Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Tor (New York, 2016). 1st edition, 1st printing. 320 pages. $25.99.
Description
When Patricia Delfine was six years old, a wounded bird led her deep into the forest to the Parliament of Birds, where she met the Great Tree and was asked a question that would determine the course of her life. When Laurence Armstead was in grade school, he cobbled together a wristwatch-sized device that could send its wearer two seconds into the future. When Patricia and Laurence first met in high school, they didn't understand one another at all. But as time went on, they kept bumping into one another's lives. Now they're both grown up, and the planet is falling apart around them. Laurence is an engineering genius who's working with a group that aims to avert catastrophic breakdown through technological intervention into the changing global climate. Patricia is a graduate of Eltisley Maze, the hidden academy for the world's magically gifted, and works with a small band of other magicians to secretly repair the world's every-growing ailments. Neither Laurence nor Patricia can keep pace with the speed at which things fall apart. But something bigger than either of them, something begun deep in their childhoods, is determined to bring them together. And will.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member rretzler
I've started this review and deleted it several times, and now I'm really behind with reviews, so it's time just to write something about the book and move on. On paper (no pun intended), this should have been a book I liked - well, I bought it last year, so I must have thought I would like it. It
The book follows the lives of Patricia and Laurence, not Larry, as they grow up. We first meet Patricia when she is six-years-old trying to save a wounded bird from her sister and the neighboring cat. She discovers that she can talk to the bird and also to the Parliamentary Tree, who proclaims that she is a witch. To save herself and the bird, she must answer the Endless Question, she asks for more time...and is found and carried back home by her father. Her mother and father punish her by locking her in her room and slipping meals under her door. We meet Laurence in elementary school. He is a nerdy genius who suffers the same stereotypical fate as other nerds by being picked on and ostracized by his classmates. Patricia and Laurence are in the same class at school and both being thought weird by their classmates, they become friends. Just before Patricia runs away to a witches school, she saves Laurence from military school, so that he can attend a computer school. The two lose touch until they have both graduated from college and have careers. The world is in environmental disarray. Patricia is working with the witches to try to save Earth, while Laurence is working with the scientists to find a way to save the human race by getting them off world to another planet. The scientists and the witches collide, and to some extent, Patricia and Laurence are caught in the middle.
You may be asking - what happened to the Endless Question? Did Patricia ever answer? Well, I won't answer that, and you may be disappointed by my non-answer. I know I was disappointed by the resolution of the Endless Question. It seemed a cop out, IMO.
I can't say that I really liked the book, but I guess I didn't hate it. My initial rating was 3.5, and the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I wasn't too generous. I guess I'll give it the benefit of the doubt since it was nominated for both a Hugo and a Nebula, but honestly, I think that was a mistake. I don't feel that this book is fit to be compared to books like Dune or Ringworld or The Left Hand of Darkness or Ender's Game or Blackout/All Clear or The Forever War or...well, you get the point.
I wasn't able to identify with either character - I came close to identifying with Laurence, but he made some really stupid choices in the book that really made me just want to shake him. I guess I mainly felt sorry for him. Patricia, well, I had a difficult time liking her, especially as the book went on. I can't say that I actively disliked her, because well that would give the impression that the book actually made me care, and it really didn't. I thought the plot, what there was of it, was very thin. The whole witchcraft versus science thing could have been intriguing, but really focused more on saving Earth versus saving the human race. While it wasn't contemplated in the book, it seems to me that getting humans off the Earth would actually accomplish both goals of saving Earth and the human race. The book sort of ended with a whimper. All in all, I was disappointed. I guess I should probably email the author as she suggests so that she can come to my house and act it out with origami finger puppets. That might be more interesting.
An interesting aside, I have noticed that most books on Amazon, if they are even mediocre, rate at least 4.0 stars. All the Birds in the Sky has a 3.9 rating on Amazon - 'Nuf said.
