Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I really wanted to like this book, but was quite disappointed. Ms. Chambers’ influences are easily discernible (Star Trek TNG, Farscape), but to an extent where I felt like I was reading a teleplay for a single TV episode. The story feels like it should be building towards something big, but it fizzles. There is some decent world building, and some of the characters are well-drawn (exception is Kizzy the annoying ‘zany genius’ trope...ugh). My biggest issue is that Ms.Chambers has some elements for a really great yarn, but ends up using this as a forum for a tired treatise of ‘political correctness’. All the heros are identified and bound together by one motto "we celebrate diversity", and all the villains by the motto "we’re xenophobic". This could have been demonstrated by their actions alone, but the author continually hits the reader over the head with this to the point like I felt I was in a “Contemporary Anthropology" course at Berkeley. It was just far too ‘on the nose’ and the constant moralizing pulled me out of the story as the author’s agenda was intrusively evident. There was also a more subtle attack on religion in the story arc of the character ‘Ohan’, and is a curious contradiction to the books ceaseless championing of inclusiveness. Basically I feel the author is an extreme liberal with intolerance to ny viewpoint except her own, and an agenda to proclaim. The writing and dialogue are sophomoric at best. There is little to no science in this science fiction. I could barely finish this book, and am bewildered by it’s acclaim.