Redshirts - Likewise Book Reviews
"Redshirts by John Scalzi 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
I think this would've been a better hit with me if I was a Trekkie however who hasn't seen a few episodes over the years...
I thought the plot was fun and the characters were okay, I even laughed at a few of the jokes but it was a tad transparent and the Coda 's at the end absolutely lost my interest and took up a big chunk of the novel I didn't understand the reason for...
I did see some similarities to Old Man's War in the writing but it being the same author of course you would! "
M R
Max Rosenthal
"This was 75 percent exactly the book I thought it was going to be and then 25 percent something much more affecting that I was totally unprepared for. So different than the Old Man's War books but in a way that turned out great."
"I was grinning like an idiot as Scalzi skewered classic sci-fi tropes with irreverent panache in "Redshirts". The book's best feature is its outrageously sarcastic and witty dialogue. The first half was genuinely hilarious and I was prepared to give the book a 4 star rating, but then the plot and writing began to drag in the second half. Things got less funny and more awkwardly serious. And then the final three - THREE - codas at the end were just too much. Scalzi's lucky to escape this one with a three and not a two. It's a shame, because I loved his "Old Man's War" so much. Sort of odd that this won a 2013 Hugo - I found the quality and pacing pretty inconsistent. But the great first half and the excellent narration by Wil Wheaton (who also narrated "Ready Player One") made this a fun read. And that's really all I wanted.<br/><br/>Cross-posted from <a href="https://books.max-nova.com/redshirts">https://books.max-nova.com/redshirts</a>"
"At first, I thought this was a parody of Star Trek. Then the author basically said it was a parody of Star Trek. The book made a lot more sense after that.<br/><br/>Don't worry if the sciencey stuff doesn't make sense to you. It's not supposed to. Just roll with it and keep going. The pieces will fall into place.<br/><br/>Whatever you do, don't skip the three Codas at the end. They are epilogues for three of the minor characters. They tie up loose ends, and the final Coda will make it all worthwhile. I got teary, and smiled.<br/><br/>I laughed aloud many times. It is a bit confusing at the start, but hang in there and it will be worth the read."
"I've now read this book twice and it is still just as awesome as the first time I read it. Scalzi creates a new world based on the tropes of star trek with a fabulous break of the fourth wall. The characters are amazing and the adventure is light and fun (unless your a redshirt on a mission with certain senior officers). The book makes you laugh, ponder "what if" and think about what truly makes "you", you."
"This was a fun book for any SciFi fan, especially for this of us who love Star Trek. If you’re not very familiar with Star Trek, a lot of the references would go right past you, including the title. It was a fun idea & well executed, imo. I’d love to say more but I don’t want to accidentally share any spoilers. :)"
End of reviews