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Ground Control
There’s no going back.
Fifteen years ago, Sarah was a biology student with a lot of potential. Since then, she’s been coasting and lonely, following her ambitious biologist husband around as he rises through the ranks in his own career.
As she packs up to follow her husband again, this time on a one-way mission to Mars, Sarah must face up to the choices from her past. Then, when an unknown threat jeopardizes not just the people aboard but the very viability of the Mars program, she must find the strength to finally be true to herself... or lose everything.
A blend of women's fiction and scifi, Ground Control explores the human side of space exploration.
Fifteen years ago, Sarah was a biology student with a lot of potential. Since then, she’s been coasting and lonely, following her ambitious biologist husband around as he rises through the ranks in his own career.
As she packs up to follow her husband again, this time on a one-way mission to Mars, Sarah must face up to the choices from her past. Then, when an unknown threat jeopardizes not just the people aboard but the very viability of the Mars program, she must find the strength to finally be true to herself... or lose everything.
A blend of women's fiction and scifi, Ground Control explores the human side of space exploration.
- GenresFictionScience Fiction
ebook
Published April 23, 2021
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Hough
5 books19 followersK.A. Hough is a Canadian writer and editor who balances her passion for exercise and science with her love of cookies and nonsense. She lives with her husband, their three energetic kids and a codependent dog. In her spare time, she writes personal essays, teaches boot camps in the parks and drinks tea.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 17, 2022
While author Karen Hough does a lot well with Ground Control, one of the key elements she gets right is this understanding of conflict. Grant and Sarah are fully imagined characters, and Hough takes the time to develop each of them. Key to that development, of course, is understanding what drives these characters, and so what forms their wants and needs. This, Hough and most authors understand, is what drives conflict. What Grant wants is to make this mission to Mars. Its incredibly dangerous and could mean he'd never see his family again, but he wants this because this is what he's worked for his entire career. Sarah wants only to keep her family safe and together, and to maintain this life that she has built with Grant here on earth. It is a good life, they are both already successful, so this trip seems like an unnecessary risk.
Of course, these aren't their only wants and needs, which means these aren't the only conflicts portrayed in the novel, and even with the resolution of these conflicts (Not a real spoiler alert: The book is Sci Fi and called Ground Control, so guess who's going on this Martian trip), more conflict is bred. Because that's the way it works. Resolution to one problem often lets more problems arise.
Hough does this well, and lets this drive the plot, as it should. Her characters are fully realized and her vision of this world and the people in it is full.
But that can cause an issue, and one that a lot of authors living in this age are dealing with. Where do we pause the story to offer up a description, and where do we let the imagination run trusting that our readers have seen similar scenes in movies and TV? What is "just enough" description. Too much and you risk being showy, and your book reads like a technical manual. What's the rule? If you do research for a book, let it be as far in the background as possible? But not enough description would have the opposite effect. Oh, this author has watched too many movies.
I feel like, for the most part, Hough walks that fine line pretty carefully, though there were a few times in the novel I would have liked a bit more description. For example, when Sarah met with Nancy and John in Chapter Eleven, I wanted to see more about the restaurant they meet at. Not a lot more. I know it isn't integral to the story, but I wanted an idea of where they were meeting. Perhaps a quirky detail about the place. Such details and little things could say a lot about a character. The restaurant Nancy and John suggested could reveal something about their characters that we wouldn't get through dialogue or through Sarah's stream of consciousness.
This is something I look for in writing, but it doesn't mean everyone does. Hough also has a habit of starting chapters with "she" or with dialogue where I try to start scenes with character names and narration. Now, as this novel is limited third person, it can be easily assumed that the "she" is most always Sarah, but I'm speaking towards preferences. In terms of craft, these aren't egregious or even universally recognized, but are basically author preferences.
While this might not work for every author, in Hough's novel, "she" or scenes opened by dialogue or minimalist descriptions don't deter from the book. If anything, it keeps the focus on the characters. This is where it should be. Starting a scene with dialogue lets the reader jump into the action and lets the reader jump into the CONFLICT. We see what the characters are engaged in and how they are relating to each other. And rather than inundate us with needless descriptions that do nothing for the narrative, Hough lets us live in Sarah's head. We see what she sees. We remember what she remembers. We feel what she feels and think what she thinks.
This is, in the end, a successful character study of a woman and the upheaval of her life. Sure, it has a Sci Fi bent, and while the Sci Fi drives the story and grounds the story (and I love a good Sci Fi story), it is the characters that are the real heart.
Of course, these aren't their only wants and needs, which means these aren't the only conflicts portrayed in the novel, and even with the resolution of these conflicts (Not a real spoiler alert: The book is Sci Fi and called Ground Control, so guess who's going on this Martian trip), more conflict is bred. Because that's the way it works. Resolution to one problem often lets more problems arise.
Hough does this well, and lets this drive the plot, as it should. Her characters are fully realized and her vision of this world and the people in it is full.
But that can cause an issue, and one that a lot of authors living in this age are dealing with. Where do we pause the story to offer up a description, and where do we let the imagination run trusting that our readers have seen similar scenes in movies and TV? What is "just enough" description. Too much and you risk being showy, and your book reads like a technical manual. What's the rule? If you do research for a book, let it be as far in the background as possible? But not enough description would have the opposite effect. Oh, this author has watched too many movies.
I feel like, for the most part, Hough walks that fine line pretty carefully, though there were a few times in the novel I would have liked a bit more description. For example, when Sarah met with Nancy and John in Chapter Eleven, I wanted to see more about the restaurant they meet at. Not a lot more. I know it isn't integral to the story, but I wanted an idea of where they were meeting. Perhaps a quirky detail about the place. Such details and little things could say a lot about a character. The restaurant Nancy and John suggested could reveal something about their characters that we wouldn't get through dialogue or through Sarah's stream of consciousness.
This is something I look for in writing, but it doesn't mean everyone does. Hough also has a habit of starting chapters with "she" or with dialogue where I try to start scenes with character names and narration. Now, as this novel is limited third person, it can be easily assumed that the "she" is most always Sarah, but I'm speaking towards preferences. In terms of craft, these aren't egregious or even universally recognized, but are basically author preferences.
While this might not work for every author, in Hough's novel, "she" or scenes opened by dialogue or minimalist descriptions don't deter from the book. If anything, it keeps the focus on the characters. This is where it should be. Starting a scene with dialogue lets the reader jump into the action and lets the reader jump into the CONFLICT. We see what the characters are engaged in and how they are relating to each other. And rather than inundate us with needless descriptions that do nothing for the narrative, Hough lets us live in Sarah's head. We see what she sees. We remember what she remembers. We feel what she feels and think what she thinks.
This is, in the end, a successful character study of a woman and the upheaval of her life. Sure, it has a Sci Fi bent, and while the Sci Fi drives the story and grounds the story (and I love a good Sci Fi story), it is the characters that are the real heart.
