Well worth reading. Lots to absorb in here. ( )

A solid read that I thought I would like better. The future and the people in it feels disconcertingly strange, the way the future should feel. The science aspects are hard-core and interesting, albeit a bit one-note. All kinds of plot elements are thrown into the stew. But, like an overdone stew, the end result for me was edible but lacking in drama. I had no emotional connection to the characters. After the few two chapters, I was thinking "I hope they get out of rich kid land soon" -- but they never did. While the Earth is suffering as badly or worse than anything by Bacigalupi, we spend all our time completely divorced from it.

Readable, but less impressive than I was hoping for. ( )

Okay, let's get this out of the way: Slonczewski is my favorite writer currently writing works of science fiction. I am highly disposed to adore anything that she writes. But there were so many things going on in this novel that at times even I wondered if she was going to be able to pull it all together in the end. (Spoiler alert: she did.)

The very basics of the story: It's one hundred years in the future. Jenny Kennedy is now the only daughter of a powerful and very political family. Reeling from the death of her twin brother, she chooses to go to college in an orbiting space habitat, billed as ultra-secure. Of course, things are never what they seem.

Things I really loved about this story: It's hard science fiction -- specifically in the field of molecular biology/microbiology/evolution. She plays with some really fascinating ideas here: bioengineering HIV for gene therapy - "Did you take your HIV, dear?", bioengineering plants to mimic human systems, can we produce signaling molecules for humor, piety, wisdom? It's feminist science fiction -- not just a "strong female protagonist," but a variety of female and male characters, in positions of power and without, who are strong, flawed, and gentle in turns, and sometimes all at once.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is fed by Slonczewski's experience as a college department chair. Most of the action in this book takes place at Frontera College. It was really interesting to see issues and crises from the viewpoints of students, professors, administrators, parents, funders al at once. Conflicts of interest that had never occurred to me before were suddenly obvious.

The issue that I'm not sure if I loved, hated, or what was race. Which was complicated -- like it is. This is a future where almost all well-off children are genetically engineered. They may or may not share the same genetic race as their parents. A Quaker couple chooses their two favorite indigenous tribes for the racial characteristics of their twins. "Racism" as we currently know it isn't on display here, though it's definitely not post-prejudice. It's just that prejudice has mostly shifted to if you were engineered or not. There are also a lot of stupid assumptions made by characters of a character who was raised Amish. Oh, and while there are definitely prominent gay characters, there is still some orientation weirdness. And don't even get me started on the gender-performance weirdness of the First Lady debates.

Okay, really. I could write and write and write about this. (If you've read this and want to chat, send me a message!) I have some opinions. But I really loved this, and am wondering if Slonczewski is planning any more novels in this universe. (Some signs seemed to indicate yes, some no.)

No, wait! Two more things! I really loved the exchange of religious ideas in this book. And also the Foundation trilogy shout-outs. Okay. Done. ( )

Jenny Ramos Kennedy is the heir to two presidential families and a great deal of wealth. After her charming and extroverted twin dies, Jenny feels overwhelmed by the expectations of the world. Seeking to escape them, and to flee her fears of the increasingly frequent natural disasters on Earth, Jenny decides to go to college on a spacehub. There, her botany experiments, social life, and the upcoming elections all create a situation in which Jenny may either take the easy path of non-resistance, or agitate to change the world around her.

I liked the characters, but I thought there were too many view-point characters, with too little attention paid to each. I had the same problem with the plots and the future tech; there were just too many, all jostling for space. Slonczewski is fantastic at creating plausible but currently-fictitious creatures and technology, but I wish there had been better explanations of some of the tech (after numerous arguments between characters about what to do with the solarplates, someone finally explained what they were 200 pages in! Without knowing what they were, all those instances of discussion were meaningless to me.) and fewer biology lessons (I already know the differences between RNA and DNA, but even if I hadn't, that knowledge wasn't pertinent to the story). This felt a bit like a Connie Willis story, actually; I wish it had been a little more focused. My one other concern is that there are whole lines of dialog exclusively in Spanish, with no translation or guide in the back of the book.

All in all, though, this book features fascinating concepts with a likable but unique main character.

Trigger warning: a character is probably raped but doesn't remember it; no details are provided, one character talks about it in a victim-blaming way but the narrative does not support him, and it is not a major part of the book. ( )

The world Slonczewski has created here is fascinating. A really well done believable near future I wouldn't want to live in.

The story is about Jenny, who has gone away to college. Her college is in orbit. Jenny meets her roommate. Jenny meets a boy. Jenny dates a boy. Jenny has conversations with her parents and relatives. Jenny votes in elections. Jenny plays ball games. Really, that's about all that happens. A year in the life of Jenny. There is no real story, no plot. It's dull, and such a disappointment. Considering how well Slonczewski built her world, it is such a shame she couldn't find a decent story to put into it. ( )