar mehr Informationen gewünscht.
In der zweiten Hälfte kommt dann deutlich mehr Spannung und Action dazu, so dass mich das Buch sehr gut fesseln konnte und ich den Rest in einem Rutsch gelesen habe. Das Ende macht mehr als neugierig auf den zweiten Teil der Ventura-Saga.
Zu der Protagonistin Seren habe ich ein wenig zwiespältiges Verhältnis. Zum einen fand ich ihre starke Persönlichkeit echt klasse und fand es gut, dass sie an vielen Stellen einfach ihren Kopf durchgesetzt hat. Zum anderen konnte ich dann aber manche Reaktionen wieder nicht verstehen und sie hat vieles einfach mit sich machen lassen. Das passte für mich nicht komplett zusammen.
"Wir zwei in fremden Galaxien" ist eine gute Unterhaltung, die mich aber erst in der zweiten Hälte richtig fesseln konnte.
Das Buch hatte für mich eine durchschnittliche erste Hälfte, in der nicht allzu viel passiert und der Schwerpunkt eher auf der Liebesgeschichte liegt. Diese entwickelt sich zum Teil sehr schnell und passt in das typische YA-Schema der insta-love. Dennoch liest sich die Geschichte sehr flüssig und das setting mit dem Raumschiff fand ich sehr interessant. Es gibt ein paar Hintergrundinfos, aber hier hätte ich mir manchmal noch ein paar mehr Informationen gewünscht.
In der zweiten Hälfte kommt dann deutlich mehr Spannung und Action dazu, so dass mich das Buch sehr gut fesseln konnte und ich den Rest in einem Rutsch gelesen habe. Das Ende macht mehr als neugierig auf den zweiten Teil der Ventura-Saga.
Zu der Protagonistin Seren habe ich ein wenig zwiespältiges Verhältnis. Zum einen fand ich ihre starke Persönlichkeit echt klasse und fand es gut, dass sie an vielen Stellen einfach ihren Kopf durchgesetzt hat. Zum anderen konnte ich dann aber manche Reaktionen wieder nicht verstehen und sie hat vieles einfach mit sich machen lassen. Das passte für mich nicht komplett zusammen.
"Wir zwei in fremden Galaxien" ist eine gute Unterhaltung, die mich aber erst in der zweiten Hälte richtig fesseln konnte.
April 12, 2017
Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book.
I recieved this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Mixed feelings on this one. I really enjoyed the story but felt the main character's voice was a bit immature. Ezra annoyed the hell out of me, I guess that was the point, but it got pretty repetitive with him.
Was really irritated by the main character's family since they seemed just so flat to me. I also didn't feel like the main character had any true friends to encourage her like in other books. The book brings the focus to the main character and the love interest and I was not impressed by that.
However, I do think the plot was pulled together well, albeit a few flaws here and there. The romance was a little slow but still good. I think I just wasn't particularly in a mood for sci fi while reading this book so that's a shame.
I reccomend this book if you're in the mood for an out of this world epic romance.
I recieved this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Mixed feelings on this one. I really enjoyed the story but felt the main character's voice was a bit immature. Ezra annoyed the hell out of me, I guess that was the point, but it got pretty repetitive with him.
Was really irritated by the main character's family since they seemed just so flat to me. I also didn't feel like the main character had any true friends to encourage her like in other books. The book brings the focus to the main character and the love interest and I was not impressed by that.
However, I do think the plot was pulled together well, albeit a few flaws here and there. The romance was a little slow but still good. I think I just wasn't particularly in a mood for sci fi while reading this book so that's a shame.
I reccomend this book if you're in the mood for an out of this world epic romance.
August 8, 2016
Wauw. Ik was misschien in het begin wat huiverig over dit boek. Ik had er hele hoge verwachtingen van. Het boek heeft aan mijn verwachtingen voldaan, want wat was dit een goed boek! Ik hoop dat deel 2 snel uit komt..
