Review: A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel

A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This comes out Febraury 2, 2021.

I really enjoyed this. It blends two of my favorite genres in a fairly complex storyline. If you have read Neuvel's work before you will notice a similar feel with the mixed media style of writing and his own brand of humor. There is that same type of format here, where there will be traditional paragraphs of writing then it will break in to dialogue between characters. I actually really enjoyed that, but that format is not something everyone likes and is worth noting.

This follows Sarah and Mia, a mother-daughter pair, who come from a long line of mother-daughter pairs not of this earth. They are the Kibsu, women who live by simple rules but who are always at the forefront of technology and discovery. Sarah has positioned Mia to be part of the space race, and with her brilliant mind and ability to convince other scientists to do her bidding Mia is able to get the smartest men from Germany and Russia to build rockets for her. Meanwhile, Sarah and Mia always have to be on the lookout for the Tracker, an unknown entity that is constantly hunting them.

We slowly learn about the Kibsu, who they are and what they are doing on Earth. There are plenty of unanswered questions, but Sarah and Mia carry out their mission though they aren't always sure why. For generations the women of the Kibsu have done as their mother's have bid them, but Mia is trying to break that mold a bit and wants answers to questions math, science, and her mother can't give her. She doesn't want to continue running and hiding from an unknown enemy. She does however want to see her ideas and rocketry designs make it to space. The character development is complicated in this book, as we have Mia who wants to break the mold, but there is only so much she can do to get away from who she is at a base level. Sarah has similar feelings, but at the end of the day she must follow the rules all Kibsu women have for generations. While we don't see much from the perspective of the Tracker, he also has a bit of a struggle with mission over personal choice. This is all set in the real world, during real events beginning in the 40s, so the world building is done very well.

I highly recommend reading the "Further Reading" chapter, as it is basically an author's note and summary about all of the research he did to write this book. As many of the events in the book are historically accurate, I really appreciate the care he took with the history while also weaving a really wonderful science fiction take around them. I'm a huge fan of this era of history as well as science fiction and I feel that that Neuvel did a great job blending the two. That being said this book is not going to be for everyone. I absolutely loved it, however sci-fi fans who are not big on historical fiction may not and historical fiction fans may find the science and math a bit too technical.

I'm hoping this is a series, as Goodreads now has this labeled as if it is one. I went into reading it as though it were a standalone. It ends as if it could go either way. No major cliffhanger, but definitely room for more. I'd especially like to know more about the Kibsu, I felt like we only learned part of their story and there is so much more to it. If there is more to this story I'd gladly read more.

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Review: The Test by Sylvain Neuvel

The Test by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a strange little novella. It packs a punch in such a short little book. I really enjoy Nuevel's writing and his imaginative plotlines. If you are expecting giant robots and aliens you won't find them here. This is more speculative/realistic fiction set in the future. I can actually see this happening in the not so distant future, but I hope this never comes to pass. Parts of this read like a psychological thriller. This book is the perfect length and the story is well developed. Because it is a novella and fairly short, I don't want to spoil too much.

The story follows Idir, a dentist from Iran, who wants a better life for his wife and two small kids. He is taking a citizenship test so they can move to the UK. He has to answer 25 questions on UK facts and history to see if he and his family will be granted citizenship. While his family is waiting, terrorists swarm the testing center and Idir is singled out by the ringleader. Idir is tasked with choosing who lives and who dies? As you read you find out if it is too much for him and if he can actually make the choice? All he wanted when he started his day was a better life for his family. I won't say more than that.

This book really makes you think. The things that happen in this book could actually happen in some form or fashion and in some ways they already do. I hope that what Idir went through never becomes a reality.

As far as the character development goes, Idir was great we get to know him very well. Some of the side characters were lacking, but I almost feel like that was by design as they weren't a major part of the story but they did drive what happened. Overall, this was a quick read that really made me think. It is a bit dark, but it was well worth the read.

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December Wrap Up

December was a pretty good reading month, especially with audiobooks.  I completed the Popsugar reading challenge.  I always get a little slumpy as the end of the challenge approaches.  Last year I was reading a book I really didn't like and it took me forever to finish.  This year I was reading something I actually liked, but it still dragged on a bit because there was a bit of pressure to finish up.  I also have a few ARCs and reviews looming for January, so it starts to feel like work not fun.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• I'm so glad I finally read this.  I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens in Crooked Kingdom.  There are so many twists and turns.  This finished up my challenge for a book with an animal in the title.  
• Vicious by V.E. Schwab
• I've been meaning to read this forever.  It started off slow for me for a couple of reasons.  It was one of my last reading prompts (anti-hero/villain) and I think I overhyped it so I had really high expectations.  Once I settled in I really began to enjoy it.  Looking forward to the next book.
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by by John Tiffany (Adaptation), Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling 
• This was my final challenge book (turned into a screenplay/play).  Since it is a play script I went with it.  I actually really enjoyed it.  Not much to say about Harry Potter, but I liked that this takes place later on, and is focused on his son.  We see Harry in a different light and as a parent with realistic parent struggles that have nothing to do with magic. As a mom I totally relate.

Audiobooks

• The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison
• I really loved this.  I think I will finish the series in book format.  I feel like I kept missing things in audio, which is a problem I have with fantasy sometimes.  The narration was great, but I would have liked to go back a page and reread things I was confused about.  This is an awesome book and deserves all the hype it gets.  It is so unique and the author keeps things interesting.
• The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
• This completed challenge prompt book for a book involving a bookstore or a library.  It involves both.  My mom gave me her paperback a while back, but I opted for the audio.  This is a really cute book, but the main character, Nina I found to be infuriating at times.  She was a bit too clueless and weak for my taste.  I just wanted to shake her and yell at her for most of the book.  She eventually got it together, so it all kind of worked out.  
• Don't Put Me in Coach by Mark Titus
• As I anticipated this book was a challenge for me to complete.  The writing was actually pretty good, but the author's sense of humor just isn't to my taste.  I listened to about half of the audiobook then switched to the e-book to finish up which I found a little easier to handle.  It was fairly short.  I enjoyed hearing about the basketball, but the immaturity and vulgarity was a bit too much for my liking.  This did knock out a challenge prompt for me or else I would have DNFed based on my personal taste.
• Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness
• I really loved the Discovery of Witches Series, and when I heard there was a new book out I requested it from the library right away.  I really loved seeing Diana and Matthew and their children, as well as the rest of the family and get to know Marcus and Phoebe more.  This was kind of all over the place as it jumps timelines and switches character POVs.  There isn't really a plot, it is more character driven story telling.  I liked learning about the characters, but there wasn't really a plot to keep the story focused as with the original trilogy..
• The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
• This is a strange little story about a girl who finds out that she isn't who she thought she was.  The bad luck that has followed her and her mother around is actually part of a strange fairy tale world that she is connected to.  Its an OK read, not good not bad.  The fairy tales are pretty dark.  I expected to like it more than I did.
• Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
• I really loved this.  The audio is told in case files, but it is done with a full cast.  It is very well done.  This team of scientists and military/government personnel are tasked with unearthing and discovering the origins and functions of this artifact.  I really liked the premise of the story.  The book is fast paced, not terribly long.
• Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
• I really love this series.  It is a lot of fun.  I love the full cast and the fast pace.  I was able to start this directly after Sleeping Giants.  I'm a sucker for aliens, robots, and science fiction.  I'm on the waiting list for the 3rd book and can't wait to finish the series.