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is both fantasy and science fiction, both genres I like, and it is quirky, and I really like quirky. I guess now I know it depends on the type of quirky. The book follows the lives of Patricia and Laurence, not Larry, as they grow up. We first meet Patricia when she is six-years-old trying to save a wounded bird from her sister and the neighboring cat. She discovers that she can talk to the bird and also to the Parliamentary Tree, who proclaims that she is a witch. To save herself and the bird, she must answer the Endless Question, she asks for more time...and is found and carried back home by her father. Her mother and father punish her by locking her in her room and slipping meals under her door. We meet Laurence in elementary school. He is a nerdy genius who suffers the same stereotypical fate as other nerds by being picked on and ostracized by his classmates. Patricia and Laurence are in the same class at school and both being thought weird by their classmates, they become friends. Just before Patricia runs away to a witches school, she saves Laurence from military school, so that he can attend a computer school. The two lose touch until they have both graduated from college and have careers. The world is in environmental disarray. Patricia is working with the witches to try to save Earth, while Laurence is working with the scientists to find a way to save the human race by getting them off world to another planet. The scientists and the witches collide, and to some extent, Patricia and Laurence are caught in the middle.
You may be asking - what happened to the Endless Question? Did Patricia ever answer? Well, I won't answer that, and you may be disappointed by my non-answer. I know I was disappointed by the resolution of the Endless Question. It seemed a cop out, IMO.
I can't say that I really liked the book, but I guess I didn't hate it. My initial rating was 3.5, and the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I wasn't too generous. I guess I'll give it the benefit of the doubt since it was nominated for both a Hugo and a Nebula, but honestly, I think that was a mistake. I don't feel that this book is fit to be compared to books like Dune or Ringworld or The Left Hand of Darkness or Ender's Game or Blackout/All Clear or The Forever War or...well, you get the point.
I wasn't able to identify with either character - I came close to identifying with Laurence, but he made some really stupid choices in the book that really made me just want to shake him. I guess I mainly felt sorry for him. Patricia, well, I had a difficult time liking her, especially as the book went on. I can't say that I actively disliked her, because well that would give the impression that the book actually made me care, and it really didn't. I thought the plot, what there was of it, was very thin. The whole witchcraft versus science thing could have been intriguing, but really focused more on saving Earth versus saving the human race. While it wasn't contemplated in the book, it seems to me that getting humans off the Earth would actually accomplish both goals of saving Earth and the human race. The book sort of ended with a whimper. All in all, I was disappointed. I guess I should probably email the author as she suggests so that she can come to my house and act it out with origami finger puppets. That might be more interesting.
An interesting aside, I have noticed that most books on Amazon, if they are even mediocre, rate at least 4.0 stars. All the Birds in the Sky has a 3.9 rating on Amazon - 'Nuf said.
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LibraryThing member ronincats
I read the sample first chapter on the Tor website and was unimpressed. Then several 75ers read it and thought it was okay and it was getting some buzz, so I got on the wait list for it at the library, which was long. When I finally got it, I felt like I had to read it. And I am still unimpressed.
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I did not get drawn into the book at all. Flat characters. Horrible stereotypically drawn caricatures of parents. Lots of telling instead of showing. The same lack of emotional investment that I had with The Magicians. No depth. Meandering story. Wish now that I had stopped and gone on to other books. I love Tor and I love the Io9 website that this author runs, but this book just didn't work for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member SChant
I've read and enjoyed short stories by Charlie Jane Anders but this was just dull. The characters were flat, there was no plot to speak of and the constant references to local shops and cafes (they may be real or not as far as I know) just made it seem parochial. Disappointing - I couldn't be
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bothered to finish it. Show Less
LibraryThing member amanda4242
I spent 85% of the book hoping the protagonists would meet a bloody end at the hands of the assassin. I have never seen a higher concentration of vapid, self-absorbed, and ludicrously cruel characters--which is really saying something since I've read Bret Easton Ellis. This book would have been
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greatly improved if Anders had spent less time describing hipster coffee shops and more on plot and character development. Show Less
LibraryThing member nebula21
I didn't feel that this book flowed very well. The first part feels like a children's book. There are a lot of time jumps, that leave you feeling that whole events have been missed or glossed over. The story is charming enough, but the writing fails to excite.
