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Star Trek: Discovery #4
The Way to the Stars
An original novel based on the explosive new TV series Star Trek: Discovery!
Despite being an inexperienced Starfleet cadet, Sylvia Tilly became essential to the U.S.S. Discovery finding its way back home from the Mirror Universe. But how did she find that courage? From where did she get that steel? Who nurtured that spark of brilliance? The Way to the Stars recounts for fans everywhere the untold story of Tilly’s past.
It’s not easy being sixteen, especially when everyone expects great things from Tilly. It’s even harder when her mother and father are Federation luminaries, not to mention pressing her to attend one of the best schools that the Federation has to offer. Tilly wants to achieve great things—even though she hasn’t quite worked out how to do that or what it is she wants to do. But this year, everything will change for Tilly, as she about to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime—an adventure that will take her ever closer to the stars….
Despite being an inexperienced Starfleet cadet, Sylvia Tilly became essential to the U.S.S. Discovery finding its way back home from the Mirror Universe. But how did she find that courage? From where did she get that steel? Who nurtured that spark of brilliance? The Way to the Stars recounts for fans everywhere the untold story of Tilly’s past.
It’s not easy being sixteen, especially when everyone expects great things from Tilly. It’s even harder when her mother and father are Federation luminaries, not to mention pressing her to attend one of the best schools that the Federation has to offer. Tilly wants to achieve great things—even though she hasn’t quite worked out how to do that or what it is she wants to do. But this year, everything will change for Tilly, as she about to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime—an adventure that will take her ever closer to the stars….
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2019
115 people are currently reading
727 people want to read
About the author
Una McCormack
103 books358 followersUna McCormack is a British writer and the author of several Star Trek novels and stories.
Ms. McCormack is a New York Times bestselling author. She has written four Doctor Who novels: The King's Dragon and The Way through the Woods (featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory); Royal Blood (featuring the Twelfth Doctor and Clara), and Molten Heart (featuring the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham). She is also the author of numerous audio dramas for Big Finish Productions.
Ms. McCormack is a New York Times bestselling author. She has written four Doctor Who novels: The King's Dragon and The Way through the Woods (featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory); Royal Blood (featuring the Twelfth Doctor and Clara), and Molten Heart (featuring the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham). She is also the author of numerous audio dramas for Big Finish Productions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
October 19, 2021
“So, Tilly,” said Quinn with a smile. “Chief engineer before thirty?”
Tilly thought about the recommendation that Holden had written. One of her interviewers had told her, privately, that it was among the best they’d ever received. “Oh no,” said Tilly. “I’m going to be a captain.”
If the episodes of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ are akin to a symphony played by a full orchestra, then a book like ‘The Way to the Stars’ is chamber music: A smaller scale and hence more intimate, but one that still resonates. The last Discovery novel I read focused on Saru, and this one by Una McCormack delves into a character that has quickly become a fan and franchise favourite: Silly Tilly (wonderfully portrayed by Mary Wiseman on the show).
Unlike a ‘Discovery’ novel like ‘The Enterprise War’ (which I see is actually #5, meaning I read it out of sequence) there is little dramatic action here, let alone setpieces. The focus is firmly on the coming-of-age of Tilly, and the close circle of friends and family surrounding her (and some significant other people she encounters along her journey who make an indelible impression on her).
It’s always weird when you try to read a book that’s been adapted and you can’t seem to see beyond the faces of the actors. In this case, it is an advantage, because McCormack gives incredible life and detail to Wiseman’s Tilly. All her eccentricities, foibles and charm are correct and accounted for, which makes this book an absolute delight to read.
What I also loved is the insight we get into Starfleet and the Federation, and what drives single-minded people like Tilly to brave the Final Frontier. McCormack is never preachy or heavy-handed in her observations; her writing has a light but sure touch that allows the reader to invest so much in this character.
The ‘Discovery’ books, bar a hiccup here or there, have generally been invaluable additions to the show, fleshing out its people and destinations with a level of detail and insight that television as a medium cannot match. Clearly a lot of thought and planning went into the series, which I see is on #8 now. It is also testament to the writers and creative team behind ‘Discovery’ that such books are even possible, with ‘Star Trek’ coming across as a real and lived-in universe. Long may such fantastic collaborations between book and show continue to prosper.
Tilly thought about the recommendation that Holden had written. One of her interviewers had told her, privately, that it was among the best they’d ever received. “Oh no,” said Tilly. “I’m going to be a captain.”
If the episodes of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ are akin to a symphony played by a full orchestra, then a book like ‘The Way to the Stars’ is chamber music: A smaller scale and hence more intimate, but one that still resonates. The last Discovery novel I read focused on Saru, and this one by Una McCormack delves into a character that has quickly become a fan and franchise favourite: Silly Tilly (wonderfully portrayed by Mary Wiseman on the show).
Unlike a ‘Discovery’ novel like ‘The Enterprise War’ (which I see is actually #5, meaning I read it out of sequence) there is little dramatic action here, let alone setpieces. The focus is firmly on the coming-of-age of Tilly, and the close circle of friends and family surrounding her (and some significant other people she encounters along her journey who make an indelible impression on her).
It’s always weird when you try to read a book that’s been adapted and you can’t seem to see beyond the faces of the actors. In this case, it is an advantage, because McCormack gives incredible life and detail to Wiseman’s Tilly. All her eccentricities, foibles and charm are correct and accounted for, which makes this book an absolute delight to read.
What I also loved is the insight we get into Starfleet and the Federation, and what drives single-minded people like Tilly to brave the Final Frontier. McCormack is never preachy or heavy-handed in her observations; her writing has a light but sure touch that allows the reader to invest so much in this character.
The ‘Discovery’ books, bar a hiccup here or there, have generally been invaluable additions to the show, fleshing out its people and destinations with a level of detail and insight that television as a medium cannot match. Clearly a lot of thought and planning went into the series, which I see is on #8 now. It is also testament to the writers and creative team behind ‘Discovery’ that such books are even possible, with ‘Star Trek’ coming across as a real and lived-in universe. Long may such fantastic collaborations between book and show continue to prosper.
September 27, 2020
4.5 stars because the narration is wonderful.
I love Tilly so I am biased. I cried once and got teared up twice reading the book. Maybe because I identify a lot with her, I could be very awkward in social situations and I also have parents with lots of physical and social expectations. My parent also wanted me to look flawless and become a social butterfly - they have already given up by now, if you want an update.
Since this is a prequel that looked back to when she was 16, there was some school stuff. It was a bit too much - probably a few chapters would suffice. But once the book changed its setting halfway, oh boy, that's when it soars! Like Tilly as well, I need some space. In her case, both literally and figuratively.
The last few chapters were wonderful with some very emotional moments (for me). Plot devices? Yes there are some of them, but I was not annoyed. I think the book could qualify as hopepunk. It gives hope that one should and could always find their own niche in the world.
I love Tilly so I am biased. I cried once and got teared up twice reading the book. Maybe because I identify a lot with her, I could be very awkward in social situations and I also have parents with lots of physical and social expectations. My parent also wanted me to look flawless and become a social butterfly - they have already given up by now, if you want an update.
Since this is a prequel that looked back to when she was 16, there was some school stuff. It was a bit too much - probably a few chapters would suffice. But once the book changed its setting halfway, oh boy, that's when it soars! Like Tilly as well, I need some space. In her case, both literally and figuratively.
The last few chapters were wonderful with some very emotional moments (for me). Plot devices? Yes there are some of them, but I was not annoyed. I think the book could qualify as hopepunk. It gives hope that one should and could always find their own niche in the world.
January 12, 2019
This was a really sweet coming of age story, with a very likable character at the center. Sylvia Tilly is no less likable in the hands of Una McCormack. She’s relatable and not the trope she could easily have been. She’s a sensitive 16 year old who, under pressure from her successful, bossy mother, feels unable to live up to the expectations of being first in class at everything, and ends up skipping school, sneaking on board a starship and hiding on an alien planet. She makes mistakes, she’s out of her depth, but she’s determined to see her choices through, and all the while learn what it is she truly enjoys.
I even forgive the book its somewhat sappy moments and sugarsweet ending, because this was so obviously meant to be a feel-good story, and hopefully it can help empower young people to speak up when they’re unhappy, and help parents to listen when their children aren’t thriving.
I even forgive the book its somewhat sappy moments and sugarsweet ending, because this was so obviously meant to be a feel-good story, and hopefully it can help empower young people to speak up when they’re unhappy, and help parents to listen when their children aren’t thriving.
October 20, 2020
I must admit to being a bit ‘Silly for Tilly’. She’s probably my favourite character in DISCO. I love her slightly clumsy ways, her propensity for babbling and the fact that she isn’t always oozing self-assuredness like quite a few Trek characters I know. In a word: relatable. Her ability to totally nerd out on things like ‘space mushrooms’ is kind of endearing too.
This book is her backstory, focusing on her college years and her troubled relationship with her domineering mother. It also tells how she went from not really liking Starfleet that much to actually joining it. The story is very light on action and sci-fi elements, but is an engaging coming-of-age tale that also explores aspects of the Federation you never really hear about. It was refreshing how some of the characters were pretty ordinary citizens with pretty ordinary lives (well by Star Trek standards). So if you’re looking for a action-packed space adventure with lots of twists, sexy aliens and incomprehensible ‘treknobabble’, you won’t find it in this book. But if you’re into well-written, slow-burn ‘Bildungsromans’ with plenty of heart, you’ll probably enjoy this. A solid 3.5 stars from me.
