Dangerous Beans
One-half of Deux Lectrices, writing about the things I read.
Reading progress update: I've read 307 out of 422 pages.
Sadly I'm beginning to realize IDRC about what happens to the characters in this book. The first book was really interesting and I loved the little glimpses of what happened with other people dealing with the long earths. We're not really getting that in this book.
Joshua's storyline doesn't interest me at all and it should. I should care about what's happening to the trolls and why they're disappearing and I care for them, but IDC about Joshua's mission. As good a character as he was in The Long Earth, here it's like he's phoning his presence in. I also /really/ do not care for his wife which makes me sad because I could've used another female character to root for in this series.
Sally's storyline is confusing and IDG her whole reluctance to talk to people or stay with them.
God, I really dislike Roberta, which is a shame because the storyline of the people she's traveling with, the Chinese Space Agency, is interesting. But Roberta is such a bland character and so unlikeable, IDC if she is ~~~~super smart~~~~, she's honestly a bit of a bitch.
And why is Nelson in this story? I don't dislike or like him but every time one of his chapters shows up ... well, it comes off as desperate to be involved in the plot by any means necessary, not because he is an actual part of the plot.
There are several awkward moments where the entire story will just stop so that a character will give a paragraph of information to a POV character. It's weird because I'll hit those spots and think, "oh, boy, here we go again..."
Unless the last 100 pages, which I'll be attempting to finish today, completely wow me, I can't see myself giving this more than a 2.5, and that depresses me because I really love Pratchett.
IDK if I'll be reading The Long Mars next or waiting. I'm curious to see if the Pratchett touch comes back (I've srsly only noted it a few pages in this book) and I'd like to know what goes on in the book. It's also shorter than this one, praise be, but IDK if I wanna sit through more unlikeable characters and story lines that seemingly lead nowhere.