LibraryThing member beserene
If you enjoyed the post-millenial sensibilities of Lev Grossman's 'The Magicians' but, like me, found that it sucked all the joy out of the room, you might find Anders' new novel a true pleasure. It is a very post-modern romance, between a young woman immersed in nature magic and a young man
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enamored with the stuff of science fiction. The core of the novel is the conflict and resolution between those two characters and their representative spheres, which results in the story sometimes flowing more like allegory than anything else, but the overlay of contemporary concerns keeps the reader moving from conflict to conflict. The ultimate resolution here is satisfies on both the narrative and the philosophical levels. While the book definitely gets better as it goes along, creating a real attachment between reader and characters, it maintains that post-millenial disaffected tone, which can be off-putting for readers unused to it. It might seem strange to pair strong allegory with such a contemporary tone, and there are places where that combination gives it a sense of shallowness rather than depth. While some might not appreciate quite so much current commentary with their contemporary fantasy, I ultimately found the balance workable and quite enjoyed the characters and the almost-familiar worlds they inhabit. In short, I liked it in the end, but I definitely balked a few times on my way through. Perhaps not a perfect read, but definitely a good one. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmoncton
This book and author were featured at one of the book seller conferences I attended which always makes me predisposed to like the book. Charlie Jane Anders definitely has a witty and bizarre way of looking at life. The book is peppered with clever observations and I would love to sit in an outdoor
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cafe with her and listen to her comment about the world surrounding her. But as much as this book is genre-bending and weird, it didn't captivate me and barely provided entertainment value. Not only did I not like the characters and found them very shallow and one dimensional, but I also thought the plot was meandering. At the end, I'm not sure if I felt there was an 'aha' moment or even a purpose for the story. Clearly, some people love this book and I wish Charlie Jane Anders the best. Just not my type of novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
I know straight off this book won't be for everyone, but it certainly was for me. Charlie Jane Anders has created wonderful mix of science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism with a bit of real magic and a dystopian slant. I liked the characters. I liked their interactions. I liked the conflict
For those that need a plot summary, the story starts with two misfit kids finding each other in middle school. That one understands the language of birds and nature, and the other is tuned to building the perfect AI is yet another mismatch. But events unfold so that they separate, only to meet up again, in San Francisco, on opposite sites of an undeclared war about how to save humanity. Plus, there are witches, robots, two second time travel, and good writing. What more could you wish in a book?
tags: 2016-read, didn-t-want-to-put-it-down, dystopian-ish, fantasy, great-cover, made-me-think, magic, magical-realism, places-i-have-been, read, read-on-recommendation, thank-you-charleston-county-library, thought-provoking, tor, want-to-re-read, will-look-for-more-by-this-autho
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that was set up (as a storyline, not as a potential reality.) I admit to being a sucker for books set in San Francisco, and this one, unlike some others, actually got the location right. If I'm not being that eloquent it's because I woke up at 2:30 and didn't get back to sleep last night.For those that need a plot summary, the story starts with two misfit kids finding each other in middle school. That one understands the language of birds and nature, and the other is tuned to building the perfect AI is yet another mismatch. But events unfold so that they separate, only to meet up again, in San Francisco, on opposite sites of an undeclared war about how to save humanity. Plus, there are witches, robots, two second time travel, and good writing. What more could you wish in a book?
tags: 2016-read, didn-t-want-to-put-it-down, dystopian-ish, fantasy, great-cover, made-me-think, magic, magical-realism, places-i-have-been, read, read-on-recommendation, thank-you-charleston-county-library, thought-provoking, tor, want-to-re-read, will-look-for-more-by-this-autho
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LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
All the Birds in the Sky was the first 2016 release I absolutely did not want to put down until I was finished. It was so weird, in that brilliant way I always hope to find in a new-to-me author's work. The seamless blending of magic and science, the absolutely believable relationship between
Highly recommended if you're looking for something different, something simultaneously imaginary and realistic.
One of my favorite quotes from the book, spoken by my absolute LEAST favorite character, Patricia's sister:
"You never learned the secret," said Roberta. "How to be a crazymotherfucker and get away with it. Everybody else does it. What, you didn't think they were all sane, did you? Not a one of them. They're all crazier than you and me put together. They just know how to fake it. You could too, but you've chosen to torture all of us instead. That's the definition of evil right there: not faking it like everybody else. Because all of us crazy fuckers can't stand it when someone else lets their crazy show. It's like bugs under the skin. We have to destroy you. It's nothing personal." (p. 102)
4.5 stars
My only nitpick was that, once again, during childhood and young adulthood both characters had absolutely NO adults (including and especially their parents) who believed them, supported them, got them. I guess "us against the world" is a great way to bond two people, but it's a pet peeve of mine with a lot of the young adult/new adult fiction I read.
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Patricia and Laurence, the ethical dilemmas of their gifts and those effects on the world... How does one review a book that itself refuses to be crammed into one neat little "normal" box? Loved it!Highly recommended if you're looking for something different, something simultaneously imaginary and realistic.