This book is her backstory, focusing on her college years and her troubled relationship with her domineering mother. It also tells how she went from not really liking Starfleet that much to actually joining it. The story is very light on action and sci-fi elements, but is an engaging coming-of-age tale that also explores aspects of the Federation you never really hear about. It was refreshing how some of the characters were pretty ordinary citizens with pretty ordinary lives (well by Star Trek standards). So if you’re looking for a action-packed space adventure with lots of twists, sexy aliens and incomprehensible ‘treknobabble’, you won’t find it in this book. But if you’re into well-written, slow-burn ‘Bildungsromans’ with plenty of heart, you’ll probably enjoy this. A solid 3.5 stars from me.
January 9, 2019
I'm in Prague, a truly beautiful city full of history and life. I'm supposed to be sleeping in order to meet a dear friend for the first time in the morning (a friend who I became friend with because of this wonderful show). Instead I stayed up late to finish this novel in one sitting.
I love Tilly - she's awkward, unsure, ambitious, and has a propensity for inserting her foot into her own mouth. I can relate. Learning about this marvellous character through this fun book was an absolute delight. It was just pure fun, and on the more side of things, it was fascinating to see how non-Starfleet sectors of the Trek-world operate. Ultimately a very sweet and revealing novel, and a truly fantastic read for any fan of the show and this character.
I love Tilly - she's awkward, unsure, ambitious, and has a propensity for inserting her foot into her own mouth. I can relate. Learning about this marvellous character through this fun book was an absolute delight. It was just pure fun, and on the more side of things, it was fascinating to see how non-Starfleet sectors of the Trek-world operate. Ultimately a very sweet and revealing novel, and a truly fantastic read for any fan of the show and this character.
January 13, 2019
This isn't quite as impressive as the previous "Discovery" novels, primarily due to the fact that the opening section of Tilly at boarding school feels like an overly-familiar, almost 90210/Harry Potter mash-up plot line. However, Una McCormack's superb writing style and command of character powers through the familiarity, and when the novel gets to Tilly on the run, it finally engages at a higher gear of storytelling. On a side note, I'd definitely like to see more of the Starship Dorothy Garrod and its laid-back Australian captain.
January 12, 2019
I was not prepared for how close to home this book would hit. It really captures what it feels like to be an awkward 16-year-old who hasn't quite found her place yet.
I also liked that it shows us where Tilly comes from and what her way to joining Starfleet was like, dumb decisions and all. And that she comes across so many different women on her way to the decision of joining up.
So, while the book is certainly not a SciFi Masterpiece, I'm giving it four stars because of its emotional impact and because it captures Tilly so well and makes me love her even more.
I also liked that it shows us where Tilly comes from and what her way to joining Starfleet was like, dumb decisions and all. And that she comes across so many different women on her way to the decision of joining up.
So, while the book is certainly not a SciFi Masterpiece, I'm giving it four stars because of its emotional impact and because it captures Tilly so well and makes me love her even more.
January 15, 2019
Star Rating: 3.0
Tilly's backstory reads like YA fanfiction, but at least it's fairly well-written fanfic! There are a lot of wonderful sequences in the first two thirds of this novel, and McCormack definitely has Tilly's character interactions on point. I would have given it 3.5 stars, but after that point the story rushes headlong into clichéd, predictable plot progressions, and over-sentimentality. Still, it was definitely an easy, enjoyable read.
Tilly's backstory reads like YA fanfiction, but at least it's fairly well-written fanfic! There are a lot of wonderful sequences in the first two thirds of this novel, and McCormack definitely has Tilly's character interactions on point. I would have given it 3.5 stars, but after that point the story rushes headlong into clichéd, predictable plot progressions, and over-sentimentality. Still, it was definitely an easy, enjoyable read.
January 12, 2019
Listened to the audiobook (I always forget switching editions for my updates).
This was a cute coming of age story, that perhaps even works for younger readers without Star Trek/Discovery experience. It is about a girl who has to find her own way against the oppressing presence of her famous know-it-all mother.
Those readers who know Discovery will find a very apt characterisation of Sylvia Tilly's character, and in case of the audiobook a well done rendering of Tilly's over-the-topness. It was fun learning about her past, accompanying her on her journey through insecurity. And it lays a good foundation for some of the character's behaviour in the series, where she always tries a bit too hard to please everbody.
What irked me, and cost the rating one star, was a chapter where an away team mission was … let's say superimposed on the story. It felt as if the author wanted to stuff in a typical ST situation, but had no time or space to do it properly. I could appreciate the idea behind this event, but not the pacing. The result was a rushed chapter that let me wish it hadn't been there at all (and the book would have worked without it just the same).
As a character study of one of the most down-to-earth protagonists of the ST franchise it works delightfully well, though. Perhaps best for a teen/YA audience.
This was a cute coming of age story, that perhaps even works for younger readers without Star Trek/Discovery experience. It is about a girl who has to find her own way against the oppressing presence of her famous know-it-all mother.
Those readers who know Discovery will find a very apt characterisation of Sylvia Tilly's character, and in case of the audiobook a well done rendering of Tilly's over-the-topness. It was fun learning about her past, accompanying her on her journey through insecurity. And it lays a good foundation for some of the character's behaviour in the series, where she always tries a bit too hard to please everbody.
What irked me, and cost the rating one star, was a chapter where an away team mission was … let's say superimposed on the story. It felt as if the author wanted to stuff in a typical ST situation, but had no time or space to do it properly. I could appreciate the idea behind this event, but not the pacing. The result was a rushed chapter that let me wish it hadn't been there at all (and the book would have worked without it just the same).
As a character study of one of the most down-to-earth protagonists of the ST franchise it works delightfully well, though. Perhaps best for a teen/YA audience.
November 11, 2020
I still haven't watched Discovery yet, but when I was looking for the next book to listen to, I decided to go for the next Discovery novel. I figure that while this particular adventure or events may not be official canon (the books used to never count in that regard), I still figured this would give me a good idea as to this character. And I liked it, even identifying a little bit with her with certain things. The biggest thing I probably had to get used to was the narrator - I'm far more used to her from various Star Wars novels, so the idea of hearing her talk about Starfleet and the like was a little unusual. ;)
April 22, 2020
The best of the Discovery tie-in novels, imo. Not the best migraine companion audiobook, due to, you know, all the crying, but.
The first half, with Tilly's masterfully self-choreographed downfall at boarding school, was a bit rough, but the second half was really great, and I would have happily spent double the amount of time with Tilly on her own, hitchhike-working her way through the galaxy.
The first half, with Tilly's masterfully self-choreographed downfall at boarding school, was a bit rough, but the second half was really great, and I would have happily spent double the amount of time with Tilly on her own, hitchhike-working her way through the galaxy.
July 24, 2023
I haven’t read a Star Trek book in a long time and this was a wonderful surprise. We see space, the final frontier from a young girls point of view. She’s the daughter of a very powerful diplomat. I know the entertaining part of this was how much I enjoyed reading this even though coming-of-age stories are something I seriously avoid but the world she lived in, the situations she was in, and the whole Starfleet Adventure was just so delicious.
May 29, 2021
A prequel novel to the Star Trek: Discovery TV series about one of my favourite characters, Ensign Sylvia Tilly. This was an excellent coming of age tale about Tilly, set during her school years, and gives the background to her troubled relationship with her mother and decision to join Starfleet. McCormack does an excellent job of capturing Tilly's voice in this book - recommended for Tilly fans.
January 14, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Really smart writing. Ties in very nicely with the Tilly we see in Disco. Loved the style of writing in this one. The author let her interests seep through in a really cool way (especially the nods to classical music and Russian tea urns! lol)
February 20, 2019
Книгоблог: https://olegeightnine.wordpress.com/2...
В прошлый раз, когда речь зашла о Star Trek: Discovery, я объявил, что кадет Сильвия Тилли, возможно, являет лучшим персонажем сериала. Естественно, теперь нам нужно поговорить про роман Уны Маккормак о том, как в год своего шестнадцатилетия Тилли пришла к решению пойти в Звездный Флот в результате удушающе элитной школы и нескольких небольших приключений.
Я не знаю, чего я ожидал от этой книги, но, наверно, не того, что получил. Задним числом хорошо, что она не охватывает более значительный кусок биографии Тилли, потому что аж столько ее матери никто не выдержал бы. А так мы получаем и депрессивные части этих отношений, и их интересные последствия. Мне серьезно нравится позиция книги, что У Тилли на самом деле сильный характер, но под горой контроля и требовательности со стороны Шивон (высокопоставленная чиновница, которая распланировала всю жизнь дочери чуть ли не сразу после родов) у нее не было возможности развивать эту сторону себя, так что в более свободных условиях она либо забито-нервная, либо склонная к поспешным и сомнительным решениям (я, возможно, знаю, откуда «Капитан Килли» взялась…).
В этом плане, кстати, нужно отметить, что особенно хорошо у Маккормак получился голос Тилли, полное совпадение с персонажем на экране.
А вот сюжета здесь немного, самый минимум для создания арки. Это год, когда Сильвия Тилли не выдержала давления и устроила себе небольшое приключение. Очень небольшое, эксайтмента там мало (как минимум в традиционном смысле). Искупается это тем, что каждые отдельные ситуация, место, набор персонажей отлично сконструированы, насыщены деталями, эмоциями и событиями. Школа — с кучей людей, хрупкими дружбами, новыми интересами, давлением и нервами. Космос — с чем-то капающим за стеной, людьми, которые и хуже, и лучше чем мы заслуживаем, и попыткой найти простой ответ на сложный вопрос. Научный корабль Звездного Флота — семейным бондингом, новыми друзьями, опасностью, открытиями и с новыми футболками, на которых написано забавно сокращенное имя корабля.
