A book that almost demands a re-read!
3.5
More than anything else, Poe wants to be free. Free of the Outpost where she lives and works / trains as a machinist. But she feels confined by the walls that surround the Outpost that the Admiral says are for safety. That no one survives outside the walls. So when there's an opportunity to be part of an expedition on one of the vessels sent out to hunt for gold, Poe and her boyfriend Call jump at the chance. Of course, they're plans extend past those of the Outpost. They're planning on jumping ship and trying to make it on their own in an unexplored world. That is, until the ship is boarded by raiders and Call is killed.
Now, two years later, Poe is still grieving and wanting revenge for Call's death. She's outfitted the remaining mining vessel with outside armor that has caused more than one raider a brutal death in the intervening years, but this still hasn't brought Poe the solace she's seeking. When another mission is on the schedule, the Admiral wants Poe to be the captain. The why's and what for's are unknown to Poe but she's not especially in a position to say no. When she begins her tenure as captain it's not long before Poe knows there's a traitor in their midst. Someone is not happy she's leading this voyage and they're especially not happy about the gold being taken. With everyone a suspect, Poe will only be able to rely on herself.
The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe starts out really strong. I think that grief over loss of a loved one is, sadly, a universal theme that many people can relate to, so it was easy to see where Poe's initial motivations were coming from.
I felt like the world / setting was kind of half-formed, but I also felt like this was intentional. It's kind of an unnamed time and place which could be a stand in for any time / place. It's vague but purposefully so. I found that I didn't mind so much because it's clear from the beginning that Poe's journey is about her revenge. She wants the entirety of the raiders to pay. The idea of someone on the ship being a traitor presents a nice little intriguing mystery. I was completely prepared for a closed-room style mystery because there's only so many places one can go on a ship, especially one that's proved to be impenetrable time and again.
But Ally Condie continually throws twists at Poe, as well as the readers, that challenge her perceptions. That make her begin to really question the Admiral's motivations. This is where I had the most issue with the story. The idea that Poe's allegiances are so up in the air. It makes it difficult to like the character or sympathize / empathize with a character if they themselves don't know what they're doing or what they're really fighting for. I was never sure if Poe was going to suddenly change her mind and abruptly switch allegiances again or if that was the plan the entire time, but it wasn't something vocalized to readers. I felt like I couldn't trust Poe's actions let alone anyone else's.
I think I understand the motivation behind such ambiguity, the idea that as we grow and mature the world and how we view it changes. Poe holds onto the idea of revenge for Call to the point where she's blind to everything else going on around her. When she stops and actually takes notice her eyes are wide open. I understand this, but it still doesn't endear Poe to be. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Which made things a little bit anti-climactic in the end.
The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe is still full of excitement and mystery. It's quick-paced enough that I would sit down to read just a few chapters at night only to suddenly discover that I'd gotten through a good portion of the book.
I think it's the type of book that's perfect for re-reading. Just like Poe, you might get something else out of the story when you look back on it with your eyes wide open.
More than anything else, Poe wants to be free. Free of the Outpost where she lives and works / trains as a machinist. But she feels confined by the walls that surround the Outpost that the Admiral says are for safety. That no one survives outside the walls. So when there's an opportunity to be part of an expedition on one of the vessels sent out to hunt for gold, Poe and her boyfriend Call jump at the chance. Of course, they're plans extend past those of the Outpost. They're planning on jumping ship and trying to make it on their own in an unexplored world. That is, until the ship is boarded by raiders and Call is killed.
Now, two years later, Poe is still grieving and wanting revenge for Call's death. She's outfitted the remaining mining vessel with outside armor that has caused more than one raider a brutal death in the intervening years, but this still hasn't brought Poe the solace she's seeking. When another mission is on the schedule, the Admiral wants Poe to be the captain. The why's and what for's are unknown to Poe but she's not especially in a position to say no. When she begins her tenure as captain it's not long before Poe knows there's a traitor in their midst. Someone is not happy she's leading this voyage and they're especially not happy about the gold being taken. With everyone a suspect, Poe will only be able to rely on herself.
The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe starts out really strong. I think that grief over loss of a loved one is, sadly, a universal theme that many people can relate to, so it was easy to see where Poe's initial motivations were coming from.
I felt like the world / setting was kind of half-formed, but I also felt like this was intentional. It's kind of an unnamed time and place which could be a stand in for any time / place. It's vague but purposefully so. I found that I didn't mind so much because it's clear from the beginning that Poe's journey is about her revenge. She wants the entirety of the raiders to pay. The idea of someone on the ship being a traitor presents a nice little intriguing mystery. I was completely prepared for a closed-room style mystery because there's only so many places one can go on a ship, especially one that's proved to be impenetrable time and again.
But Ally Condie continually throws twists at Poe, as well as the readers, that challenge her perceptions. That make her begin to really question the Admiral's motivations. This is where I had the most issue with the story. The idea that Poe's allegiances are so up in the air. It makes it difficult to like the character or sympathize / empathize with a character if they themselves don't know what they're doing or what they're really fighting for. I was never sure if Poe was going to suddenly change her mind and abruptly switch allegiances again or if that was the plan the entire time, but it wasn't something vocalized to readers. I felt like I couldn't trust Poe's actions let alone anyone else's.
I think I understand the motivation behind such ambiguity, the idea that as we grow and mature the world and how we view it changes. Poe holds onto the idea of revenge for Call to the point where she's blind to everything else going on around her. When she stops and actually takes notice her eyes are wide open. I understand this, but it still doesn't endear Poe to be. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Which made things a little bit anti-climactic in the end.
The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe is still full of excitement and mystery. It's quick-paced enough that I would sit down to read just a few chapters at night only to suddenly discover that I'd gotten through a good portion of the book.
I think it's the type of book that's perfect for re-reading. Just like Poe, you might get something else out of the story when you look back on it with your eyes wide open.