Micaiah Johnson

a very well-written and passionate sf novel, in which a central post-apocalyptic culture clash serves basically as a standin for a contemporary apartheid world that rigidly separates black persons from white. it's got a rather interesting timeslip setup too, in which doppleganger versions of the same self appear/continue in other universes past and future, but if they meet only one version can survive. vivid characters here, and the narrator is lovable and fierce. i must go find the author's other novel, which apparently has some of the same characters, and keep my eye out for further books.… (más)

Another clever, twisty, sci-fi suspense novel set in a dystopian near-future where travel between the universe's multiple worlds is possible. Just like the previous book in this universe (from which, in this novel, you meet many familiar faces once again) it's all too enragingly based on our own world and its horrors. Not only did I read it in one big blast, but a few pages in I put it down to flip through The Space Between Worlds to refresh my memory on some things, then ended up reading that book entirely over again, so ultimately tore through both books in the same 24 hours. I really recommend this book for those who want sci-fi that explicitly has something to say about the present.… (más)

Sci-fi is a little out of my usual zone, but I wanted to branch out, and was drawn to the concept/setup. Intriguing concept, but personally didn't find the execution particularly compelling or unique (though maybe it is for sci-fi...can't speak to that).

This is sorta Sliding Doors meets Mad Max. The whole time, I felt like the author wanted to explore things like belonging, class, and male aggression/misogyny, but tried to wrap it in a booktok-y skin and something got lost in translation.

This took me awhile for me to read through and I had to work a bit to finish although it's not a particularly high page count. I struggled to like or even particularly care about any character (that's true of a lot of sci fi for me to be honest) which made it harder to relate or want to stick around in their world. Or rather worlds, since this is a multiverse situation.

I wasn't especially interested in or buying into the relationships either (and I mean any of them) which is part of what didn't work for me. This plot probably works best if you perceive 'stakes' on the outcome and honestly, I didn't much care. There's a lot of time invested in the setup, but the payoff of the story (when the action and tension heats up a little) is fairly close to the end (final 30 pages, maybe?)

Wasn't my thing, but the author is worth keeping on your book-dar, especially if this is her first. If you're drawn to this or just want to try something new--give it a whirl.… (más)