March 24, 2021
In the end, I really enjoyed 'Ground Control', but it didn't start that way. It lost a star only because I'm not sure I would have reached the end and learned to love it if I hadn't been somewhat persistent.
What do I mean? Well, we are promised this story of space travel and colonisation but that's not actually what we get. It's a long time before planet Earth is behind us and, initially, I felt a bit frustrated by this. It felt a little like some excessive backstory. By the end of the book, I appreciated the time that had been spent here but that appreciation did require an overview so I worry about anyone who gets put off early on and doesn't finish reading. They would be missing a treat.
'Ground Control' wasn't really what I was expecting. This isn't science fiction of the type I'm more familiar with, but that's not a bad thing. This is (mostly) less about the activities in space and more about relationships and understanding of emotions and the internal battles fought by everyone. There's a great awareness of how stressful situations impact different people and there's a really interesting exploration of grief with the attendant uncomfortable emotions.
Yes, there's story here of "a threat jeopardising...the shuttle...and the viability of the Mars program" and that really adds to the intensity of the storyline. And, unlike in a lot of science fiction, it's not fantastical. I can imagine this kind of issue actually happening, including the response from those on board, back on Earth, and at the Mars colony. It felt 'real'.
Ultimately, I did really enjoy the book. The slow pace initially frustrated me but, in the end, I realised how important that actually was as it created the family/relationships/emotions basis for the story and allowed the subsequent complexities of the characters to be understood on a sufficiently deep level.
I am going to recommend this book but with a warning: be prepared to keep reading. Don't stop if you're not sure about where it's going or if you're frustrated by the initial pace. You will be highly rewarded if you continue. The lost star is maybe less the author's 'fault' and more that of a reader who needs encouragement to persist. Perhaps a bit harsh of me!
I did receive a free ARC of this book so am leaving this review, voluntarily, in the hope that it will help others decide if it's the right book for them. I assert that this is the right book for you if the issues sound interesting and you're not a reader who needs to spring from action to action to action with little downtime.
What do I mean? Well, we are promised this story of space travel and colonisation but that's not actually what we get. It's a long time before planet Earth is behind us and, initially, I felt a bit frustrated by this. It felt a little like some excessive backstory. By the end of the book, I appreciated the time that had been spent here but that appreciation did require an overview so I worry about anyone who gets put off early on and doesn't finish reading. They would be missing a treat.
'Ground Control' wasn't really what I was expecting. This isn't science fiction of the type I'm more familiar with, but that's not a bad thing. This is (mostly) less about the activities in space and more about relationships and understanding of emotions and the internal battles fought by everyone. There's a great awareness of how stressful situations impact different people and there's a really interesting exploration of grief with the attendant uncomfortable emotions.
Yes, there's story here of "a threat jeopardising...the shuttle...and the viability of the Mars program" and that really adds to the intensity of the storyline. And, unlike in a lot of science fiction, it's not fantastical. I can imagine this kind of issue actually happening, including the response from those on board, back on Earth, and at the Mars colony. It felt 'real'.
Ultimately, I did really enjoy the book. The slow pace initially frustrated me but, in the end, I realised how important that actually was as it created the family/relationships/emotions basis for the story and allowed the subsequent complexities of the characters to be understood on a sufficiently deep level.
I am going to recommend this book but with a warning: be prepared to keep reading. Don't stop if you're not sure about where it's going or if you're frustrated by the initial pace. You will be highly rewarded if you continue. The lost star is maybe less the author's 'fault' and more that of a reader who needs encouragement to persist. Perhaps a bit harsh of me!
I did receive a free ARC of this book so am leaving this review, voluntarily, in the hope that it will help others decide if it's the right book for them. I assert that this is the right book for you if the issues sound interesting and you're not a reader who needs to spring from action to action to action with little downtime.
April 1, 2021
Ground Control
by K.A. Hough is her debut novel.
From reading the blurbs about the story I thought I was in for a straight-forward girl meets guy, gets on a shuttle to Mars, all heck breaks loose, struggle until a happy ending.
I could not have been more wrong. While the plot does follow the basic tenets of Sci-fi and space colonization it is far more a story about inner space than outer space.
Sarah, the story’s protagonist, resonated with me. At times that quality was appealing, at others not so much. Sarah is in many ways a woman plucked from today. Hopeful, loving, conflicted, selfish, needing and not being able to quantify or explain that need to anyone – including herself.
While we all like to think we would rise to a challenge there is a portion of the population that operates day-to-day within confines they did not define, but which they accepted. They are spectators in their own lives. It is only when all the comforts of life are stripped away, all her securities gone that Sarah is forced to dig for her strengths to combat the danger posed to the mission and her family.
“There’s no going back.”
The phrase, included on the book’s blurb, seems to sum up a great many things about the story as well as life, in general. That simple truth is a pinpoint upon which so many people either change or stumble. The yearning for something which is gone can turn nostalgia into a trap. We are creatures made to unfold over time and Hough produces characters of fascinating origami.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
From reading the blurbs about the story I thought I was in for a straight-forward girl meets guy, gets on a shuttle to Mars, all heck breaks loose, struggle until a happy ending.
I could not have been more wrong. While the plot does follow the basic tenets of Sci-fi and space colonization it is far more a story about inner space than outer space.
Sarah, the story’s protagonist, resonated with me. At times that quality was appealing, at others not so much. Sarah is in many ways a woman plucked from today. Hopeful, loving, conflicted, selfish, needing and not being able to quantify or explain that need to anyone – including herself.
While we all like to think we would rise to a challenge there is a portion of the population that operates day-to-day within confines they did not define, but which they accepted. They are spectators in their own lives. It is only when all the comforts of life are stripped away, all her securities gone that Sarah is forced to dig for her strengths to combat the danger posed to the mission and her family.
“There’s no going back.”
The phrase, included on the book’s blurb, seems to sum up a great many things about the story as well as life, in general. That simple truth is a pinpoint upon which so many people either change or stumble. The yearning for something which is gone can turn nostalgia into a trap. We are creatures made to unfold over time and Hough produces characters of fascinating origami.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 2, 2021
You know what I love best about this book? It’s REAL. The characters, the setting, the family relationships and internal struggle— all of it.
This is a story about a woman wrestling with her feelings, her family, and her relationships: who is then hurled into the furthest, most alien place possible, where absolutely none of that matters.
Sci-Fi fans should note that this story is more a woman’s journey that culminates in space— rather than a straight Sci-Fi yarn. However, its appeal is obvious, and its characters and narration, are JUICY (Femlit, set in space— and that makes it better, IMO).
This book is brilliant, different, full of beautiful writing, and entirely worth your time. Sarah could be any one of us, and still be my hero.
