Reviews with content warning for Pandemic/Epidemic - Network Effect

Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

Network Effect by Martha Wells

12 reviews

astrangewind's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

It feels downright indulgent to read a 350-page Murderbot book.

There was a lot about this book I liked. Because it was longer, we get to see more of Murderbot's interactions with various humans and bots / constructs as well as its overall character development. I liked the creepy atmosphere toward the end, and seeing Murderbot get upset thinking

ART was dead

. I liked the serious tone; the book really reframes a lot of the previous material.

For example, that Murderbot's relationship with the company, which it often jokes about, is based deeply in trauma. And when Murderbot sees another SecUnit that was ordered to stand down and then killed by its governor module. It's like a joke or an annoyance at first, and this book really shows the reader that this isn't to be taken lightly.

That said, the plot felt like it moved really, really slowly, and then went way too quickly at the climax. In the other Murderbot books, because they're novellas, that doesn't seem so weird, as the overall effect is that the entire plot moves quickly. But it doesn't work in the full-length novel. Additionally, it seemed like Wells wanted to expand on a bunch of themes - the self-awareness of other SecUnits, Murderbot's ability to have meaningful relationships, corporate greed - but wasn't able to fully explore all of them. There were so many different pieces, many of which worked well together, but some of which didn't.

Also, and this is a problem with all the Murderbot books, there are just so many damn characters.

I did really love this book, though. As a novella with much the same content, I probably would have given it 5 stars.

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b1llz1lla's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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catguardian's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Murderbot the movie. This is my favorite book in this series, a certifiable event. It pays off so many plot threads and calls back the best jokes. Honestly this is Murderbot at its best, and even in my mind it felt like the high budget movie made at the end of a limited mini series

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witcheep's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The beginning is a little confusing, but that's the experience Murderbot also has: it gets into yet another unfamiliar hostile situation and has to figure out a way to get out of it while keeping it's humans safe. Having so much agency available to itself, Murderbot ends up in an enotional spiral that reveals it might be close to being able to start processing the traumatic events it has been through. At least Murderbot is a little more open to discussing it's thoughts and feelings with the selected few in it's inner circle of... clients/teammates/*gasp*friends.

I didn't like the idea of saying "I don't know" to Amena because humans panic and I almost don't blame them because right now I feel like panicking and I was not in control of this situation and I could see at least ten instances now where I'd made wrong decisions and being in control of the situation was really important because otherwise it was in control of me and that felt like a short step to being back in the company's control.

All the revelations, plot twists, and feelings made me unable to put the book down – I just had to know what happens next and keep reading! The book gets better and better while the plot advances, and I can't describe how elated I am with all the connections Murderbot is finding.

Of course Murderbot is being the familiar sassy, assholeish, introverted SecUnit who keeps going to impossible lengths for the not-friends it won't admit caring for but actually does. Murderbot is slowly starting to admit it has friends, though, and that might help it decide what it wants to do in life. I love Murderbot's personality!

Alongside Murderbot's familiar narrative voice, the narration is splashed with additions of it's memory files and towards the end also pov's

of different SecUnit/Murderbots

. Ahhhh, I almost feel spoiled rotten to get so many new perspectives on Murderbot, but still get to see the original one evolve and yet stay recognizably itself.

I'm intriqued by the first glances we get to the new

SecUnit 03. I wish it could become friends with Murderbot, or at the very least that we'd get updates on it in the future as well

There is a lot about what is going on here that I don't understand. But I am participating anyway.

–

SecUnit 03

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lonelylooper's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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geo_plumeria's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Amazing, one of my favorites of the series so far.

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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is a re-read since it has been a long time since I caught up with the series and I forgot how good this installment in the series is. It’s a huge culmination of what happened previously seamlessly leading into uncharted territory. There is a lot to say about what makes you you. I especially appreciated the self awareness of trying to figure out your purpose in life.

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