One of my favorite quotes from the book, spoken by my absolute LEAST favorite character, Patricia's sister:
"You never learned the secret," said Roberta. "How to be a crazy
4.5 stars
My only nitpick was that, once again, during childhood and young adulthood both characters had absolutely NO adults (including and especially their parents) who believed them, supported them, got them. I guess "us against the world" is a great way to bond two people, but it's a pet peeve of mine with a lot of the young adult/new adult fiction I read.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Patricia, the unfavored younger child, goes out in the woods one day and discovers she can talk to birds who take her to a special Tree and tell her she's a witch, but then she stops understanding them and sees no evidence of magical abilities for years. She becomes friends with another school
I don't know what I was expecting from the book, but somehow I think it missed my expectations. I think I somehow thought it would be epic in scope, but instead it felt more like a fable. Patricia and Laurence are really the only realized characters. Patricia's parents lock her in her room for punishment like fairy tale parents. One character is an assassin and wants to kill Patricia and Laurence before they grow up and ruin the world. The start is slow, focusing on middle school, and picks up after that - but events come suddenly, and years pass and are only ever mentioned as memories, making the pacing uneven. And because of that slow start, there's not much I can say to explain the actual point of the plot without giving away spoilers.
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outcast in middle school, Laurence, who has created a time traveling watch that allows him to jump forward 2 seconds. Their unlikely friendship may be setting into motion forces that will bring science and magic to a head.I don't know what I was expecting from the book, but somehow I think it missed my expectations. I think I somehow thought it would be epic in scope, but instead it felt more like a fable. Patricia and Laurence are really the only realized characters. Patricia's parents lock her in her room for punishment like fairy tale parents. One character is an assassin and wants to kill Patricia and Laurence before they grow up and ruin the world. The start is slow, focusing on middle school, and picks up after that - but events come suddenly, and years pass and are only ever mentioned as memories, making the pacing uneven. And because of that slow start, there's not much I can say to explain the actual point of the plot without giving away spoilers.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
Patricia is a witch; Laurence is a computer genius. They meet as bullied kids and aren’t able to help each other as much as they’d like. Later, when they reconnect, it may be because one or both of them is going to destroy the world. A lot of absurdist imagery—an absurdist apocalypse, really,
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since this is set several decades from now when the world is falling even more apart. I wish Laurence had been the witch and Patricia the tech genius. Other than that, every individual element is well-done, but the totality left me cold. Show Less
LibraryThing member lorax
In much the same way that Lev Grossman's The Magicians (which I did not like at all) is post-Potter, this is post-Grossman; the magic school that one of the protagonists attends is alluded to in flashbacks but does not form a significant portion of the book, and unlike in Grossman's work the the old-school science fiction solution of "Well, we broke this world, let's go find a new one with some elite fraction of humanity" . My primary complaint is that the ending is somewhat abrupt; I don't mind not having everything wrapped up neat and tidy, and appreciate the messy loose ends (though less so the deus ex machina aspects of the ending), but what resolution there is was rushed. An excellent book despite the rough edges, and I'm eagerly awaiting more from Anders.
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characters are sympathetic human beings. While the cover synopsis alludes to Patricia (the witch) and Laurence (a scientist) as finding themselves on "opposite sides of a war between magic and technology", the actual situation in the book is nowhere near that trite or cliched; they find themselves taking diametrically and sometimes violently opposed solutions to the problem of how to save humanity in a broken world, and what parts of the world are worth saving. Everyone means well, when doing sometimes awful things, though the sharpest critique is definitely directed at Show Less
LibraryThing member booklove2
This book should have been my thing: it seems like the book is influenced from so many things I love. But maybe that is the problem: too many things, all not as good as the influences. A Michael Chabon blurb mentioning David Mitchell?!? Though he mentioned Cloud Atlas, I see hints of The Bone
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Clocks and Thousand Autumns instead. After about 150 pages of middle school bullying and torture of the two main characters, which is a bit too long and too much for me (at least there is an assassin acting as guidance counselor), Lawrence focuses on technology while Patrica studies magic. Then bad things start happening and an apocalypse is eminent. I guess I couldn't get into the book because though I'm constantly worried about the world and what might happen, especially with the current president of the USA's policies, I don't think magic will be the answer. I can't take such an unrealistic solution for the hundreds of problems the world will eventually have, even in a fictional novel. There were some interesting ideas here (ie: the human version of bee colony collapse) which I wish was expanded on instead of all that middle school and magic. Show Less
LibraryThing member lavaturtle