July 26, 2020
This book was seriously fine, it just wasn't special to me. The first part is a contemporary in a dystopian world (that happens to be in space) and the last 75 pages or so feature some actual sci-fi spaceship language. Enjoyed my time reading, glad I gave it a go, just not amazing!
March 23, 2017
Dit boek lijkt op een combinatie tussen de matched trilogie en de honderd! Ik heb er enorm van genoten!
August 5, 2017
Bloody hell.
This was so bad I had to stop at page 30. If I continued any further I would have relapsed my cancer. Yup.
And boy am I disappointed. Because I found the title so beautiful. It's a concoction of words that I hold close to my heart, and even felt a pull towards it in a way I rarely get. Even the back excerpt made me swoon and gave me some sort of spiritual peace:
It is that quick, that strong, that beautiful, and it is totally impossible.
But then what bullshit am I ambushed with just 10 pages in?
A union, arranged marriage in a spaceship. The protagonist is a special independent snowflake because she is the only female who is not attracted to the absolutely hot son of the ship's captain!!
In fact, she is the only one who does not want to be together with him and does not find him attractive! She HATES him because she is the only one who is not blind to his narcissism and arrogance, amongst the throng of blind sheep!!!! Oh my, A-Star plot material here, my friends. Truly.
But wait, if you aren't applauding at Kate's originality and total un-cringiness already, guess who Seren gets to be in Union with? The captain's son!! Gosh, Kate, 100% plot here.
Oh, but then, just when we think all hope is lost and her poor fate is sealed, she meets Dom, who like her is special because he too is not a blind sheep (Stay woke people) and he too, like Seren, yearns for something more than the communist life they lead which only they are able to see, God knows why he chose the 2 worst possible people to bestow this enlightenment on.
This stuff is gold. Really.
Let us take a look at how Seren describes her catalytic encounter with Dom, our dashing hero in this book:
It's only after this that I notice his mouth. It's soft, full, dark against white teeth, beautiful. And when he smiles, runs a hand through shining hair that is as black as water at night, I am absolutely stopped, dead in my tracks, literally slack - jawed with astonishment at his never-before-noticed hotness in all its glory.
1. I am absolutely stopped
What is this? Is this a legitimate edited published book or a form of brainless internet meme language?
2. Use of the word "literally".
Need I say anything more?
2. Slack jawed astonishment
I don't even need explain. This is the kind of lust-ridden description a writer would resort to when he/she is incapable of describing love- sorry, hormonal cascadence, at first sight. Amateur and cringe worthy.
3. Never before noticed hotness
What the fuck is this. If anybody uses the word hot (and this is a thousand times more severe if you even DARE to use the word "hotness" ), I am instantly downgrading this book to be geared towards the audience of horny irrational 10 to 12 year olds. Which if you probably are - good for you.
They will suck this up their noses and inhale that good lust and cardboard scent of your 2 dimensional characters and writing undeserving of any commendation.
4. Black as water as night
What the actual fuck? What kind of literary blasphemy is this? No shit it is as black as about anything at night.
That's how physics of light work. In fact, choosing water as the simile here is the worst thing because water is the most reflective object at night and is most prominent. It makes zero sense, especially if you are likening it to hair. Hell, it would make more sense if it were "Black as a pile of shit at night", because it is true that you will NOT see shit glowing or reflecting light at night. But then, it wouldn't be as romantic and poetic as water I suppose?
Also, Dom here is an exotic species and is special because he is a rare breed- he is one of the only people in the ship who speaks sexy Spanish, and he graduated school a few years early, so even though he is older than Seren he is not in union with anybody yet. Oh my, how convenient.
I have never been so angry at a book. Actually I have never been this vulgar, to anyone or anything, especially since I know the author might read this and I never am so blunt because I love everyone.
Neither have I ever stopped a book so early in . But I guess it was the title of the book, which I relate to so deeply, that raised my expectations up high , but was injustly slapped onto such a rotten plot with rubbish writing.
So. Sad.