This is a story about a woman wrestling with her feelings, her family, and her relationships: who is then hurled into the furthest, most alien place possible, where absolutely none of that matters.
Sci-Fi fans should note that this story is more a woman’s journey that culminates in space— rather than a straight Sci-Fi yarn. However, its appeal is obvious, and its characters and narration, are JUICY (Femlit, set in space— and that makes it better, IMO).
This book is brilliant, different, full of beautiful writing, and entirely worth your time. Sarah could be any one of us, and still be my hero.
November 27, 2021
Hough may not fashion herself a science fiction or a speculative fiction writer, but her 2021 novel, Ground Control, should rank among some of the year's best speculative fiction. Drawing on human characters with human conflicts, Hough uses the idea of a one-way trip to a Martian colony as an opportunity to dive into the difficulty of what it means to truly leave everyone and everything you know behind.
What makes her novel work, aside from the Crichton-esque science fiction crisis that strikes her Martian colonists on their planetary journey, is her continuous and consistent grounding of the novel in the emotional crisis of her main character, Sarah. Sarah is a complicated protagonist, with unfinished business on Earth wrapped in a feeling of her underdeveloped sense of identity. She doesn't know who she really is or who she should be, what she should do or not do as she follows her husband dutifully into space. All of her conflicts stem from the emotional distance between what she wants to have and be and what she actually has and feels she is. Hough gives Sarah an opportunity to struggle, to fail and make mistakes, but also to grow as she tries to build a new identity for herself through the transition she makes from Earth to Mars.
Hough does what good speculative fiction writers should do: she uses the science fiction elements of her story as an opportunity to allegorize similar human struggles in determining who we are in the face of adversity, and moreover her book explores the very unique difficulties of being a family woman and having to grapple with the dissonance between her professional desires and her familial duties. She tackles the subject of her novel with genuine nuance, depicting the messiness of transition without the cynicism that so often accompanies these stories.
Whether Hough wants to call herself a speculative fiction writer or a science fiction writer or a women's lit writer doesn't really matter; her book manages to examine a real human condition with a complexity and a sincerity that so many other authors miss, and while Hough's individual idiosyncrasies in storytelling may not be everyone's cup of tea, she has delivered one of my favorite texts in 2021--and serves as a perfect example of what genre writers should be doing when they tackle the genre.
What makes her novel work, aside from the Crichton-esque science fiction crisis that strikes her Martian colonists on their planetary journey, is her continuous and consistent grounding of the novel in the emotional crisis of her main character, Sarah. Sarah is a complicated protagonist, with unfinished business on Earth wrapped in a feeling of her underdeveloped sense of identity. She doesn't know who she really is or who she should be, what she should do or not do as she follows her husband dutifully into space. All of her conflicts stem from the emotional distance between what she wants to have and be and what she actually has and feels she is. Hough gives Sarah an opportunity to struggle, to fail and make mistakes, but also to grow as she tries to build a new identity for herself through the transition she makes from Earth to Mars.
Hough does what good speculative fiction writers should do: she uses the science fiction elements of her story as an opportunity to allegorize similar human struggles in determining who we are in the face of adversity, and moreover her book explores the very unique difficulties of being a family woman and having to grapple with the dissonance between her professional desires and her familial duties. She tackles the subject of her novel with genuine nuance, depicting the messiness of transition without the cynicism that so often accompanies these stories.
Whether Hough wants to call herself a speculative fiction writer or a science fiction writer or a women's lit writer doesn't really matter; her book manages to examine a real human condition with a complexity and a sincerity that so many other authors miss, and while Hough's individual idiosyncrasies in storytelling may not be everyone's cup of tea, she has delivered one of my favorite texts in 2021--and serves as a perfect example of what genre writers should be doing when they tackle the genre.
March 29, 2021
Let's hear a round of applause for our girl, Sarah 👏🏼
Women's Fiction/FemLit is not my normal "cup of tea," and after reading Ground Control, I see where perhaps this is in error. I was enticed by the Sci-Fi vibes of a voyage to Mars, but as with most books in the Lights Out Ink catalogue, this genre-blending work has introduced me to something unexpected.
Ground Control delivers a message well understood by anyone who has sacrificed in order to support a loved one's dreams. Though our globe-trotting protagonist originally heralds from Canada, Sarah's plight resonates as an oft-heard conversation among my girlfriends in the southern US, and I imagine hits a note for academic, military, and fame bound "sidekicks," as well. Who is she outside of her spouse?
Uncertain of her goals and content to follow her husband, Grant's, career, Sarah Harper has incidentally settled into the role of trailing wife and mother with ease. She understands and clings to her "systems," compartmentalizing (with extreme prejudice) any actions she takes that fall outside her defined scope (this is me avoiding spoilers!). When Grant's biology career offers the once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the lab on a shuttle to Mars, he barely hesitates. Sarah, on the other hand, really struggles with the decision to leave everyone she has ever loved behind again, and for good this time.
Less science fiction and more science future, the story takes a very fresh character and relationship centered approach to an otherwise explored "adventure" tale. Sarah is not your typical hero, nor does the idea of being a pioneer even particularly appeal to her. Through Sarah's eyes, we feel both her aimlessness and understand what's important to her: the story often languishes on details of her children's lives (I found it delightful that they were such developed characters, rather than props), hobbies that seem less to enrich her time than to fill it, and most importantly, her strong relationships with other women. The depictions of female friendship throughout this novel abandon the caricature hallmarks of jealousy and cattiness, instead opting for supportive, encouraging bonds. Like a hot cup of tea in a favorite stoneware mug, these true-to-life experiences were a real treat.
In fact, Hough's wielding of relationships is the highlight of this novel. We learn everyone through Sarah's experience--from Grant's distracted brilliance (which sometimes flirts with negligence), to her closest friends' sugar-coated advice, we understand Sarah's blind-spots by what she chooses to see and hear.
Though take-off doesn't occur until the mid-point, the seeds thoroughly planted by Hough mean that we really know Sarah before she embarks on her journey to the stars. And boy, does the story take off! Grounded in realistic science and absent any cliché desire to add excessive dramatic flair, Murphy's Law alone sends Sarah on the adventure of a lifetime. Everything is tested, and for the sake of avoiding spoilers, I'll just say that the tension and dread Hough stokes kept me itching to discover where exactly this journey would lead until the very last page.
Highly recommended for fans of either Women's or Science Fiction genres looking to "expand their horizons!"
** I received an ARC reader copy of this book from publisher Lights Out Ink in exchange for my honest review. **
Women's Fiction/FemLit is not my normal "cup of tea," and after reading Ground Control, I see where perhaps this is in error. I was enticed by the Sci-Fi vibes of a voyage to Mars, but as with most books in the Lights Out Ink catalogue, this genre-blending work has introduced me to something unexpected.