Эта книга не слишком «крутое» приключение, это нетяжелая подростковая история о поиске себя со стрессом, глупыми рисками и семьей. Кроме тех частей, которые про требовательную мать.
Часть меня все-таки недовольна, что это не будоражащее кровь космическое приключение с огромными ставками, что даже самые опасные ситуации разрешаются довольно просто с минимум последствий, кроме эмоциональных для Тилли. Но то, во что автор целилась, получилось хорошо.
В прошлый раз, когда речь зашла о Star Trek: Discovery, я объявил, что кадет Сильвия Тилли, возможно, являет лучшим персонажем сериала. Естественно, теперь нам нужно поговорить про роман Уны Маккормак о том, как в год своего шестнадцатилетия Тилли пришла к решению пойти в Звездный Флот в результате удушающе элитной школы и нескольких небольших приключений.
Я не знаю, чего я ожидал от этой книги, но, наверно, не того, что получил. Задним числом хорошо, что она не охватывает более значительный кусок биографии Тилли, потому что аж столько ее матери никто не выдержал бы. А так мы получаем и депрессивные части этих отношений, и их интересные последствия. Мне серьезно нравится позиция книги, что У Тилли на самом деле сильный характер, но под горой контроля и требовательности со стороны Шивон (высокопоставленная чиновница, которая распланировала всю жизнь дочери чуть ли не сразу после родов) у нее не было возможности развивать эту сторону себя, так что в более свободных условиях она либо забито-нервная, либо склонная к поспешным и сомнительным решениям (я, возможно, знаю, откуда «Капитан Килли» взялась…).
В этом плане, кстати, нужно отметить, что особенно хорошо у Маккормак получился голос Тилли, полное совпадение с персонажем на экране.
А вот сюжета здесь немного, самый минимум для создания арки. Это год, когда Сильвия Тилли не выдержала давления и устроила себе небольшое приключение. Очень небольшое, эксайтмента там мало (как минимум в традиционном смысле). Искупается это тем, что каждые отдельные ситуация, место, набор персонажей отлично сконструированы, насыщены деталями, эмоциями и событиями. Школа — с кучей людей, хрупкими дружбами, новыми интересами, давлением и нервами. Космос — с чем-то капающим за стеной, людьми, которые и хуже, и лучше чем мы заслуживаем, и попыткой найти простой ответ на сложный вопрос. Научный корабль Звездного Флота — семейным бондингом, новыми друзьями, опасностью, открытиями и с новыми футболками, на которых написано забавно сокращенное имя корабля.
Эта книга не слишком «крутое» приключение, это нетяжелая подростковая история о поиске себя со стрессом, глупыми рисками и семьей. Кроме тех частей, которые про требовательную мать.
Часть меня все-таки недовольна, что это не будоражащее кровь космическое приключение с огромными ставками, что даже самые опасные ситуации разрешаются довольно просто с минимум последствий, кроме эмоциональных для Тилли. Но то, во что автор целилась, получилось хорошо.
February 10, 2019
Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars kicks off with Tilly recounting to Michael all that she experienced as a awkward 16 year old! :D This then takes the plot off into examining Tilly's early years and does a brilliant job from the start! :D In Tilly we get to see an awkward teenager that doesn't hit all the normal stereotypes that you would expect! :D At the same time as the story is primarily told from the point of view of Tilly you can really emphasis with her and understand why the wishes have others have driven her to be the way she is! :D This set the tone for this book which works brilliantly examining Tilly as well as the other in the book! :D Plus at the same time the book shows us the other events taking place in the wider Galaxy! :D This also gives Tilly's adventures a more galactic wide feel to them as well! :D The book serves a great character study of Tilly! :D At the same time also keeps the book of on a galactic canvas and footing! :D
Tilly's response to all of this is to be Tilly and to set herself up in something that she wants to be doing! :D How Tilly accomplishes this is brilliant! :D Naturally as her all powerful (literally in this case! :D Lol ) mother cracks the whip hunting for her, Tilly is eventually caught up to! :D This of course takes the story in another direction as we have the clash of family who still sees her as the junior member to be told what to do and the Tilly who has learned that she can stand on her own two feet! :D McCormack does an incredible job at showing not only Tilly's perspective but at the same time getting across where the others are coming from! :D
Tilly's family are an eclectic bunch from her Federation Security Council mother Siobhan is like a force of nature in trying to get her own way! :D On top of this she is convinced she is right, a classic protagonist if there ever is one! :D She is fearsome but can be defeated as is shown! :D Her father Iain is of a much milder cut and far more understanding, it is his influence that helps to her to stand up to her mother and pursue what she wants! :D Amongst others we also get to meet her Grandmother and Step-Grandfather Adele and Quinn! :D they are a huge influence on Tilly and give her a different perspective on things than she would expect! :D
The family dynamic is all display throughout and this forms at the same time the issues that Tilly has to deal with! :D This makes for great characterisation for Tilly and the others! :D McCormack does a great job of the young Tilly and her struggles with the 'issues' she is facing! :D Of Course the issues extend from those around her and in most cases are not hers at all! :D When she gets away from the influences around her she immediately starts to thrive! :D McCormack makes this clear at every point and this makes for great drama at every point as Tilly stands her ground! :D At the same time she show to us and the characters in book what she is really make off! :D Her adoption by the Captain of the Dorothy Garrond, Captain Holden, who takes her under the wing and set her off on the Starfleet Academy route! :D Their relationship works brilliantly and really shows Tilly what she can do! :D A ship full of eccentrics who are actually normal and this shows Tilly that she is not the actual odd one out! :D This is conveyed to her subtly and adds to the tone of the book brilliantly! :D
Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars is a blast from the start and is full of character study and epic escapes! :D Tilly's escape from Tarsus IV is one such classic example! :D You will find your routing for her and her dreams! :D There are alien discoveries and personal development all over the place! :D Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars does a great job of showing us how Tilly has got to where she is and at in Discovery! :D This may also open the door for her family to guest appear in future books or Star Trek: Discovery itself! :D From Tilly's rowing to her being shanghaied into Starfleet the book works on every level! :D Tilly put one epic foot and then the other down and never gives up! :D McCormack makes this plain throughout and shows what she is made of brilliantly! :D
Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars fires on all cylinders and she has parallels with other characters from SciFi and Fantasy, Harry Potter (from Harry Potter naturally! :D ) and Alanna of Treebond (from the Song of the Lioness! :D ) but as with these and other characters she has her own unique personality and situation! :D Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars works on every level and you will find yourself staying late to finish it! :D Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars is full of character development, intrigue, character building, political insights, rib cracking humour, world building adventure and action! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
Tilly's response to all of this is to be Tilly and to set herself up in something that she wants to be doing! :D How Tilly accomplishes this is brilliant! :D Naturally as her all powerful (literally in this case! :D Lol ) mother cracks the whip hunting for her, Tilly is eventually caught up to! :D This of course takes the story in another direction as we have the clash of family who still sees her as the junior member to be told what to do and the Tilly who has learned that she can stand on her own two feet! :D McCormack does an incredible job at showing not only Tilly's perspective but at the same time getting across where the others are coming from! :D
Tilly's family are an eclectic bunch from her Federation Security Council mother Siobhan is like a force of nature in trying to get her own way! :D On top of this she is convinced she is right, a classic protagonist if there ever is one! :D She is fearsome but can be defeated as is shown! :D Her father Iain is of a much milder cut and far more understanding, it is his influence that helps to her to stand up to her mother and pursue what she wants! :D Amongst others we also get to meet her Grandmother and Step-Grandfather Adele and Quinn! :D they are a huge influence on Tilly and give her a different perspective on things than she would expect! :D
The family dynamic is all display throughout and this forms at the same time the issues that Tilly has to deal with! :D This makes for great characterisation for Tilly and the others! :D McCormack does a great job of the young Tilly and her struggles with the 'issues' she is facing! :D Of Course the issues extend from those around her and in most cases are not hers at all! :D When she gets away from the influences around her she immediately starts to thrive! :D McCormack makes this clear at every point and this makes for great drama at every point as Tilly stands her ground! :D At the same time she show to us and the characters in book what she is really make off! :D Her adoption by the Captain of the Dorothy Garrond, Captain Holden, who takes her under the wing and set her off on the Starfleet Academy route! :D Their relationship works brilliantly and really shows Tilly what she can do! :D A ship full of eccentrics who are actually normal and this shows Tilly that she is not the actual odd one out! :D This is conveyed to her subtly and adds to the tone of the book brilliantly! :D
Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars is a blast from the start and is full of character study and epic escapes! :D Tilly's escape from Tarsus IV is one such classic example! :D You will find your routing for her and her dreams! :D There are alien discoveries and personal development all over the place! :D Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars does a great job of showing us how Tilly has got to where she is and at in Discovery! :D This may also open the door for her family to guest appear in future books or Star Trek: Discovery itself! :D From Tilly's rowing to her being shanghaied into Starfleet the book works on every level! :D Tilly put one epic foot and then the other down and never gives up! :D McCormack makes this plain throughout and shows what she is made of brilliantly! :D
Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars fires on all cylinders and she has parallels with other characters from SciFi and Fantasy, Harry Potter (from Harry Potter naturally! :D ) and Alanna of Treebond (from the Song of the Lioness! :D ) but as with these and other characters she has her own unique personality and situation! :D Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars works on every level and you will find yourself staying late to finish it! :D Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars is full of character development, intrigue, character building, political insights, rib cracking humour, world building adventure and action! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
January 15, 2019
On the eve of a new season, the Star Trek: Discovery tie-in novel series makes a triumphant return. Writer Una McCormack follows the theme of the book series by taking a deep dive into a single character’s backstory, in this case Cadet Sylvia Tilly. It’s one of the more lighthearted entries to date and has more in common with the conventions of contemporary YA than it does with other books in this series.
