Check out my 2 Pros + 1 Con video review.

4.5 stars

I heard some buzz surrounding this book on Booktube. I'd previously read Redshirts by Scalzi, and remember enjoying that book a fair amount, despite probably not having the background sci-fi knowledge to really catch all the jokes.

I'm so happy I decided to pick this up. I read it on a plane ride and it was the perfect, quick-paced and entertaining read. I really enjoyed reading about the world and the creatures as much as I enjoyed reading about the fuzzy predicament.

Jack was a fascinating main character. I'm usually really tough on morally ambiguous characters, but there was a level of self-interest with Jack that was hard to fault him for. I guess what I'm saying is that he felt like a jerk for a reason (at times) which is vastly better than a jerk for no reason. Figuring out what Jack was up to and what his end game was is half the fun.

Of course, the fuzzys are adorable and there are some developments there that hit me in the feels.

There were a couple of things that knocked some points off for me. One was the habit of the author to cut away from moments specifically to create suspense. So he'd be telling us about an interaction and then kind of end with Jack having a thought. But we don't get to find what that thought is until later. It just isn't my favorite device for creating suspense. Additionally, the end was a bit too neat. Especially the epilogue which felt kind of badly written, with characters being weirdly expositional and calling each other by their new titles and stuff like that. A little more grit or ambiguity in the ending would've probably made this a five star read for me.

Still, very entertaining and a really good book for readers who aren't normal into sci-fi. Scalzi does go into a lot of details about certain things, like the transportation vehicles in the world or else about certain legal proceedings. I found it all interesting, but I can see it being a problem for others. If you tend to shy away from detailed stories, this might not be for you. Otherwise, highly recommended.