Ground Control delivers a message well understood by anyone who has sacrificed in order to support a loved one's dreams. Though our globe-trotting protagonist originally heralds from Canada, Sarah's plight resonates as an oft-heard conversation among my girlfriends in the southern US, and I imagine hits a note for academic, military, and fame bound "sidekicks," as well. Who is she outside of her spouse?
Uncertain of her goals and content to follow her husband, Grant's, career, Sarah Harper has incidentally settled into the role of trailing wife and mother with ease. She understands and clings to her "systems," compartmentalizing (with extreme prejudice) any actions she takes that fall outside her defined scope (this is me avoiding spoilers!). When Grant's biology career offers the once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the lab on a shuttle to Mars, he barely hesitates. Sarah, on the other hand, really struggles with the decision to leave everyone she has ever loved behind again, and for good this time.
Less science fiction and more science future, the story takes a very fresh character and relationship centered approach to an otherwise explored "adventure" tale. Sarah is not your typical hero, nor does the idea of being a pioneer even particularly appeal to her. Through Sarah's eyes, we feel both her aimlessness and understand what's important to her: the story often languishes on details of her children's lives (I found it delightful that they were such developed characters, rather than props), hobbies that seem less to enrich her time than to fill it, and most importantly, her strong relationships with other women. The depictions of female friendship throughout this novel abandon the caricature hallmarks of jealousy and cattiness, instead opting for supportive, encouraging bonds. Like a hot cup of tea in a favorite stoneware mug, these true-to-life experiences were a real treat.
In fact, Hough's wielding of relationships is the highlight of this novel. We learn everyone through Sarah's experience--from Grant's distracted brilliance (which sometimes flirts with negligence), to her closest friends' sugar-coated advice, we understand Sarah's blind-spots by what she chooses to see and hear.
Though take-off doesn't occur until the mid-point, the seeds thoroughly planted by Hough mean that we really know Sarah before she embarks on her journey to the stars. And boy, does the story take off! Grounded in realistic science and absent any cliché desire to add excessive dramatic flair, Murphy's Law alone sends Sarah on the adventure of a lifetime. Everything is tested, and for the sake of avoiding spoilers, I'll just say that the tension and dread Hough stokes kept me itching to discover where exactly this journey would lead until the very last page.
Highly recommended for fans of either Women's or Science Fiction genres looking to "expand their horizons!"
** I received an ARC reader copy of this book from publisher Lights Out Ink in exchange for my honest review. **
May 29, 2021
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To get this out of the way, Ground Control by K.A. Hough is not a bombastic science fiction adventure about heroes shooting aliens in the face. Instead, it is something much grander: the introspective story of a woman who agrees to follow her husband on a trip that they will never return home from.
The story is paced slowly, taking a number of chapters for the characters to reach the shuttle that will take them to Mars. While in many cases this would result in a book that loses its edge, the author has made a brilliant choice that enables you to get into the lead character's head, and experience the story through her eyes.
A twist halfway through the book shifts the story vastly, but throughout it, despite what happens next, it remains an introspective tale about one woman who has given up on what she holds dear for the complete unknown. Absolutely highly recommended.
For my full review, click HERE
May 31, 2021
Great read. It made me think of what my mother gave up to follow my dad's career. The book was thought provoking, the main character was relatable and realistic. The story line was original and focused on the main character's personal growth over the more often seen external factors in a space related story.
November 16, 2022
I've been reading a lot of fluffy romance novels lately, so the moment I started this I knew I was in for something different. From the first, this is a story with complex, well-written characters, and there is a lot of sadness. It starts at a slow pace but within a few chapters I was hooked. While it has a well-written (realistic) sci-fi element, I'd classify it as so-called "women's fiction" (which always seems to be how fiction with lots of emotions is classified).
The story follows a wife and mother named Sarah (and yes, those are her main identities at the start) through non-chronological scenes of meeting her husband (Grant) in college, the years of their marriage as she uprooted over and over to go where his career took him and had two children, and the present day, when she reluctantly agrees to follow him on his latest job opportunity, a one-way shuttle mission to a research colony on Mars.
Even though I have very little in common with Sarah, I felt so emotional over her journey, especially the scenes where she says goodbye to family and especially to places, like her childhood home or the backyard the kids played in, or simply the fresh air behind the hotel on the night before they enter the quarantine before blasting off. The book kept me awake thinking until I stayed up late two nights in a row to binge read and finish it. Numerous times an observation popped out at me, like when Sarah describes life on the shuttle (going to Mars!) and how quickly it became mundane and boring. This could be a metaphor for so many things in life, like the day-to-day work that's behind an exciting job or title. There are also some fantastic plot twists.
Through the whole book I was in Sarah's head and sympathizing with her. So when I finished the book, what I was left with really surprised me. The rest of this review will contain massive spoilers so please go read the book before continuing!
I loved this book. It stirred up so many emotions for me. And it pointed to so many lessons about communicating and living your life and being responsible for yourself. I may have ended up on "Team Grant" as a way to make sense of all the emotions I felt on finishing the book; but like I said, I was with Sarah all the way and identified with her as well.
The story follows a wife and mother named Sarah (and yes, those are her main identities at the start) through non-chronological scenes of meeting her husband (Grant) in college, the years of their marriage as she uprooted over and over to go where his career took him and had two children, and the present day, when she reluctantly agrees to follow him on his latest job opportunity, a one-way shuttle mission to a research colony on Mars.
Even though I have very little in common with Sarah, I felt so emotional over her journey, especially the scenes where she says goodbye to family and especially to places, like her childhood home or the backyard the kids played in, or simply the fresh air behind the hotel on the night before they enter the quarantine before blasting off. The book kept me awake thinking until I stayed up late two nights in a row to binge read and finish it. Numerous times an observation popped out at me, like when Sarah describes life on the shuttle (going to Mars!) and how quickly it became mundane and boring. This could be a metaphor for so many things in life, like the day-to-day work that's behind an exciting job or title. There are also some fantastic plot twists.
Through the whole book I was in Sarah's head and sympathizing with her. So when I finished the book, what I was left with really surprised me. The rest of this review will contain massive spoilers so please go read the book before continuing!
I loved this book. It stirred up so many emotions for me. And it pointed to so many lessons about communicating and living your life and being responsible for yourself. I may have ended up on "Team Grant" as a way to make sense of all the emotions I felt on finishing the book; but like I said, I was with Sarah all the way and identified with her as well.
May 3, 2021
As a military spouse the struggles Sarah faced really resonated with me. While dealing with the upheaval of all the moving and changes, military spouses all battle to varying degrees with keeping their own identities and self-worth while also being spouses and parents.
I admit that I wasn't a given for me that Sarah would go with Grant to Mars. While it was mentioned on the book jacket I just didn't feel that their relationship was solid enough to be a fail accompli. I'm not sure where the book would've gone if she hadn't! The way the story line of the danger posed to the shuttle played out, I'm certainly glad she did!