Bookended by a conversation between Burnham and Tilly on the eve of the cadet’s entry into the Command Training Program, Tilly recounts the decisions that lead her into Starfleet in the first place. It’s a familiar tale, and a relatable one, with Tilly taking on many of the tropes of the genre: not fitting in at school, conflict with her mother, a largely absent father, and an unrealised potential in engineering.
For the character who will go down in Trek history as the first to drop the F-bomb on screen, it’s a mostly chaste affair. (The term ‘gosh’ is used an alarming dozen times or so). Yet McCormack manages to give us more insight into this character than many of the entries to date. Tilly’s inner voice is a genuine one, even if her ingenuity occasionally borders on Wesley Crusher levels.
So, if Drastic Measures and Desperate Hours were hampered by our unfamiliarity with the then-new characters, The Way to the Stars succeeds because we are just starting to learn to like the crew of the Discovery. We want to see Tilly succeed all the more because we know where she came from.
McCormack has no real sense of urgency here, taking the time to explore four distinct seasons in the year in the life of Tilly. While several dramas pop up along the way – from shuttle emergencies to first contact – none of them feel terribly threatening. It’s a purely character-based outing, and this novel series could use a few more like this. So who’s next? Can we please get the story of Paul Stamets coming out in the 23nd century? I really want to see what the LGBTQ coming-of-age story looks like 200 years into our future.
Finally, major props have to go to the inclusion of Captain Yindi Holden, the Australian Captain of the Dorothy Garrod (named after the first woman to hold an Oxbridge chair). Not only is her name a reference to the Indigenous band Yothu Yindi, but she's a graduate of University of Wollongong. Nice to know that tertiary education is going strong in 23rd century New South Wales.
Bookended by a conversation between Burnham and Tilly on the eve of the cadet’s entry into the Command Training Program, Tilly recounts the decisions that lead her into Starfleet in the first place. It’s a familiar tale, and a relatable one, with Tilly taking on many of the tropes of the genre: not fitting in at school, conflict with her mother, a largely absent father, and an unrealised potential in engineering.
For the character who will go down in Trek history as the first to drop the F-bomb on screen, it’s a mostly chaste affair. (The term ‘gosh’ is used an alarming dozen times or so). Yet McCormack manages to give us more insight into this character than many of the entries to date. Tilly’s inner voice is a genuine one, even if her ingenuity occasionally borders on Wesley Crusher levels.
So, if Drastic Measures and Desperate Hours were hampered by our unfamiliarity with the then-new characters, The Way to the Stars succeeds because we are just starting to learn to like the crew of the Discovery. We want to see Tilly succeed all the more because we know where she came from.
McCormack has no real sense of urgency here, taking the time to explore four distinct seasons in the year in the life of Tilly. While several dramas pop up along the way – from shuttle emergencies to first contact – none of them feel terribly threatening. It’s a purely character-based outing, and this novel series could use a few more like this. So who’s next? Can we please get the story of Paul Stamets coming out in the 23nd century? I really want to see what the LGBTQ coming-of-age story looks like 200 years into our future.
Finally, major props have to go to the inclusion of Captain Yindi Holden, the Australian Captain of the Dorothy Garrod (named after the first woman to hold an Oxbridge chair). Not only is her name a reference to the Indigenous band Yothu Yindi, but she's a graduate of University of Wollongong. Nice to know that tertiary education is going strong in 23rd century New South Wales.
August 5, 2019
This is a different sort of "Star Trek" novel, in that it shows the universe from the perspective of a sixteen-year-old girl. While we have had teenagers depicted on the show, through Wesley Crusher on TNG and Jake Sisko on DS9, their lives were so far removed from what could be called a normal life that they couldn't answer the question of what it might be like for someone to grow up in that society.
In this "Discovery" prequel, however, we see Sylvia Tilly go to school, learn interests, make and lose friends, and fight with her family. Una McCormack does a good job of writing from an adolescent perspective without making her book too juvenile for adult readers. It's an interesting take on what growing up in the 23rd century might be like for the typical (if unusually capable) young adult.
The book's greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Since we are following the growth of a young person, the book is more about her ongoing struggle over many months to define herself rather than the conventional Star Trek plots that are resolved over hours or a few days. With the exception of a few minor crises here and there, there isn't a strong conflict to drive the book. Sure, there's the non-question of whether Tilly will go into Starfleet or obey her mother and continue training for to be a diplomat, but this is not so much developed into a story as discussed at length across multiple locations until it is resolved in predictable fashion. As a result, I uncharacteristically abandoned this book a few times for several weeks before returning to it.
If you love the character of Tilly or are interested in a Star Trek story with a YA-flavor, seek this one out.
In this "Discovery" prequel, however, we see Sylvia Tilly go to school, learn interests, make and lose friends, and fight with her family. Una McCormack does a good job of writing from an adolescent perspective without making her book too juvenile for adult readers. It's an interesting take on what growing up in the 23rd century might be like for the typical (if unusually capable) young adult.
The book's greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Since we are following the growth of a young person, the book is more about her ongoing struggle over many months to define herself rather than the conventional Star Trek plots that are resolved over hours or a few days. With the exception of a few minor crises here and there, there isn't a strong conflict to drive the book. Sure, there's the non-question of whether Tilly will go into Starfleet or obey her mother and continue training for to be a diplomat, but this is not so much developed into a story as discussed at length across multiple locations until it is resolved in predictable fashion. As a result, I uncharacteristically abandoned this book a few times for several weeks before returning to it.
If you love the character of Tilly or are interested in a Star Trek story with a YA-flavor, seek this one out.
January 24, 2019
16-year-old Tilly must deal with an overbearing mother, boarding school ups and downs, and choosing between what’s expected of her and what actually interests her. A fun, light Trek YA novel.
Two things stuck out to me regarding the overall Discovery universe (very minor spoilers for this book):
1. The captain of the Starfleet vessel the Dorothy Garrod at one point is exercising wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "Dotty". Assumedly, this equates to the Discovery's crew having "DISCO" on their exercise duds — so this is the first (?) confirmation that these exercise t-shirts with cute nicknames likely extend throughout the fleet. I wonder what the Enterprise's nickname is?
2. The Dorothy Garrod also has what's described as a "holodeck" where characters are going mountain climbing. While I'm becoming more accepting of holography being far more prevalent in the Trek universe than we've seen to this point (as a side effect of the show being produced in a time where such special effects are relatively inexpensive and practical), the early episodes of TNG made a big point of having the characters being surprised by and marveling at the Enterprise-D's holodeck. If holodecks were in use in Discovery's time (or even slightly before, as this novel is set a few years pre-Discovery), would the TNG crew really be that surprised by them? I suppose this could be an early generation, not-as-realistic holodeck, but it still seems to be rather glaringly anachronistic for the Trek universe.
Two things stuck out to me regarding the overall Discovery universe (very minor spoilers for this book):
1. The captain of the Starfleet vessel the Dorothy Garrod at one point is exercising wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "Dotty". Assumedly, this equates to the Discovery's crew having "DISCO" on their exercise duds — so this is the first (?) confirmation that these exercise t-shirts with cute nicknames likely extend throughout the fleet. I wonder what the Enterprise's nickname is?
2. The Dorothy Garrod also has what's described as a "holodeck" where characters are going mountain climbing. While I'm becoming more accepting of holography being far more prevalent in the Trek universe than we've seen to this point (as a side effect of the show being produced in a time where such special effects are relatively inexpensive and practical), the early episodes of TNG made a big point of having the characters being surprised by and marveling at the Enterprise-D's holodeck. If holodecks were in use in Discovery's time (or even slightly before, as this novel is set a few years pre-Discovery), would the TNG crew really be that surprised by them? I suppose this could be an early generation, not-as-realistic holodeck, but it still seems to be rather glaringly anachronistic for the Trek universe.
June 12, 2019
The Way to the Stars is an excellent bit of backstory for one of my favorite Discovery characters. The young Sylvia Tilly comes to life with a past that seems far too familiar to many people. Over the course of the story, she begins to chart a new course in her life and grow into the person she will become by the time we see her as a cadet in season one of Discovery. This book contains some great life lessons for those among us who may have struggled with the expectations of their peers and their parents.
Full review (video): https://youtu.be/wzPXXophHow
Full review (video): https://youtu.be/wzPXXophHow
February 18, 2019
This is a simple, sweet coming of age story for Tilly. Tilly has become one of the most popular characters on Discovery so I’m glad they’ve chosen to give her the spotlight here.
It’s clear that Kirsten Beyer is working hard to make these novels tie in well to the series. The scheduling is impeccable and having these stories to read really adds a new layer to what’s happening on the series.
Una McCormack does her usual excellent job. I really love reading her work.
It’s clear that Kirsten Beyer is working hard to make these novels tie in well to the series. The scheduling is impeccable and having these stories to read really adds a new layer to what’s happening on the series.
Una McCormack does her usual excellent job. I really love reading her work.
