Review of 'All the Birds in the Sky' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I enjoyed this. It was hilarious and heartbreaking. A magical, high-tech love story.
316 pages
English language
Published July 9, 2016 by Tor Books.
All the Birds in the Sky
4 stars
(86 reviews)
An ancient society of witches and a hipster technological startup go war as the world from tearing itself. To further complicate things, each of the groups’ most promising followers (Patricia, a brilliant witch and Laurence, an engineering “wunderkind”) may just be in love with each other.
As the battle between magic and science wages in San Francisco against the backdrop of international chaos, Laurence and Patricia are forced to choose sides. But their choices will determine the fate of the planet and all mankind.
In a fashion unique to Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky offers a humorous and, at times, heart-breaking exploration of growing up extraordinary in world filled with cruelty, scientific ingenuity, and magic.
Unruly Stacks reviewed All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Review of 'All the Birds in the Sky' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
The feel of this book was, to me, a bit jarring. The omnipotent narrator's tone would occasionally "skip", like an edgy teenager reciting a serious story, but flubbing a line once in a while and filling it in however she could. Sometimes this really worked for me, and added a levity to the story that even the funnier moments couldn't capture. Other times, it was discordant and 4th-wall-breaking, and felt like the author had written all these beautiful paragraphs of prose, but then stuck them together with cheap string and putty.
The story itself was actually quite nice, and the twists and turns felt surprising and fresh. I never felt like I was reading some recycled trope or overdone idea, and I think that's why the erratically peppered incongruities in the narration patter bothered me so much: I wanted to lose myself in this really interesting worldbuilding, but I couldn't …
The feel of this book was, to me, a bit jarring. The omnipotent narrator's tone would occasionally "skip", like an edgy teenager reciting a serious story, but flubbing a line once in a while and filling it in however she could. Sometimes this really worked for me, and added a levity to the story that even the funnier moments couldn't capture. Other times, it was discordant and 4th-wall-breaking, and felt like the author had written all these beautiful paragraphs of prose, but then stuck them together with cheap string and putty.
The story itself was actually quite nice, and the twists and turns felt surprising and fresh. I never felt like I was reading some recycled trope or overdone idea, and I think that's why the erratically peppered incongruities in the narration patter bothered me so much: I wanted to lose myself in this really interesting worldbuilding, but I couldn't stay in it long enough to get fully immersed.
A frustratingly delightful, or delightfully frustrating, read.
Jack Baty reviewed All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Review of 'All the Birds in the Sky' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Magic vs Technology what's not to like?
Alex Keane reviewed All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Review of 'All the Birds in the Sky' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Pretty interesting book combining tropes from sci-fi and fantasy to tell a story of two friends growing up together yet in totally different worlds.