I'm not normally drawn to Sci-Fi, but this book seemed very possible and also not far off in the future.
Very enjoyable read!
I admit that I wasn't a given for me that Sarah would go with Grant to Mars. While it was mentioned on the book jacket I just didn't feel that their relationship was solid enough to be a fail accompli. I'm not sure where the book would've gone if she hadn't! The way the story line of the danger posed to the shuttle played out, I'm certainly glad she did!
I'm not normally drawn to Sci-Fi, but this book seemed very possible and also not far off in the future.
Very enjoyable read!
November 21, 2022
I am supposedly getting this as an early review. But apparetnly this wonderful book has been out for over a year. This is such a well written story. All I can really say is "I did not see that coming." I had an idea of what I thought might be going down. But the middle of the book took me totally by surprise. I really felt for the children more than Sarah. I feel like she kind of made her own bed. A very smart and engaging book.
March 29, 2021
This book was absolutely nothing like I had expected...I went into this thinking I was reading a fun sci-fi book about a colony on Mars and shit hitting the fan. What I got instead was an emotion filled, reflective on who we are in relation to the world around us. I really enjoyed this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 8, 2021
I received an ARC on Book Sirens & I'm leaving this review out of my own free will. I expected to read about a disgruntled woman who followed her husband around, but it was much more than that. It took me on an emotional ride. Highly recommended.
April 29, 2021
Much more real than expected for the descriptor "sci-fi"; good characters with everyday situations leading into a well researched crisis. Very well written with space for a sequel here - definitely worth reading!
June 21, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Following Sarah along a journey through internal struggle and physical space was an absolute delight. Fully and whole-heartedly recommended.
Following Sarah along a journey through internal struggle and physical space was an absolute delight. Fully and whole-heartedly recommended.
September 8, 2021
I received an advance copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ground Control is a sci-fi speculative fiction story about Sarah Harper. Along with her husband and children, she is moving to Mars. Yes, Mars, where there is a colony awaiting a large shuttle carrying many passengers to expand a colony already there.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. In the blurb, it was mentioned that this was a story more of a women's fiction novel as opposed to a science fiction story. I almost didn't pick it up for that reason. But as I read, I liked Sarah and her kids.
Despite the blurb, there is a good, light sci-fi story without a lot of technical jargon to weigh it down. It is truly about Sarah and the important people in her life.
I enjoyed this book and appreciated the attention to detail, the character development, and how Sara's story intertwined with the sci-fi theme. It was easy to read, and the science felt plausible and accurate.
The story opens with Sarah asking her husband for a divorce. Grant, a hard-charging, self motivated scientist, is chosen to move his family to Mars. Permanently. Without discussing it in advance, Grant accepted the honor and abruptly broke the news to her. After a great deal of soul searching, Sarah finally chooses to go along with Grant.
The family goes through extensive preparations and board the shuttle for Mars. The ship is enormous and the accommodations are marvelous. Sarah begins to think of it as home. The kids can go to school, Grant can immerse himself in his work, and Sarah is free to do whatever she wants.
After a tragedy aboard the ship, Sarah has to step up and help solve a problem that threatens the lives of everyone on board, and at the same time, go on a journey of self-discovery.
The principal character, Sarah Harper, is a highly intelligent, well organized human being who faces a situation causing her a lot of anxiety. As she prepared for the long trip to her new home on Mars, she thinks about everything she will give up when she leaves the Earth. From the beginning of their relationship, she has felt more like Grant's "sidekick" instead of a companion. The big problem with Grant is, he never seems to be home long enough to be a proper husband and father. Before the children came along, Sarah would travel with him, but in order to provide them with a stable family life, she has to stay behind. Grant continues to travel on lecture tours and conferences. Sarah is a strong female character, but she doesn't realize it herself. Everyone seems to know what per potential is, but it takes a couple of tremendous challenges for her to understand what she can actually do. Sarah is a completely believable character; she has a few human flaws but knows how to land on her feet when the occasion arises.
I've probably made Grant out to be a jerk, but he really isn't. He is a good man who provides well for his family. What he doesn't seem to understand is how to be part of a family. He is never home as he pursues his career. He seems to believe as long as everything seems okay when he stops by; it is okay. During his career, he achieves an almost celebrity status and is constantly called on to present at conferences and guest lecture all over the world. In a way of showing Sarah he understands her loneliness, he buys her a kitten, placing it in her lap as he goes off to another appointment. He sees moving to Mars as an opportunity to spend more time with Sarah and the kids, which is to his credit. Such is the life of an overachieving professional climber such as Grant.
My favorite point of plot in this book would also be a huge spoiler. I'll just say I didn't see the event coming. It was a complete surprise and a life-changing plot twist.
What I am taking away from Ground Control is the story of a person who has potential (Sarah was told how much potential she had for most of her entire life, but she saw it as more a failure than a positive thing), searching to achieve her own identity. Unlike Grant, she wasn't seeking notoriety in a career, but as an accomplished human. When it seemed she had finally found her niche, her entire life was changed through no action of her own. She constantly second guesses herself until she faces a problem. It is a good feeling when she finally discovers what she is supposed to do and is successful in her search for self meaning.
Ground Control is a look into the life of a fascinating character told from her point of view. While there are a few lighter moments in the story, it is a serious look at someone who needs to find her purpose in life. I think anyone can find themselves in the way Sarah uses introspection to make decisions, both good and bad. It is an excellent story, well written and edited. I was moved by this book and am thankful I discovered it.
I would warn potential readers to have a box of tissues nearby while reading this. Some may relate to it more through their own personal experience.
Ground Control is a sci-fi speculative fiction story about Sarah Harper. Along with her husband and children, she is moving to Mars. Yes, Mars, where there is a colony awaiting a large shuttle carrying many passengers to expand a colony already there.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. In the blurb, it was mentioned that this was a story more of a women's fiction novel as opposed to a science fiction story. I almost didn't pick it up for that reason. But as I read, I liked Sarah and her kids.
Despite the blurb, there is a good, light sci-fi story without a lot of technical jargon to weigh it down. It is truly about Sarah and the important people in her life.
I enjoyed this book and appreciated the attention to detail, the character development, and how Sara's story intertwined with the sci-fi theme. It was easy to read, and the science felt plausible and accurate.
The story opens with Sarah asking her husband for a divorce. Grant, a hard-charging, self motivated scientist, is chosen to move his family to Mars. Permanently. Without discussing it in advance, Grant accepted the honor and abruptly broke the news to her. After a great deal of soul searching, Sarah finally chooses to go along with Grant.
The family goes through extensive preparations and board the shuttle for Mars. The ship is enormous and the accommodations are marvelous. Sarah begins to think of it as home. The kids can go to school, Grant can immerse himself in his work, and Sarah is free to do whatever she wants.