June 22, 2021
It was fine. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tilly and I love Discovery, but it was a definite tonal shift to pick this one up after finishing The Enterprise War. This book is very much character-driven, and its main purpose is to fill in the back story of a beloved character. So it’s pretty much a coming of age story with relatively low stakes. It could easily be a non-Trek novel. Which is fine. It does what it does very well: I just would have liked the drama a notch higher.
January 13, 2019
4.5 stars but I'll round up because my main complaint is wishing it didn't end when it did. At least this means there's more Tilly back stories to tell. I'm finding that this author is really good at writing interesting, character driven, non-traditional Star Trek stories. The narrator of the audio book was also fantastic at accents and Tilly's lilting, bubbly voice.
January 29, 2021
This novel completely succeeded in cementing my love for Tilly even more. I relate to her trying to find her way in this book so much. Sounds dramatic, but so much so, that at times I had to stop and take my time with listening to this one because it reminded me so much of things I have felt. Una McCormack wrote this beautifully, and I would glady read more Discovery by her.
July 15, 2021
Tilly is awesome!
And this amazing author has her down cold. Technically speaking, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of “fast plot,” but the tight focus on Tilly’s perspective consistently rings true.
CW: There is a brilliant description of a panic attack at one point that I could feel building in my own body. I had to stop reading and come back.
And this amazing author has her down cold. Technically speaking, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of “fast plot,” but the tight focus on Tilly’s perspective consistently rings true.
CW: There is a brilliant description of a panic attack at one point that I could feel building in my own body. I had to stop reading and come back.
September 7, 2019
A very quick read about my favourite Disco character that's more teenage angst than space action adventure but is a little bit of both and also a book that gave me nightmares about my mother. Poor Tilly.
January 21, 2019
Such a great look at Tilly's characterization. I loved every minute of it!
April 1, 2019
I'd like to give this 4 1/2 stars because of an inconsistency, but it's a great story and very well-written. To my surprise, I knocked it off in a day! Any Star Trek fan will enjoy it.
January 15, 2019
***As per all of my reviews, I like to preface by saying that I listened to this book in audiobook format. This does indeed slightly skew my rating. I have found that audiobooks, give me a better "relationship" with the characters if done well, but also kills the book for me if narrated poorly. Due to the nature of listening to the text, names and places may be spelled incorrectly here as I often do not have the physical volume in front of me. Also, I have written this review in a "rolling updates" style. In that I basically chronicle my reading as I progress. This may make for a jarring and spoilery review so be warned.****
I admit, she's a charming character, but I fear that the Star Trek team maybe leaning a bit *too* heavy into her. Too much of a good thing? Either way it's Tilly's turn to get a full book about her, and this one starts off…wow..very mundane….but hear me out..it's a good mundane. I mean the first scenes get are her (again) talking to her mother, who we finally learn is a sort of big name in the field that she's getting into.
It's been laid out pretty clear that her mother, while loving is very very cold, percise and focuses on the pretty negative in Tilly's life.
Her mother is quite a famous diplomat and has made waves in the diplomatic community.
We're introduced to Tilly on her 16th birthday, her mom is totally giving her grief about her grades… and boy…her curly hair is just the pits! This is how I like to start all my Star Trek books… I actually am NOT being facetious here… There is something very genuine and natural about how this is going. I always complain and bemoan when characters are not fleshed out, or given any backstory. Well…Ms. Una McCormack must have heard my incessant whining cause we are given some deep characterization. We learned about her father as well, who's out on a freighter somewhere, but periodically sends her videos of him being silly, and congratulating Tilly. He seems like quite the opposite of her mother.
The book begins where she's made the decision to go off world to study language. She meets there a few fellow dormmates (all girls and all human I gather) who seem to befriend her….Now this teen YA story would not be complete without the girls turning on her and trying to force her into doing something really rotten for the sake of popularity…Barring that cringe worthy cliché, I like where this is going as we seem to be set to get a lot of Tilly forging her own way through school. Clearly she's not anywhere near Starfleet, and from the first few interactions with her new friends… it actually seems like it's *her* that's the worse influence on them… Not wanting to spend long periods of time outside (Allergies…of course she has bad allergies) She wants to rely on the Universal Translation Device, instead of working on language, and she has no desire to exercise.
Resera, who seems to be the social opposite of Tilly. Tilly clearly has a big case of self doubt…she has little confidence in a lot of the stuff she tries. The girls try to get her into doing some activities and she nay-says the hell out of herself.
We get quite some interesting interaction of her and her mother who has such a stick up her ass it's almost hard to resist slapping her. And this is quite a credit to Ms. McCormack for bringing that reaction out from me. This could have easily fallen into a cliché "I hate daddy" (Mommy in this cause) story beat. But the way she's written, where you can see that she cares… but has such a horrible way of showing it, is enticing. She basically forces Tilly to give up her "nerd club", that she actually formed. This is also what I'm enjoying here… Tilly tried to form this engineering club…but no one really joined so it was sort of a failure…and then her mother forces her to even give it up, further kicking her while she's down. There's a very good scene of her mother having a 'skype' conversation with her teacher and the two go at it. I love how her mother is this ultra critical, stone cold woman who picks apart every flaw of Tilly, but yet her teacher bites back just as hard, even defending Tilly as much as she can. The teacher really lays it out that 'no Tilly isn't slacking', she's done great for someone transiting into the school… If I hadn't mentioned this before, let me state again…this is probably the most 'unTrek' book of the series, but I really enjoy it. It's just good writing at this point.
My one complaint so far is that they've given Tilly the odd obsession with mushrooms…and this is way way too on the nose and sort of breaks the idea that the Discovery had come across this Mycelial network and research on it's own…. It sort of plays way to conveniently into the fact that she'll be working on DSC later in life. I would have liked to think that she was first introduced to the Spore network when she got to DSC but because her interest in sciences was already there, that she took to it. With this approach she'll have some expertise on it already and it's such a …random and specific field, it seems entirely to convenient for her….
Despite that I'm liking all the interactions so far. We can even get a sense early on of a sort of rift between her new dormmates. They all seem very very focused in on their specific area's of study and don’t really enjoy moving outside of that or questioning anything. To call them drones is probably far too harsh, but they don't seem to be as inquisitive as Tilly.
So I'm 100 pages in, not quite half way, but I must say I'm…pretty surprised. I can go pages and pages here and not know or forget that i'm a book with Star Trek slapped on the cover. And that is a HUGE compliment. The story is showing signs of avoiding all he cliché drama that I was fearing would rear it's 'mean girls' head. The drama here is very personal, and not so predictable. Tilly who in the book has a very real issue with self confidence and… I wouldn't say anxiety…but rather slight hints at OCD. This wasn't what I was expecting (again subversion can be wonderful) and it drives a wedge between her social life. And we can trace this back to her mother's constant need for perfection from Tilly, which makes the story so very rich and engaging because I want to see her finally be able to take this all and put a pin in it for when she does make it to Starfleet.
There's a scene in the book of a dialogue between Tilly's mother Siobhan and her own mother, Adele. They go at it back and forth over how she treats Tilly. Adele, the grandmother defends her, saying that Siobhan is just too overbearing, and Siobhan is appalled at the discovery of Tilly being a drummer on a rowboat in school… We learn that Siobhan practised gymnastics when she was in school, but for her daughter Tilly, being a drummer on a rowwing team, apparently is a bit step down. And she relates that her engineering club is just a glorified game club… This constant disappointment that she shows Tilly, I believe speaks to me personally as a reader, so I freely admit I may be more affected and enjoying this story purely on this.
After performing her end of year project, the Winter 'break' is here and Tilly's sort of exiled herself. Another great bit I like is that it would have been easy and commonplace to have a classmate or contemporary try to engage her and bring her out of her funk…but it's the professor that stuck up for her earlier that's the one who takes the lead in trying to reach out to her.
So I reached the mid point and not the 2nd portion of the book picks up. This part, I must admit isn't *as* compelling (though still very interesting!). Tilly basically decides to just runaway… I don't really like this idea that her main instinct, in light of her pushing away her friends, and being far too uptight, is to literally just pack up and leave. Plus we're given this sort of over the top "Speed" type hack that she pulls and loops the security camera's and creates some method of hacking her tracking device (btw…the idea of putting trackers on students…is a bit much..not to say that I can't see that happening, but wow..not the best light). So she throws everyone off her scent for enough time for her to have an eeescape (here's to you Alice's Restaurant). She makes for the only space port in the area and boards a cargo ship. Immediately she's taken advantage of and her bag is stolen.. Meanwhile at the school, her disappearance raises alarms, figuratively, and Ms Keith (The teacher who stood up for Tilly) goes into high alert and spreads the word of her disappearance…eventually they conclude that she ran away and wasn't kidnapped or something nefarious. What I don't really get or enjoy about all of this, is that Tilly has been to this point supposed to be very overly cautious, very methodical, and too analytical if anything. She her reaction to just up and leave, and have no plan or goal, strikes me as out of character. Now what's funny is that I literally just praised the book for being a tad subversive and not playing into character tropes, but the difference is, this one seems not to lend itself to anything, but just a plot point, and such a drastic move needs to be in character a bit more.
Anyway, I assure you that this is actually nitpicking, I really still enjoy where this is going. Her mother, and grandparents are alerted, and there's a great moment of Adele and Quinn (the grandparents) enjoying a quiet morning with baked french pastries and reading the newspapers and them getting the call about Tilly.
I swear this book hits the major points of characterization and making me related to these people and giving us a good story over a science fiction technobabble fest.
