Thoughts:
I had a hard time getting through this not because it wasn't good, it really was, but I have come to realize that sci-fi just isn't my genre for books. This definitely was one of the best translated works I have ever read and my first book translated from Chinese. I did find that the world building and character development were much slower than I am used to but there was a lot that had to be covered, especially in the first 100 pages. The main thing that I did not like was how many different perspectives that there were in this book that it made for some parts to seem repetitive and confusing as well.
I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy sci-fi thrillers that have a lot of world building.
From the Publisher:
A century after the Martian war of independence, a group of kids are sent to Earth as delegates from Mars, but when they return home, they are caught between the two worlds, unable to reconcile the beauty and culture of Mars with their experiences on Earth in this spellbinding novel from Hugo Award–winning author Hao Jingfang.
In 2096, the war of independence erupts when a colony of people living on Mars rebel against Earth’s rule. The war results in two different and mutually incompatible worlds. In 2196, one hundred years later, Earth and Mars attempt to initiate a dialogue, hoping a reconciliation is on the horizon. Representing Mars, a group of young delegates are sent to Earth to study the history and culture of the rival planet, all while teaching others about life on Mars.
Narrated from two perspectives: Luo Ying, an eighteen-year-old girl from Mars who has spent the past five years on Earth, and Ignacio, a filmmaker in his late twenties from Earth on a job to document the delegates from Mars. Both Luo and Ignacio are trapped between worlds, with critics all around, and always under suspicion, searching for where they truly belong.
I had a hard time getting through this not because it wasn't good, it really was, but I have come to realize that sci-fi just isn't my genre for books. This definitely was one of the best translated works I have ever read and my first book translated from Chinese. I did find that the world building and character development were much slower than I am used to but there was a lot that had to be covered, especially in the first 100 pages. The main thing that I did not like was how many different perspectives that there were in this book that it made for some parts to seem repetitive and confusing as well.
I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy sci-fi thrillers that have a lot of world building.
From the Publisher:
A century after the Martian war of independence, a group of kids are sent to Earth as delegates from Mars, but when they return home, they are caught between the two worlds, unable to reconcile the beauty and culture of Mars with their experiences on Earth in this spellbinding novel from Hugo Award–winning author Hao Jingfang.
In 2096, the war of independence erupts when a colony of people living on Mars rebel against Earth’s rule. The war results in two different and mutually incompatible worlds. In 2196, one hundred years later, Earth and Mars attempt to initiate a dialogue, hoping a reconciliation is on the horizon. Representing Mars, a group of young delegates are sent to Earth to study the history and culture of the rival planet, all while teaching others about life on Mars.
Narrated from two perspectives: Luo Ying, an eighteen-year-old girl from Mars who has spent the past five years on Earth, and Ignacio, a filmmaker in his late twenties from Earth on a job to document the delegates from Mars. Both Luo and Ignacio are trapped between worlds, with critics all around, and always under suspicion, searching for where they truly belong.