After a tragedy aboard the ship, Sarah has to step up and help solve a problem that threatens the lives of everyone on board, and at the same time, go on a journey of self-discovery.
The principal character, Sarah Harper, is a highly intelligent, well organized human being who faces a situation causing her a lot of anxiety. As she prepared for the long trip to her new home on Mars, she thinks about everything she will give up when she leaves the Earth. From the beginning of their relationship, she has felt more like Grant's "sidekick" instead of a companion. The big problem with Grant is, he never seems to be home long enough to be a proper husband and father. Before the children came along, Sarah would travel with him, but in order to provide them with a stable family life, she has to stay behind. Grant continues to travel on lecture tours and conferences. Sarah is a strong female character, but she doesn't realize it herself. Everyone seems to know what per potential is, but it takes a couple of tremendous challenges for her to understand what she can actually do. Sarah is a completely believable character; she has a few human flaws but knows how to land on her feet when the occasion arises.
I've probably made Grant out to be a jerk, but he really isn't. He is a good man who provides well for his family. What he doesn't seem to understand is how to be part of a family. He is never home as he pursues his career. He seems to believe as long as everything seems okay when he stops by; it is okay. During his career, he achieves an almost celebrity status and is constantly called on to present at conferences and guest lecture all over the world. In a way of showing Sarah he understands her loneliness, he buys her a kitten, placing it in her lap as he goes off to another appointment. He sees moving to Mars as an opportunity to spend more time with Sarah and the kids, which is to his credit. Such is the life of an overachieving professional climber such as Grant.
My favorite point of plot in this book would also be a huge spoiler. I'll just say I didn't see the event coming. It was a complete surprise and a life-changing plot twist.
What I am taking away from Ground Control is the story of a person who has potential (Sarah was told how much potential she had for most of her entire life, but she saw it as more a failure than a positive thing), searching to achieve her own identity. Unlike Grant, she wasn't seeking notoriety in a career, but as an accomplished human. When it seemed she had finally found her niche, her entire life was changed through no action of her own. She constantly second guesses herself until she faces a problem. It is a good feeling when she finally discovers what she is supposed to do and is successful in her search for self meaning.
Ground Control is a look into the life of a fascinating character told from her point of view. While there are a few lighter moments in the story, it is a serious look at someone who needs to find her purpose in life. I think anyone can find themselves in the way Sarah uses introspection to make decisions, both good and bad. It is an excellent story, well written and edited. I was moved by this book and am thankful I discovered it.
I would warn potential readers to have a box of tissues nearby while reading this. Some may relate to it more through their own personal experience.
April 28, 2021
Ground Control was an unexpected read - in the best possible way! It is science fiction-meets-the-human-experience in an honest and relatable manner. Rather than all flash and launch, the story delivers a down-to-earth but emotional journey you don’t expect. It is not easy to bring these two things together, but Ground Control definitely delivers! This is a must read for anyone looking for a great Sci-fi read.
January 26, 2023
-ARC provided by LibraryThing and Sley House Publishing in exchange for a candid review.-
As a piece of character-driven fiction, Ground Control succeeds by having the whole unfold through the lens of the main character, Sarah. That Sarah really lives inside her own head walks the reader through her thoughts, rationalizations, and frequently dubious and regrettable decisions; it's refreshing that she is such an imperfect character, more relatable by most readers than a Heroic Woman Killing It In Every Way would have been. A near-forty adult doubting their value and questioning their life's course is a real and valid dynamic to play out, and Hough writes it well. Her husband, Grant, suffers however; he seems like a really good guy but ends up carrying the weight of Sarah's guilts and regrets. I suppose that's verisimilitude for you, but I have to feel for him.
The book is not without flaws, though, and two big ones bog it down for me. First is the pacing, or lack thereof. Non-linearity is great when executed well, but this text is so full of fits and starts and stalls and backpedaling that it drives like a 1962 Rambler on a Maine winter night. Too many times, there were flashbacks without segues or jumps in time from one paragraph to the next; a storyteller owes more to their audience.
The other problem is perhaps more in my head, but there again is a responsibility incumbent upon a storyteller to maintain their credibility. While Ground Control is not primarily a Science Fiction novel, Hough did choose to use the SF stage and trappings, even acknowledging her plant pathology research. But GC left me ice cold with the shuttle flight to Mars; the ship is described as similar to a cruise ship in layout, has technological limitations such that it cannot make a return flight to Earth, but magically has Earth-normal gravity when it suits Hough (mugs falling, beverages spilling, dancers dancing) but microgravity when it's needed (space bugs!). Acceleration isn't a thing, radiation is only a thing regarding bacteria.
I get it, it's not about SF; fine. But if you're on a submarine, pressure matters. If you're on a plane, airspeed matters. If you're on an interplanetary spaceship, space matters.
As a piece of character-driven fiction, Ground Control succeeds by having the whole unfold through the lens of the main character, Sarah. That Sarah really lives inside her own head walks the reader through her thoughts, rationalizations, and frequently dubious and regrettable decisions; it's refreshing that she is such an imperfect character, more relatable by most readers than a Heroic Woman Killing It In Every Way would have been. A near-forty adult doubting their value and questioning their life's course is a real and valid dynamic to play out, and Hough writes it well. Her husband, Grant, suffers however; he seems like a really good guy but ends up carrying the weight of Sarah's guilts and regrets. I suppose that's verisimilitude for you, but I have to feel for him.
The book is not without flaws, though, and two big ones bog it down for me. First is the pacing, or lack thereof. Non-linearity is great when executed well, but this text is so full of fits and starts and stalls and backpedaling that it drives like a 1962 Rambler on a Maine winter night. Too many times, there were flashbacks without segues or jumps in time from one paragraph to the next; a storyteller owes more to their audience.
The other problem is perhaps more in my head, but there again is a responsibility incumbent upon a storyteller to maintain their credibility. While Ground Control is not primarily a Science Fiction novel, Hough did choose to use the SF stage and trappings, even acknowledging her plant pathology research. But GC left me ice cold with the shuttle flight to Mars; the ship is described as similar to a cruise ship in layout, has technological limitations such that it cannot make a return flight to Earth, but magically has Earth-normal gravity when it suits Hough (mugs falling, beverages spilling, dancers dancing) but microgravity when it's needed (space bugs!). Acceleration isn't a thing, radiation is only a thing regarding bacteria.
I get it, it's not about SF; fine. But if you're on a submarine, pressure matters. If you're on a plane, airspeed matters. If you're on an interplanetary spaceship, space matters.
January 3, 2024
I approached this book with few expectations. I didn't have any context and had not read any of this author's other books. Yet... I came away impressed.
She's a friend of a friend on X (okay, Twitter) so I thought I'd give one of her books a try.