This was so bad I had to stop at page 30. If I continued any further I would have relapsed my cancer. Yup.
And boy am I disappointed. Because I found the title so beautiful. It's a concoction of words that I hold close to my heart, and even felt a pull towards it in a way I rarely get. Even the back excerpt made me swoon and gave me some sort of spiritual peace:
It is that quick, that strong, that beautiful, and it is totally impossible.
But then what bullshit am I ambushed with just 10 pages in?
A union, arranged marriage in a spaceship. The protagonist is a special independent snowflake because she is the only female who is not attracted to the absolutely hot son of the ship's captain!!
In fact, she is the only one who does not want to be together with him and does not find him attractive! She HATES him because she is the only one who is not blind to his narcissism and arrogance, amongst the throng of blind sheep!!!! Oh my, A-Star plot material here, my friends. Truly.
But wait, if you aren't applauding at Kate's originality and total un-cringiness already, guess who Seren gets to be in Union with? The captain's son!! Gosh, Kate, 100% plot here.
Oh, but then, just when we think all hope is lost and her poor fate is sealed, she meets Dom, who like her is special because he too is not a blind sheep (Stay woke people) and he too, like Seren, yearns for something more than the communist life they lead which only they are able to see, God knows why he chose the 2 worst possible people to bestow this enlightenment on.
This stuff is gold. Really.
Let us take a look at how Seren describes her catalytic encounter with Dom, our dashing hero in this book:
It's only after this that I notice his mouth. It's soft, full, dark against white teeth, beautiful. And when he smiles, runs a hand through shining hair that is as black as water at night, I am absolutely stopped, dead in my tracks, literally slack - jawed with astonishment at his never-before-noticed hotness in all its glory.
1. I am absolutely stopped
What is this? Is this a legitimate edited published book or a form of brainless internet meme language?
2. Use of the word "literally".
Need I say anything more?
2. Slack jawed astonishment
I don't even need explain. This is the kind of lust-ridden description a writer would resort to when he/she is incapable of describing love- sorry, hormonal cascadence, at first sight. Amateur and cringe worthy.
3. Never before noticed hotness
What the fuck is this. If anybody uses the word hot (and this is a thousand times more severe if you even DARE to use the word "hotness" ), I am instantly downgrading this book to be geared towards the audience of horny irrational 10 to 12 year olds. Which if you probably are - good for you.
They will suck this up their noses and inhale that good lust and cardboard scent of your 2 dimensional characters and writing undeserving of any commendation.
4. Black as water as night
What the actual fuck? What kind of literary blasphemy is this? No shit it is as black as about anything at night.
That's how physics of light work. In fact, choosing water as the simile here is the worst thing because water is the most reflective object at night and is most prominent. It makes zero sense, especially if you are likening it to hair. Hell, it would make more sense if it were "Black as a pile of shit at night", because it is true that you will NOT see shit glowing or reflecting light at night. But then, it wouldn't be as romantic and poetic as water I suppose?
Also, Dom here is an exotic species and is special because he is a rare breed- he is one of the only people in the ship who speaks sexy Spanish, and he graduated school a few years early, so even though he is older than Seren he is not in union with anybody yet. Oh my, how convenient.
I have never been so angry at a book. Actually I have never been this vulgar, to anyone or anything, especially since I know the author might read this and I never am so blunt because I love everyone.
Neither have I ever stopped a book so early in . But I guess it was the title of the book, which I relate to so deeply, that raised my expectations up high , but was injustly slapped onto such a rotten plot with rubbish writing.
So. Sad.
March 5, 2017
Inhalt:
Die Ventura ist ein großes Raumschiff, das sich von der Erde aufgemacht hat, um der Herkunft eines fremden Signals zu folgen, dessen Ursprung 350 Jahre entfernt ist. Daher gibt es an Bord strenge Regeln, die von allen eingehalten werden müssen.
Eine, die sich gegen einige Regeln sträubt, ist Seren, deren Großmutter eine der Menschen war. Serens Mutter ist verstorben.