That being said, this current leg of the story, where Tilly is taken in by the ship's main engineer comes off as a bit too cheesy. The dialogue is not very well written and I think Una tries to overcompensate and overtly tell us too much of Tilly giving her this bratty, stuck up and prissy teenager. She's fallen into the trope of being very whiney and actually a bit snobbish. Now I will say that this sort of works in the fact that I think it's a thing that many Federation sheltered planets live a sort of more cushy lifestyle. They aren't exposed to a lot of the dirt, gritty and danker sides of life outside their bubble. So I agree that works but it's sort of no very flattering to Tilly and also goes against what we see and believe what Tilly stands for currently. Up to this point, we sort of assume that Tilly isn't one afraid to get her hands dirty. The story line here is that she stows away onboard a cargo ship and is sort of 'adopted' by the woman who runs the maintenance on the ship after discovering that Tilly was going about fixing things. This was fine, and I enjoyed Tilly trying to make do with her surroundings, but still the idea that Tilly who seems to be very straight laced and 'by the book', it just doesn't sit well for me that she was so eager, and willing to do something so drastic like stowaway on a random ship, with absolutely no forethought.
So after being sort of bummed about the trajectory that the book seemed to be taking, almost immediately I (yet again) had this subverted and thrown for a loop. I really gotta stop pinning Una McCormack's writing prowess onto railroad storytelling. So here we're set up for this new part of Tilly's story, to be yet another pity story of her being adopted yet again by someone. This would have mirrored the previous section about Tilly befriending Salla on the cargo ship. But immediately as she is 'hired' on the new planet that she's fled to, Her grandmother, grandfather and her own father catch up with her. Her father, Ian, was serving on board a science vessel that had to break assignment and divert it's course to 'pick her up'. As well as her grandparents, Adele and Quinn
take a ship out to meet her. Now this is again… so very good. It has so little to do with things are 'star trek', but I love the idea that the origin of Tilly's 'origin' is so heavily based on her personal story and family conflict. Now I contrast this with Saru's story which is far more about him battling his own natural limitations and deep seeded instincts. With Tilly, while similar, is more battling her relationship with her mother and trying to prove herself in her and everyone's eyes.
There's a very big showdown here that is written superbly. I love what McCormack has done with this situation. It could have been too easy to have everything stacked against Tilly and written so that she has to someone take everyone on and come up with some tangible proof that she should have her own independence.. But what Ms McCormack actually has done is gave Tilly a supportive backing from her grandparents an father which delivers this constant blows to her mother's dictator like web over Tilly. And her mother… Siobhan, what a character. You really get the feeling that you would NOT like this person if stuck in a room with her for hours. While she'd put on this friendly face and warm and diplomacy… you'd get this feeling of her judging you for everything you're worth. Anyway, we have another scene of Adele taking on Siobhan, her daughter, and I like how it's still a mother talking to her child, but Adele really lays into her. She puts into question , Siobhan's parenting prowess and lays a lot out in front of her. Of course this doesn't change her perspective, but acts to soften the blow of Tilly confronting her later via holo-vid.
They finally have the big sit down with all parties involved, and it's pretty much made clear that Tilly doesn't want to go back to another boarding school like the one on Tarsus IV…in fact she makes it plain, much to her mother's anger, that she doesn't want to be in the Diplomatic corps. We see Siobhan really struggle with this declaration, and she scoffs at Tilly's choice to want to go into the sciences. She even then upon accepting this, tries to micromanage Tilly and choosing a school for her. This forces Tilly to finally come out and say that the dorm/boarding school life style just isn't for her. Tilly is probably too strict and a bit too "OCD" for others to deal with and she doesn't enjoy having to bend to other people's expectations and dealing with their own habits. (Something I find so close to home, it's unreal…)
As an aside…there's some books that make you appreciate characters more or appreciate scenes in movies, this is one such book. I wasn't exactly on the Sylvia Tilly hype train as everyone else… but after this book, I have really fallen for the character. Her inner problems and habits and need to do things on her own terms really strikes a chord with me.
So Tilly is given a spot on her father's shit the Dorothy Garrad, and at first she's a bit put off by the age gap in people. Either there's too many kids or the cadets (it's a star fleet vessel) are roughly just a bit older than she, but very grown up.
I love how 'small' this story has been. No big explosive action, no un-needed 'fate of the planet hangs in the balance' story. It's a girl, growing up, dealing with her very real issues, her family and her trying to find her niche in life. Feeling trapped, under the thumb of someone else and wanting to get around that to prove to everyone and herself that she actually is responsible and capable…I can't stress how much I can relate…
Reading on, the book takes another seesaw back into into something that I was a bit worried about. The book is winding down and i'm on the last 100 pages or so, because the lead up so far has been pretty "not action packed", It feels now like the editor called Ms. McCormack and demanded some star trek type stuff to happen. We're given a sort of rushed series of dramatic events that stars Tilly saving the day while her father and her go down to do some research on Vesnoy. She makes use of a skill she picked up back in school, and thus saves the crew. This…all seems a bit too convenient and honestly a bit contrived. I know this is a Star Trek book and would have felt "empty" if we didn't get some sort of alien interaction and danger, but I was really on board with the idea of this book being a very personal and more 'down to earth' story. This series of events didn't ruin the book for me at all, but just felt as if it were unneeded. I'm not one for these classic Star Trek situations where the young, inexperienced random newcomer, sweeps in and saves the day, doing what trained professionals couldn't have…let a lot speaking in a dialect of …math. (I'm not quite sure how a quadratic sounds, I barely remember how to solve them)
This does though provide a pretty humorous scene of the 'monster' that they encounter, actually turn out to be a really cool guy. This whole set of events of course gives the captain of the Dorothy Garrond reason to take Tilly in and offer an invitation to join StarFleet.
She has to reconcile this news, and her relationship with her mother, and this is where the book once again picks back up for me. The ending discussion between herself and her mother, who still hasn't come to grips with how independent Tilly actually wants to become is pretty sincere. So basically tells her mother point blank that she's going to choose Starfleet over whatever plan that her mother has cooked up for her that involves schooling she flatly rejects. There's a nice moment after, where Tilly is talking to her father about how and why they split up. Tilly has always believed that she had something to do with it, but her father assures her it was "just because". They found entertainment and lifestyle choices in different area's. Not to get too personal, but this idea and The relationships presented in the book speak so very close to me right now, I really probably am judging the book on a super partial biased… but I love the real life relativity it's keeping. We have so many times where these books are written around some big space battle, or alien standoff or world change event…This book was so refreshing that it was so grounded. (despite the end feeling a bit forced) The characters who all could have easily come off as one note or just very cliché or single serving, don’t' feel that way. The classmates in Tilly's school…don't turn out to be evil super villains, or plan some vindictive nefarious plot to ruin her career…no..they're just girls looking to do well in school… The teacher who goes out of her way to help her, Ms Keith, she doesn't somehow come back into the story later on and surprise us with some twist.. Everything that happens to Tilly, just happens. The unknown mysterious person who steals Tilly's bag and leaves..I could have sworn it would have come back up later and been some over the top reveal, being someone she actually knew… Nope, it was just a petty thief who gets away. And this type of writing works perfectly here. All of these things happen and go about providing some experience and maturity to her character. I enjoyed this book a lot. To me personally it stumbled a bit in trying I believe to create a false sense of drama to sort of make it "feel" more like a sci fi book. But I really feel like this wasn't needed. All the characters seem pretty well thought out and very real, and not very 2D cardboard cut outs that serve only some plot point. For those who don't mind a slower, character driven story that looks to establish who and where the character is from do give it a read. This one actually, unlike the Saru book before it, I think actually really adds a lot to Tilly. The Saru book, does this as well… but if you skip it, you'll not be missing out on anything that you couldn't put together yourself. With this book, it's such a deep dive, this really aids in where she is now…My only hope is that the TV show and how they write her character sort of pulls from these threads that have been set up here.
I admit, she's a charming character, but I fear that the Star Trek team maybe leaning a bit *too* heavy into her. Too much of a good thing? Either way it's Tilly's turn to get a full book about her, and this one starts off…wow..very mundane….but hear me out..it's a good mundane. I mean the first scenes get are her (again) talking to her mother, who we finally learn is a sort of big name in the field that she's getting into.
It's been laid out pretty clear that her mother, while loving is very very cold, percise and focuses on the pretty negative in Tilly's life.
Her mother is quite a famous diplomat and has made waves in the diplomatic community.
We're introduced to Tilly on her 16th birthday, her mom is totally giving her grief about her grades… and boy…her curly hair is just the pits! This is how I like to start all my Star Trek books… I actually am NOT being facetious here… There is something very genuine and natural about how this is going. I always complain and bemoan when characters are not fleshed out, or given any backstory. Well…Ms. Una McCormack must have heard my incessant whining cause we are given some deep characterization. We learned about her father as well, who's out on a freighter somewhere, but periodically sends her videos of him being silly, and congratulating Tilly. He seems like quite the opposite of her mother.
The book begins where she's made the decision to go off world to study language. She meets there a few fellow dormmates (all girls and all human I gather) who seem to befriend her….Now this teen YA story would not be complete without the girls turning on her and trying to force her into doing something really rotten for the sake of popularity…Barring that cringe worthy cliché, I like where this is going as we seem to be set to get a lot of Tilly forging her own way through school. Clearly she's not anywhere near Starfleet, and from the first few interactions with her new friends… it actually seems like it's *her* that's the worse influence on them… Not wanting to spend long periods of time outside (Allergies…of course she has bad allergies) She wants to rely on the Universal Translation Device, instead of working on language, and she has no desire to exercise.