The genre is soft Sci-Fi. They're on a large vessel going to Mars and they walk around as if there's artificial gravity (no evidence in the story of spin or thrust gravity - but that's okay). The novel stands on it's soft Sci-Fi legs and moves around quite stably.
The story is about Sarah Harper (more often introduced as "Grant Harper's wife" despite having some serious lab creds of her own). It's about someone who, for most of her life, lives in the penumbra of someone else (her husband in this case). She pushes out of his shadow only several times in her life, the last out of necessity.
Her nine month voyage to Mars with her husband and children is the third or fourth passage (and the largest one) from Earth to Mars as the colony there is growing and able to support more and more people. The vessel is more like a cruise ship than (for example) Artemis except that you can't open the windows or go outside. They even have large open areas where the kids could play soccer (no adult leagues, I guess).
Towards the end, an unknown vector is attacking first the plants in the public gardens, then their food supply. Since this is a one way voyage (not enough fuel to return to Earth) and without the vector addressed, they couldn't come down to the Martian surface for fear of infecting the colony there, it was a serious problem. When it attacked the potatoes on board, I reminded me of Mark Watney's hard science in creating the right kind of soil and breeding and keeping his potatoes alive on Mars in the habitat.
The story is well told with complex characters. In fact, I'd warrant that the characters were more important than the science (but this didn't spoil the book).
There were also some pleasant dialect surprises because the author is Canadian. For example, during a dinner, what Americans would call the "entree", was called "mains".
All told, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a soft sci-fi read with strong characters.
She's a friend of a friend on X (okay, Twitter) so I thought I'd give one of her books a try.
The genre is soft Sci-Fi. They're on a large vessel going to Mars and they walk around as if there's artificial gravity (no evidence in the story of spin or thrust gravity - but that's okay). The novel stands on it's soft Sci-Fi legs and moves around quite stably.
The story is about Sarah Harper (more often introduced as "Grant Harper's wife" despite having some serious lab creds of her own). It's about someone who, for most of her life, lives in the penumbra of someone else (her husband in this case). She pushes out of his shadow only several times in her life, the last out of necessity.
Her nine month voyage to Mars with her husband and children is the third or fourth passage (and the largest one) from Earth to Mars as the colony there is growing and able to support more and more people. The vessel is more like a cruise ship than (for example) Artemis except that you can't open the windows or go outside. They even have large open areas where the kids could play soccer (no adult leagues, I guess).
Towards the end, an unknown vector is attacking first the plants in the public gardens, then their food supply. Since this is a one way voyage (not enough fuel to return to Earth) and without the vector addressed, they couldn't come down to the Martian surface for fear of infecting the colony there, it was a serious problem. When it attacked the potatoes on board, I reminded me of Mark Watney's hard science in creating the right kind of soil and breeding and keeping his potatoes alive on Mars in the habitat.
The story is well told with complex characters. In fact, I'd warrant that the characters were more important than the science (but this didn't spoil the book).
There were also some pleasant dialect surprises because the author is Canadian. For example, during a dinner, what Americans would call the "entree", was called "mains".
All told, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a soft sci-fi read with strong characters.
August 21, 2021
This book gets a solid 4 stars from me, because i loved it, i was just missing to hear more of the other voices in the book to get full stars. I wanted to know what the husband really knew about the whole situation, how everything really happened. What did Evan knew.. Well you know .. small bits of story.
Ground Control its a story of a woman called Sarah, that forgot life and how to live, to be in the first place a wife, simply following her husband from place to place, never staying much time in One place to feel like it was home, and then, After feeling alone She had the need to fill that empty in her life, with children. This is where it gets real, where i could connect with Sarah, never really being against her... She was nothing less than human... She ends up going with her husband to space to go on a mission to Mars never to come back to earth, and its there in space, where everything changes for her, and here She starts to stand for herself, this was growing to me, more Often than not, i could see where the story was going (but this was not a bad thing, was like a chat with my best friend that knows me so well and i know her, that this talk of how things go they're more for her to free her heart than for me) this made me feel closer to Sarah and also deeply understand why and maybe also relate to her in some degree, is in these parts where i also wanted to her the other voices on the book, or something that confirmated what i did suspect. But it was a solid story and if the author decide to write the After story, what happens Next i would very much love so <3, in truth, even if K A Hough never goes back to these characters i still want to read much more of her work.
I recomend this book to people who like slow developing story like me, if you just want action and thriller, you wont find it here.
I got this ARC for free through book sirens and i am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ground Control its a story of a woman called Sarah, that forgot life and how to live, to be in the first place a wife, simply following her husband from place to place, never staying much time in One place to feel like it was home, and then, After feeling alone She had the need to fill that empty in her life, with children. This is where it gets real, where i could connect with Sarah, never really being against her... She was nothing less than human... She ends up going with her husband to space to go on a mission to Mars never to come back to earth, and its there in space, where everything changes for her, and here She starts to stand for herself, this was growing to me, more Often than not, i could see where the story was going (but this was not a bad thing, was like a chat with my best friend that knows me so well and i know her, that this talk of how things go they're more for her to free her heart than for me) this made me feel closer to Sarah and also deeply understand why and maybe also relate to her in some degree, is in these parts where i also wanted to her the other voices on the book, or something that confirmated what i did suspect. But it was a solid story and if the author decide to write the After story, what happens Next i would very much love so <3, in truth, even if K A Hough never goes back to these characters i still want to read much more of her work.
I recomend this book to people who like slow developing story like me, if you just want action and thriller, you wont find it here.
I got this ARC for free through book sirens and i am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 31, 2024
This book was not what expected and I was not at all disappointed. This is no ordinary science fiction story. It is a family drama with themes of sacrifice, loneliness and regret, all things I could identify with. The author has developed some memorable characters and a tense and moody story arc. The ending could have gone in different directions but there was no disappointment in the finish. Looking forward to her next book.
December 21, 2021
As a spouse of a diplomat, I’ve had my share of metaphorical moves to Mars, so I was instantly hooked by Sarah’s story.
I loved that I was guided through the twists and turns of potential sci-fi rabbit holes with a casual delivery and just enough info to assume “oh, of course it would be like that”. I really enjoyed getting to know Sarah, and experience her travel adventures vicariously.
I loved that I was guided through the twists and turns of potential sci-fi rabbit holes with a casual delivery and just enough info to assume “oh, of course it would be like that”. I really enjoyed getting to know Sarah, and experience her travel adventures vicariously.
February 22, 2024
I am no reviewer. Just a reader. I would read this author again. Solid story. Recommended.
January 7, 2023
Ground Control begins with a familiar concept, the impulse to seek, discover, and colonize. The wagon train is replaced by a colony ship to Mars, sending families to settle there. Sarah is a woman who defines her life by her role as wife and mother. She gets a B in a class in college and suddenly she stops thinking of herself as capable and gifted. She marries a brilliant scientist and devotes her life to supporting him, but when he is invited to be part of the colonization of Mars she has her doubts.