Seren ist alles andere als begeistert, als Lebenspartner ausgerechnet Ezra zugeteilt zu bekommen, der arrogant und selbstgefällig ist. Der Gedanke, mit ihm das für die Ventura-Mission notwendige strenge Zuchtprogramm zu erfüllen, scheint eine Katastrophe. Die wird jedoch zu einer echten Qual, als Seren auf Domingo trifft, der trotz seines Alters noch nicht mit seiner Lebenspartnerin vermählt ist.
Das, was sie füreinander empfinden, ist verboten. Und es stehen mehr als nur ihre Gefühle auf dem Spiel...
Meinung:
Ich war sehr neugierig auf die Ventura-Saga und konnte es kaum erwarten, mit dem Hörbuch zu starten.
Sofort zog mich Uta Dänekamp mit ihrer Stimme in die Geschichte. Sie passte einfach perfekt zu Protagonistin Serens sarkastischer (und teils auch sehr pessimistischer) Art, dass ich mich sofort fühlte, als würde sie mir alles live erzählen.
Die Einführung in die Welt an Bord der Ventura erlebte ich in mehreren Episoden, in denen sich Serens Leben verändert. Ich muss zugeben, dass ich anfangs von Serens negativer Art schon beinahe genervt war. Einerseits findet sie wirklich alles schlecht, als sie dann auf Domingo trifft, redet sie über nichts anderes mehr als über ihn und sein Aussehen und wie er auf sie wirkt.
Dieser erste Eindruck ließ dann aber später Kapitel für Kapitel weiter nach, bis ich dann irgendwann wirklich spüren konnte, dass da etwas zwischen den beiden ist. Endlich erhielten die Figuren mehr Tiefe und ich konnte ihr Leiden mitempfinden.
Dabei nahm auch die Handlung an Fahrt auf, Geheimnisse wurden aufgedeckt und neue Bedrohungen und Hürden tauchen auf, ehe die Geschichte sich zum Ende hin in eine Richtung entwickelt, die mich sehr gespannt auf die Fortsetzung macht.
Urteil:
Wenn ich nur den Anfang der Geschichte beurteilen müsste, wären die pessimistische und ziemlich oberflächliche Art von Protagonistin Seren ein gewaltiger Minuspunkt. Ihre Entwicklung, die Kapitel um Kapitel ansteigende emotionale Bindung zu ihr und ihrer verbotenen Liebe Dom und das gelungene Setting jedoch sorgten dafür, das mich "Wir zwei in fremden Galaxien" doch noch überzeugen konnte. Nicht zuletzt dank Uta Dänekamps überzeugender Interpretation schafft es der Auftakt der "Ventura"-Saga auf knappe 4 Bücher.
Ich bin gespannt auf Band 2
Reihe:
1. Die Ventura-Sage: Wir zwei in fremden Galaxien
2. ?
© hisandherbooks.de
Die Ventura ist ein großes Raumschiff, das sich von der Erde aufgemacht hat, um der Herkunft eines fremden Signals zu folgen, dessen Ursprung 350 Jahre entfernt ist. Daher gibt es an Bord strenge Regeln, die von allen eingehalten werden müssen.
Eine, die sich gegen einige Regeln sträubt, ist Seren, deren Großmutter eine der Menschen war. Serens Mutter ist verstorben.
Seren ist alles andere als begeistert, als Lebenspartner ausgerechnet Ezra zugeteilt zu bekommen, der arrogant und selbstgefällig ist. Der Gedanke, mit ihm das für die Ventura-Mission notwendige strenge Zuchtprogramm zu erfüllen, scheint eine Katastrophe. Die wird jedoch zu einer echten Qual, als Seren auf Domingo trifft, der trotz seines Alters noch nicht mit seiner Lebenspartnerin vermählt ist.
Das, was sie füreinander empfinden, ist verboten. Und es stehen mehr als nur ihre Gefühle auf dem Spiel...
Meinung:
Ich war sehr neugierig auf die Ventura-Saga und konnte es kaum erwarten, mit dem Hörbuch zu starten.
Sofort zog mich Uta Dänekamp mit ihrer Stimme in die Geschichte. Sie passte einfach perfekt zu Protagonistin Serens sarkastischer (und teils auch sehr pessimistischer) Art, dass ich mich sofort fühlte, als würde sie mir alles live erzählen.
Die Einführung in die Welt an Bord der Ventura erlebte ich in mehreren Episoden, in denen sich Serens Leben verändert. Ich muss zugeben, dass ich anfangs von Serens negativer Art schon beinahe genervt war. Einerseits findet sie wirklich alles schlecht, als sie dann auf Domingo trifft, redet sie über nichts anderes mehr als über ihn und sein Aussehen und wie er auf sie wirkt.
Dieser erste Eindruck ließ dann aber später Kapitel für Kapitel weiter nach, bis ich dann irgendwann wirklich spüren konnte, dass da etwas zwischen den beiden ist. Endlich erhielten die Figuren mehr Tiefe und ich konnte ihr Leiden mitempfinden.
Dabei nahm auch die Handlung an Fahrt auf, Geheimnisse wurden aufgedeckt und neue Bedrohungen und Hürden tauchen auf, ehe die Geschichte sich zum Ende hin in eine Richtung entwickelt, die mich sehr gespannt auf die Fortsetzung macht.
Urteil:
Wenn ich nur den Anfang der Geschichte beurteilen müsste, wären die pessimistische und ziemlich oberflächliche Art von Protagonistin Seren ein gewaltiger Minuspunkt. Ihre Entwicklung, die Kapitel um Kapitel ansteigende emotionale Bindung zu ihr und ihrer verbotenen Liebe Dom und das gelungene Setting jedoch sorgten dafür, das mich "Wir zwei in fremden Galaxien" doch noch überzeugen konnte. Nicht zuletzt dank Uta Dänekamps überzeugender Interpretation schafft es der Auftakt der "Ventura"-Saga auf knappe 4 Bücher.
Ich bin gespannt auf Band 2
Reihe:
1. Die Ventura-Sage: Wir zwei in fremden Galaxien
2. ?
© hisandherbooks.de
August 5, 2016
Wauw! Net de laatste bladzijden gelezen en hoewel ik in het begin sceptisch was, vond ik dit toch eigenlijk wel een heel tof boek! Het is een fijne introductie tot het sciencefictiongenre, ook als dat niet echt je ding is. Ik heb me vermaakt met het verhaal en de personages en ik vind dat Katie Ling de wereld van de Ventura erg goed heeft uitgewerkt. Nu al razend benieuwd naar het vervolg! Volledige recensie: http://thebookreview.nl/recensies/sci...
July 20, 2016
Ik heb dit boek al eens beschreven horen worden als een contemporary aan boord van een ruimteschip. Gedurende de eerste helft van het boek was ik het daarmee eens, maar de tweede helft is toch wel stukken spannender dan de gemiddelde contemporary romance (al zou ik nu ook weer niet zo ver gaan om het ijzersterke sci-fi te noemen.
June 23, 2016
recensie volgt op mijn blog!
January 31, 2016
Loved this book! Thought that the idea of heading off into space in search of a new Earth-like planet a very good one. For me, the best part was towards the end, where the action speeds up along with the sci-fi aspect. It's a fast read, mainly because the narration, through the voice of a teenage girl, is so convincing - plus she is a likable character involved in a dilemma and a love triangle. This novel contains all the tricks needed for an entertaining read. Go read it!
March 3, 2016
I sat down with this book and read it in a matter of two days. It kept my attention till the end, making me think about what I would be like if I was born into the same life as Seren. The way the author describes Seren's feelings and hardships, had me feeling I was going through them as well. The tragic love Seren finds and the plot twist that comes with a love triangle like this has me already excited for the 2nd book.
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