Resera, who seems to be the social opposite of Tilly. Tilly clearly has a big case of self doubt…she has little confidence in a lot of the stuff she tries. The girls try to get her into doing some activities and she nay-says the hell out of herself.
We get quite some interesting interaction of her and her mother who has such a stick up her ass it's almost hard to resist slapping her. And this is quite a credit to Ms. McCormack for bringing that reaction out from me. This could have easily fallen into a cliché "I hate daddy" (Mommy in this cause) story beat. But the way she's written, where you can see that she cares… but has such a horrible way of showing it, is enticing. She basically forces Tilly to give up her "nerd club", that she actually formed. This is also what I'm enjoying here… Tilly tried to form this engineering club…but no one really joined so it was sort of a failure…and then her mother forces her to even give it up, further kicking her while she's down. There's a very good scene of her mother having a 'skype' conversation with her teacher and the two go at it. I love how her mother is this ultra critical, stone cold woman who picks apart every flaw of Tilly, but yet her teacher bites back just as hard, even defending Tilly as much as she can. The teacher really lays it out that 'no Tilly isn't slacking', she's done great for someone transiting into the school… If I hadn't mentioned this before, let me state again…this is probably the most 'unTrek' book of the series, but I really enjoy it. It's just good writing at this point.
My one complaint so far is that they've given Tilly the odd obsession with mushrooms…and this is way way too on the nose and sort of breaks the idea that the Discovery had come across this Mycelial network and research on it's own…. It sort of plays way to conveniently into the fact that she'll be working on DSC later in life. I would have liked to think that she was first introduced to the Spore network when she got to DSC but because her interest in sciences was already there, that she took to it. With this approach she'll have some expertise on it already and it's such a …random and specific field, it seems entirely to convenient for her….
Despite that I'm liking all the interactions so far. We can even get a sense early on of a sort of rift between her new dormmates. They all seem very very focused in on their specific area's of study and don’t really enjoy moving outside of that or questioning anything. To call them drones is probably far too harsh, but they don't seem to be as inquisitive as Tilly.
So I'm 100 pages in, not quite half way, but I must say I'm…pretty surprised. I can go pages and pages here and not know or forget that i'm a book with Star Trek slapped on the cover. And that is a HUGE compliment. The story is showing signs of avoiding all he cliché drama that I was fearing would rear it's 'mean girls' head. The drama here is very personal, and not so predictable. Tilly who in the book has a very real issue with self confidence and… I wouldn't say anxiety…but rather slight hints at OCD. This wasn't what I was expecting (again subversion can be wonderful) and it drives a wedge between her social life. And we can trace this back to her mother's constant need for perfection from Tilly, which makes the story so very rich and engaging because I want to see her finally be able to take this all and put a pin in it for when she does make it to Starfleet.
There's a scene in the book of a dialogue between Tilly's mother Siobhan and her own mother, Adele. They go at it back and forth over how she treats Tilly. Adele, the grandmother defends her, saying that Siobhan is just too overbearing, and Siobhan is appalled at the discovery of Tilly being a drummer on a rowboat in school… We learn that Siobhan practised gymnastics when she was in school, but for her daughter Tilly, being a drummer on a rowwing team, apparently is a bit step down. And she relates that her engineering club is just a glorified game club… This constant disappointment that she shows Tilly, I believe speaks to me personally as a reader, so I freely admit I may be more affected and enjoying this story purely on this.
After performing her end of year project, the Winter 'break' is here and Tilly's sort of exiled herself. Another great bit I like is that it would have been easy and commonplace to have a classmate or contemporary try to engage her and bring her out of her funk…but it's the professor that stuck up for her earlier that's the one who takes the lead in trying to reach out to her.
So I reached the mid point and not the 2nd portion of the book picks up. This part, I must admit isn't *as* compelling (though still very interesting!). Tilly basically decides to just runaway… I don't really like this idea that her main instinct, in light of her pushing away her friends, and being far too uptight, is to literally just pack up and leave. Plus we're given this sort of over the top "Speed" type hack that she pulls and loops the security camera's and creates some method of hacking her tracking device (btw…the idea of putting trackers on students…is a bit much..not to say that I can't see that happening, but wow..not the best light). So she throws everyone off her scent for enough time for her to have an eeescape (here's to you Alice's Restaurant). She makes for the only space port in the area and boards a cargo ship. Immediately she's taken advantage of and her bag is stolen.. Meanwhile at the school, her disappearance raises alarms, figuratively, and Ms Keith (The teacher who stood up for Tilly) goes into high alert and spreads the word of her disappearance…eventually they conclude that she ran away and wasn't kidnapped or something nefarious. What I don't really get or enjoy about all of this, is that Tilly has been to this point supposed to be very overly cautious, very methodical, and too analytical if anything. She her reaction to just up and leave, and have no plan or goal, strikes me as out of character. Now what's funny is that I literally just praised the book for being a tad subversive and not playing into character tropes, but the difference is, this one seems not to lend itself to anything, but just a plot point, and such a drastic move needs to be in character a bit more.
Anyway, I assure you that this is actually nitpicking, I really still enjoy where this is going. Her mother, and grandparents are alerted, and there's a great moment of Adele and Quinn (the grandparents) enjoying a quiet morning with baked french pastries and reading the newspapers and them getting the call about Tilly.
I swear this book hits the major points of characterization and making me related to these people and giving us a good story over a science fiction technobabble fest.
That being said, this current leg of the story, where Tilly is taken in by the ship's main engineer comes off as a bit too cheesy. The dialogue is not very well written and I think Una tries to overcompensate and overtly tell us too much of Tilly giving her this bratty, stuck up and prissy teenager. She's fallen into the trope of being very whiney and actually a bit snobbish. Now I will say that this sort of works in the fact that I think it's a thing that many Federation sheltered planets live a sort of more cushy lifestyle. They aren't exposed to a lot of the dirt, gritty and danker sides of life outside their bubble. So I agree that works but it's sort of no very flattering to Tilly and also goes against what we see and believe what Tilly stands for currently. Up to this point, we sort of assume that Tilly isn't one afraid to get her hands dirty. The story line here is that she stows away onboard a cargo ship and is sort of 'adopted' by the woman who runs the maintenance on the ship after discovering that Tilly was going about fixing things. This was fine, and I enjoyed Tilly trying to make do with her surroundings, but still the idea that Tilly who seems to be very straight laced and 'by the book', it just doesn't sit well for me that she was so eager, and willing to do something so drastic like stowaway on a random ship, with absolutely no forethought.
So after being sort of bummed about the trajectory that the book seemed to be taking, almost immediately I (yet again) had this subverted and thrown for a loop. I really gotta stop pinning Una McCormack's writing prowess onto railroad storytelling. So here we're set up for this new part of Tilly's story, to be yet another pity story of her being adopted yet again by someone. This would have mirrored the previous section about Tilly befriending Salla on the cargo ship. But immediately as she is 'hired' on the new planet that she's fled to, Her grandmother, grandfather and her own father catch up with her. Her father, Ian, was serving on board a science vessel that had to break assignment and divert it's course to 'pick her up'. As well as her grandparents, Adele and Quinn
take a ship out to meet her. Now this is again… so very good. It has so little to do with things are 'star trek', but I love the idea that the origin of Tilly's 'origin' is so heavily based on her personal story and family conflict. Now I contrast this with Saru's story which is far more about him battling his own natural limitations and deep seeded instincts. With Tilly, while similar, is more battling her relationship with her mother and trying to prove herself in her and everyone's eyes.
There's a very big showdown here that is written superbly. I love what McCormack has done with this situation. It could have been too easy to have everything stacked against Tilly and written so that she has to someone take everyone on and come up with some tangible proof that she should have her own independence.. But what Ms McCormack actually has done is gave Tilly a supportive backing from her grandparents an father which delivers this constant blows to her mother's dictator like web over Tilly. And her mother… Siobhan, what a character. You really get the feeling that you would NOT like this person if stuck in a room with her for hours. While she'd put on this friendly face and warm and diplomacy… you'd get this feeling of her judging you for everything you're worth. Anyway, we have another scene of Adele taking on Siobhan, her daughter, and I like how it's still a mother talking to her child, but Adele really lays into her. She puts into question , Siobhan's parenting prowess and lays a lot out in front of her. Of course this doesn't change her perspective, but acts to soften the blow of Tilly confronting her later via holo-vid.
They finally have the big sit down with all parties involved, and it's pretty much made clear that Tilly doesn't want to go back to another boarding school like the one on Tarsus IV…in fact she makes it plain, much to her mother's anger, that she doesn't want to be in the Diplomatic corps. We see Siobhan really struggle with this declaration, and she scoffs at Tilly's choice to want to go into the sciences. She even then upon accepting this, tries to micromanage Tilly and choosing a school for her. This forces Tilly to finally come out and say that the dorm/boarding school life style just isn't for her. Tilly is probably too strict and a bit too "OCD" for others to deal with and she doesn't enjoy having to bend to other people's expectations and dealing with their own habits. (Something I find so close to home, it's unreal…)
As an aside…there's some books that make you appreciate characters more or appreciate scenes in movies, this is one such book. I wasn't exactly on the Sylvia Tilly hype train as everyone else… but after this book, I have really fallen for the character. Her inner problems and habits and need to do things on her own terms really strikes a chord with me.
So Tilly is given a spot on her father's shit the Dorothy Garrad, and at first she's a bit put off by the age gap in people. Either there's too many kids or the cadets (it's a star fleet vessel) are roughly just a bit older than she, but very grown up.
I love how 'small' this story has been. No big explosive action, no un-needed 'fate of the planet hangs in the balance' story. It's a girl, growing up, dealing with her very real issues, her family and her trying to find her niche in life. Feeling trapped, under the thumb of someone else and wanting to get around that to prove to everyone and herself that she actually is responsible and capable…I can't stress how much I can relate…
Reading on, the book takes another seesaw back into into something that I was a bit worried about. The book is winding down and i'm on the last 100 pages or so, because the lead up so far has been pretty "not action packed", It feels now like the editor called Ms. McCormack and demanded some star trek type stuff to happen. We're given a sort of rushed series of dramatic events that stars Tilly saving the day while her father and her go down to do some research on Vesnoy. She makes use of a skill she picked up back in school, and thus saves the crew. This…all seems a bit too convenient and honestly a bit contrived. I know this is a Star Trek book and would have felt "empty" if we didn't get some sort of alien interaction and danger, but I was really on board with the idea of this book being a very personal and more 'down to earth' story. This series of events didn't ruin the book for me at all, but just felt as if it were unneeded. I'm not one for these classic Star Trek situations where the young, inexperienced random newcomer, sweeps in and saves the day, doing what trained professionals couldn't have…let a lot speaking in a dialect of …math. (I'm not quite sure how a quadratic sounds, I barely remember how to solve them)
This does though provide a pretty humorous scene of the 'monster' that they encounter, actually turn out to be a really cool guy. This whole set of events of course gives the captain of the Dorothy Garrond reason to take Tilly in and offer an invitation to join StarFleet.
She has to reconcile this news, and her relationship with her mother, and this is where the book once again picks back up for me. The ending discussion between herself and her mother, who still hasn't come to grips with how independent Tilly actually wants to become is pretty sincere. So basically tells her mother point blank that she's going to choose Starfleet over whatever plan that her mother has cooked up for her that involves schooling she flatly rejects. There's a nice moment after, where Tilly is talking to her father about how and why they split up. Tilly has always believed that she had something to do with it, but her father assures her it was "just because". They found entertainment and lifestyle choices in different area's. Not to get too personal, but this idea and The relationships presented in the book speak so very close to me right now, I really probably am judging the book on a super partial biased… but I love the real life relativity it's keeping. We have so many times where these books are written around some big space battle, or alien standoff or world change event…This book was so refreshing that it was so grounded. (despite the end feeling a bit forced) The characters who all could have easily come off as one note or just very cliché or single serving, don’t' feel that way. The classmates in Tilly's school…don't turn out to be evil super villains, or plan some vindictive nefarious plot to ruin her career…no..they're just girls looking to do well in school… The teacher who goes out of her way to help her, Ms Keith, she doesn't somehow come back into the story later on and surprise us with some twist.. Everything that happens to Tilly, just happens. The unknown mysterious person who steals Tilly's bag and leaves..I could have sworn it would have come back up later and been some over the top reveal, being someone she actually knew… Nope, it was just a petty thief who gets away. And this type of writing works perfectly here. All of these things happen and go about providing some experience and maturity to her character. I enjoyed this book a lot. To me personally it stumbled a bit in trying I believe to create a false sense of drama to sort of make it "feel" more like a sci fi book. But I really feel like this wasn't needed. All the characters seem pretty well thought out and very real, and not very 2D cardboard cut outs that serve only some plot point. For those who don't mind a slower, character driven story that looks to establish who and where the character is from do give it a read. This one actually, unlike the Saru book before it, I think actually really adds a lot to Tilly. The Saru book, does this as well… but if you skip it, you'll not be missing out on anything that you couldn't put together yourself. With this book, it's such a deep dive, this really aids in where she is now…My only hope is that the TV show and how they write her character sort of pulls from these threads that have been set up here.
September 7, 2020
http://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/20...
5/5
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: THE WAY TO THE STARS is a Young Adult novel based in the Star Trek universe. I have been enjoying the Star Trek: Discovery spin-off novels starting with Michael Burnham and Spock's adventure in Desperate Hour and continuing in works like Drastic Measures. They're a great mix of Star Trek: The Original Series lore with a new perspective on the life of characters from the 23rd century as well as their culture.
This book follows Cadet (later Ensign) Tilly of the show and discusses her backstory prior to showing onboard the U.S.S Discovery. Tilly is easily my favorite character and is a bundle of bright energetic fun in a very dark show. This story begins with Tilly's sixteenth birthday on Earth and the fact she is the bitterly unhappy daughter of a high-ranking Federation diplomat. Pushed into going to an offworld boarding school she hates, Tilly decides to rebel against her upbringing by running away to the colonies.
Tilly is a tremendously lovable as well as believable character. One thing the book does well is that it never raises the stakes too high in what is really just a story about a teenage girl coming of age. Tilly's idea of adventure is just going on a trip to some non-Earth Federation worlds in what is only about as dangerous as backpacking in Europe during the present day. Sure, she gets robbed at that point but even that crime is not violent.
I've always loved stories about "finding yoursef" and Tilly is someone who doesn't want to be a rich society girl but work as a mechanic and possibly astro-mycologist. Not the sort of thing that would be useful in the upper crust of the Federation (that isn't that important in their society but thinks it is). Her mother, Siobhan, loves her but clearly has no idea about how her daughter thinks since she's of the mind Tilly has the makings of a diplomat. Tilly not only has "foot in mouth" disease but doesn't actually like socializing and doesn't really even understand why diplomacy is important.
I really love the glimpse into the lives of Federation citizens during all of this. It's generally a world without want, scarcity, hatred, or prejudice. It's not a world without drama, though, as Tilly's relationship with her mother shows. Personal troubles remain and the differences between generations are universal. Tilly wants to assert herself but her mother is used to seeing her as an extension of herself. I know Gene Roddenberry envisioned humans to be too evolved for the kind of problems Tilly's family have but I feel the book is all the stronger for them being so relatable.
Part of what makes the book so effective is the fact that everyone in the book is genuinely nice. There's no brutish Klingons, scheming Romulans, or mad Starfleet Admirals. The closest thing to a villain is Tilly's overbearing mother, an ornery captain who hates stowaways, and some misguided natives. Tilly's ultimate desire is to also make something of herself and shows that in the future, people really want to do labor for the value of doing it rather than material possessions.
In conclusion, The Way to the Stars is a really good book. As much as I love Star Trek, very few of the books can be said to be relaxing because they're full of explosions as well as high adventure. It's why we go to the Alpha and Beta Quadrants week after week, book after book. This is a very relaxing and comfortable book. Tilly is my favorite Discovery character as I've mentioned and this book is an excellent tribute to her. You don't even need to be a fan of the show to enjoy this nice little "slice of life" science fiction.
5/5
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: THE WAY TO THE STARS is a Young Adult novel based in the Star Trek universe. I have been enjoying the Star Trek: Discovery spin-off novels starting with Michael Burnham and Spock's adventure in Desperate Hour and continuing in works like Drastic Measures. They're a great mix of Star Trek: The Original Series lore with a new perspective on the life of characters from the 23rd century as well as their culture.
This book follows Cadet (later Ensign) Tilly of the show and discusses her backstory prior to showing onboard the U.S.S Discovery. Tilly is easily my favorite character and is a bundle of bright energetic fun in a very dark show. This story begins with Tilly's sixteenth birthday on Earth and the fact she is the bitterly unhappy daughter of a high-ranking Federation diplomat. Pushed into going to an offworld boarding school she hates, Tilly decides to rebel against her upbringing by running away to the colonies.
Tilly is a tremendously lovable as well as believable character. One thing the book does well is that it never raises the stakes too high in what is really just a story about a teenage girl coming of age. Tilly's idea of adventure is just going on a trip to some non-Earth Federation worlds in what is only about as dangerous as backpacking in Europe during the present day. Sure, she gets robbed at that point but even that crime is not violent.
I've always loved stories about "finding yoursef" and Tilly is someone who doesn't want to be a rich society girl but work as a mechanic and possibly astro-mycologist. Not the sort of thing that would be useful in the upper crust of the Federation (that isn't that important in their society but thinks it is). Her mother, Siobhan, loves her but clearly has no idea about how her daughter thinks since she's of the mind Tilly has the makings of a diplomat. Tilly not only has "foot in mouth" disease but doesn't actually like socializing and doesn't really even understand why diplomacy is important.
I really love the glimpse into the lives of Federation citizens during all of this. It's generally a world without want, scarcity, hatred, or prejudice. It's not a world without drama, though, as Tilly's relationship with her mother shows. Personal troubles remain and the differences between generations are universal. Tilly wants to assert herself but her mother is used to seeing her as an extension of herself. I know Gene Roddenberry envisioned humans to be too evolved for the kind of problems Tilly's family have but I feel the book is all the stronger for them being so relatable.
Part of what makes the book so effective is the fact that everyone in the book is genuinely nice. There's no brutish Klingons, scheming Romulans, or mad Starfleet Admirals. The closest thing to a villain is Tilly's overbearing mother, an ornery captain who hates stowaways, and some misguided natives. Tilly's ultimate desire is to also make something of herself and shows that in the future, people really want to do labor for the value of doing it rather than material possessions.
In conclusion, The Way to the Stars is a really good book. As much as I love Star Trek, very few of the books can be said to be relaxing because they're full of explosions as well as high adventure. It's why we go to the Alpha and Beta Quadrants week after week, book after book. This is a very relaxing and comfortable book. Tilly is my favorite Discovery character as I've mentioned and this book is an excellent tribute to her. You don't even need to be a fan of the show to enjoy this nice little "slice of life" science fiction.
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