Ground Control is not a good book. The only reason I finished it was because it is very short and I confess I am not sure it deserves that second star. We are, I think, supposed to sympathize with Sarah but she doesn’t feel real. Who really discards their self image of a life time due to getting a B+? Who, just when they are leaving the planet, divulges a deep, consequential secret to two people, one of them her supervisor? I don’t want to wreck the story for someone who ill-advisedly decides to read this, but this woman never told the people who most deserved to be told. Keeping this secret was immoral. The only hint that perhaps she is the result of bad parenting is her parents immediately telling her that she will go to Mars, of course. She tells plenty of people she doesn’t want to go, but not her husband. Passive-aggressive people are the worst.
I get that we are supposed to recognize a woman downtrodden by internalized sexism, but really she is oppressed by herself.
I received an ARC of Ground Control from the publisher through Library Thing
Ground Control at Sley House Publishing
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
Ground Control is not a good book. The only reason I finished it was because it is very short and I confess I am not sure it deserves that second star. We are, I think, supposed to sympathize with Sarah but she doesn’t feel real. Who really discards their self image of a life time due to getting a B+? Who, just when they are leaving the planet, divulges a deep, consequential secret to two people, one of them her supervisor? I don’t want to wreck the story for someone who ill-advisedly decides to read this, but this woman never told the people who most deserved to be told. Keeping this secret was immoral. The only hint that perhaps she is the result of bad parenting is her parents immediately telling her that she will go to Mars, of course. She tells plenty of people she doesn’t want to go, but not her husband. Passive-aggressive people are the worst.
I get that we are supposed to recognize a woman downtrodden by internalized sexism, but really she is oppressed by herself.
I received an ARC of Ground Control from the publisher through Library Thing
Ground Control at Sley House Publishing
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
March 26, 2021
This book felt like a good escape and it was very interesting as well. You always hear about someday going to Mars, but I've never really considered any of the details and implications that are brought up in this book. The relationship with the main character and her husband felt very dull and detached, which may have been the intent, but it's hard to imagine deciding to go with someone like that to a place that you can never return from. She had family and friends at home and no trauma to escape there, but no one, other than her somewhat alienated husband to go with to Mars. I had a hard time understanding her motivation to go. All of that aside, I did like some of the relationships she had on board and how she was able to find her own purpose, and I would definitely read a sequel to this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 17, 2021
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a little hard to start, I felt like the protagonist was in her head too much and it didn’t feel “real”, just some musings in her mind.
I liked the Idea but I feel like it ended too soon, just as the groove was going it ends.
In some places it felt too generic, spinning, ballet, lego. I wish there had been just another dimension to the characters.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I liked the Idea but I feel like it ended too soon, just as the groove was going it ends.
In some places it felt too generic, spinning, ballet, lego. I wish there had been just another dimension to the characters.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 11, 2021
I stopped reading about halfway through as it felt to be a book of family and relationships than pure sci-fi. I personally would not recommend it for sci fi readers
April 25, 2022
I found this hard to start. The main character following her husband to each of his jobs and identifying only ad his wife or as a mother, but not as a person herself was hard to identify with.
July 15, 2022
So, I wrote a somewhat-science-fiction-but-mostly-women's-fiction book about a woman who travels to Mars.
It's not hard science fiction (though the science checks out), and I honestly never wanted to write a story that involved a spaceship. In fact, I was embarrassed about it for quite a while.
This is how it happened:
Ground Control grew out of a single idea (as all stories do). I had recently moved across the Atlantic, following my husband for his job, and frankly, I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy about moving, about leaving friends, family, career, my house... and I was trying to give myself a shake, to say, Get over yourself, because people move all the time, and it wasn't forever. I was able to go home for a visit, to stay in touch over technology... so I should really just stop feeling sorry for myself.
But what about fifty, eighty, one hundred years ago, when people would embark on a move like this, from which they would never return. There are so few 'Goodbye forevers' in today's world, and I wanted to write about one of those. My choices, then, were to change everything, set it in the past, or send Sarah to a place that she literally couldn't get back from. And, after a little bit of preliminary research, yep, Mars.
Again, I didn't want to write science fiction. I couldn't tell friends what I was working on without wrinkling my nose and waving my hands around when I said 'spaceship' or 'Mars.' But, the story grew. The research panned out, and the science in the book (most of it) is actually fairly accurate (and even interesting to some people!). I was much more excited about plant pathology than space travel, which says something about me, but I'm not sure what.
Anyhoo, the story took over, the characters did what they wanted to do, even if they wanted to be cold, selfish, detached... I really had no control of any of this. This is also probably a metaphor for my life. But my characters came to life, and helped build a story that I hope resonates with people: 'trailing spouses' who tag along on someone else's ambitions, children of military members who picked up and moved every few years, and anyone who's questioned who they are, where they're going, and what they want to do with their lives.
There's something to be said for just letting it happen, but then again, we all need to find our own direction in life, whatever it is.
And that's how I wrote this book.
It's not hard science fiction (though the science checks out), and I honestly never wanted to write a story that involved a spaceship. In fact, I was embarrassed about it for quite a while.
This is how it happened:
Ground Control grew out of a single idea (as all stories do). I had recently moved across the Atlantic, following my husband for his job, and frankly, I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy about moving, about leaving friends, family, career, my house... and I was trying to give myself a shake, to say, Get over yourself, because people move all the time, and it wasn't forever. I was able to go home for a visit, to stay in touch over technology... so I should really just stop feeling sorry for myself.
But what about fifty, eighty, one hundred years ago, when people would embark on a move like this, from which they would never return. There are so few 'Goodbye forevers' in today's world, and I wanted to write about one of those. My choices, then, were to change everything, set it in the past, or send Sarah to a place that she literally couldn't get back from. And, after a little bit of preliminary research, yep, Mars.
Again, I didn't want to write science fiction. I couldn't tell friends what I was working on without wrinkling my nose and waving my hands around when I said 'spaceship' or 'Mars.' But, the story grew. The research panned out, and the science in the book (most of it) is actually fairly accurate (and even interesting to some people!). I was much more excited about plant pathology than space travel, which says something about me, but I'm not sure what.
Anyhoo, the story took over, the characters did what they wanted to do, even if they wanted to be cold, selfish, detached... I really had no control of any of this. This is also probably a metaphor for my life. But my characters came to life, and helped build a story that I hope resonates with people: 'trailing spouses' who tag along on someone else's ambitions, children of military members who picked up and moved every few years, and anyone who's questioned who they are, where they're going, and what they want to do with their lives.
There's something to be said for just letting it happen, but then again, we all need to find our own direction in life, whatever it is.
And that's how I wrote this book.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews