Tags
book review, books, elizabeth guizzetti, futuristic, literature, other systems, reading, sci fi, science fiction
Author: Elizabeth Guizzetti
Pages: 460
Genre: Science fiction
Summary: “Ten large ships race toward Earth, broadcasting in every language: “Brothers and sisters, we come in peace and in need. We have found our way home.” The fear of a coming invasion begins the worldwide riots of 3062.
Yet, not all Earthlings fear attack. The newcomers, long lost descendants of Earth, speak of a paradise ninety-four light years away. Kipos is a land of plenty where there has never been hunger, murder, or war. However, they need more healthy young immigrants for the colony to thrive.
Many accept their offer to be tested. After assessment, Abby Boyd Lei is among the chosen. She leaves the protection of her family with dreams of higher education, a good job, and a kind-hearted spouse.
Will Kipos be everything she imagined? Abby is about to discover the cost of utopia.” ~from Goodreads.com
*Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.*
Let me preface this review with three facts:
- I’m on the fence with sci-fi books because sometimes they’re not fully thought out.
- I’m a very picky reader.
- It’s very difficult for me to turn off my “scholar” brain when reading a book.
Now, with that out of the way, all I can say is that Other Systems is something I would highly recommend to everyone. The general problem I have with science fiction and futuristic books is that you have to come up with a universe that makes sense within your story and somewhat holds a believable explanation. I understand you can make up your own things (technology, alien species, etc), but they have to make sense on their own. Upon reading Guizzetti’s Other Systems, I was extremely pleased to discover that the universe in which she set her story was thoroughly planned out. I felt confident that Guizzetti knew exactly where she wanted her universe to go, and I was more than happy to allow her to take me on for the ride.
I started out reading this novel hoping that it would be a fun adventure from the get go. However, I was very wrong. I had immediately attached myself to the protagonist, Abby, and I had high hopes for her future in the new world. But I was mistaken. Like Abby, I felt betrayed by the Kiposi. How could they do this to her? How could Guizzetti do this to me??? That’s how it was. I’d completely let go of the intellectual part of my analysis and felt myself falling into a “fangirl” state of mind. That is not something that can be easily done. That was just a testament to how good I found the book.
I had to put the book away for a day and reset my mind or else I wouldn’t be able to write a review that I believe the book deserved. There were such complex issues ranging from technological advances, race and social disputes, and figuring out what can really make a family. It took a while to wrap my mind around the time differences, but I came to accept it as a norm.
I devoured this book in a matter of hours (ignoring the hours when I had to go to work) and I honestly yearn for more. Although things didn’t happen the way I wanted them to when it came to character relationships, I can’t say that I was unhappy with it. There were a few open ended questions but I learned that there will be a sequel and I really want it to come quickly.
The characters were really thought out and well rounded. There wasn’t a character that I couldn’t relate to somehow. I found Guizzetti’s universe to be believable and amazingly planned out – and I’m very happy about that. I am confident that the next installment will be just as engaging as this book. This was one of the first books that made me honestly wish I could live in that sort of universe where I could explore the stars (and not succumbed to space death).
So would I recommend this book? Most definitely.
Overall: ★★★★★