The construction of this story is interesting, following two people from their awkward pre-teen years to their adulthood and epic destinies. I found Patricia's story more compelling, and the way certain characters treated her was heartbreaking. Laurence's approach to relationships with women was
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kind of skeevy -- he seems a bit like one of those guys who think of attractive women as not exactly people. I liked the ending, and how it took a piece of technology in a direction I didn't expect. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gretchening
I've been eagerly anticipating this book, and Charlie Jane Anders delivered! A heady, emotionally centered story of childhood friends (one on the mad scientist end of the spectrum, the other a bit witchy), their paths into their respective fields and the course of their relationship against the
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backdrop of the brewing war between technology and magic. Great characters (including a genderqueer character!) and lovely, grounded sense of time, detail, and place make this a winne Show Less
LibraryThing member norabelle414
Patricia and Laurence don't fit in very well at their elementary school or get along with their parents, but that's about where their similarities end. Patricia talks to birds and grows up to attend magic school and become a witch. Laurence tinkers with computers and builds tiny gadgets and
This is a really fascinating story about the discord between magic and technology - between fantasy and science fiction. I really enjoyed reading it, and it gave me a lot to think about. Charlie Jane Anders' experience as a writer of short fiction really shows. The writing is fantastic but the plot feels more like a long series of events than a structured novel, and there's little character growth and almost no dialog. The book is a slim 315 pages, which is a good thing, but everything just seemed to move so fast - my biggest problem with this book was that I liked it and wish it had slowed down so I could savor it more. It felt like it could actually be about 12 books.
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eventually world-altering machines. Throughout their lives they are frequently drawn toward each other, by either magic or technology, and then violently ripped apart. Together, they might destroy mankind, but only they together can save it. This is a really fascinating story about the discord between magic and technology - between fantasy and science fiction. I really enjoyed reading it, and it gave me a lot to think about. Charlie Jane Anders' experience as a writer of short fiction really shows. The writing is fantastic but the plot feels more like a long series of events than a structured novel, and there's little character growth and almost no dialog. The book is a slim 315 pages, which is a good thing, but everything just seemed to move so fast - my biggest problem with this book was that I liked it and wish it had slowed down so I could savor it more. It felt like it could actually be about 12 books.
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LibraryThing member hairball
I picked this up at ALA, and every time I saw the words "magic school" on the back, I really didn't want to go there. Then I started reading it, and thought, "Oh, well, this isn't bad..." Then I couldn't put it down. Very little magic schooling involved. No Lev Grossman analog here. I raced right
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through this book, and enjoyed it fully. Show Less
LibraryThing member Vinjii
This book definitely isn't for everyone. It's bizarre, slightly crazy, innovative and at the same time sweet. A clash of magic and science, bringing the two worlds together in a quirky and unique way.
The writing is fresh but aimed mostly at the Internet crowd, which not everyone will like. The
Great characters and world building made this a treat.
The writing is fresh but aimed mostly at the Internet crowd, which not everyone will like. The
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first half of the book is stronger than the second one, where during a few moments it almost falls apart, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the entire book.Great characters and world building made this a treat.
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LibraryThing member xiaomarlo
I would definitely classify this as a young adult novel, despite the fact that it has sex scenes in it. It's the writing style, and the fact that the characters are growing up and changing as the story progresses.
It's pretty silly at times, but that also makes it really fun. Characters and plots
It really pulls you in, and it's never boring. I'd be interested to read future novels from this author.
It's pretty silly at times, but that also makes it really fun. Characters and plots
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tend to appear from nowhere (I'm still not sure that assassin plot made sense), and some things seem exaggerated or cartoonish (minor characters are sometimes flat caricatures, situations pop up randomly). But the characters (especially Patricia and Lawrence), the world-building (plausible near future tech, which of course is in San Francisco, and a cool magic system), and the ideas are all great. It would make a good graphic novel or animated movie.It really pulls you in, and it's never boring. I'd be interested to read future novels from this author.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
In the "Acknowledgments" at the end of this fantasy book, the author writes:
“I really hope you guys enjoyed this book. If you didn’t, or if there was stuff that didn’t make sense to you or seemed too random, just e-mail me and I’ll come to your house and act the whole thing out for you.
I am one of those who would need her to visit with her puppets. Much of the book didn’t make sense to me. The parts that did, I didn’t like so much. Bullying and the abuse of kids is not one of my favorite subjects. The author portrayed these not so much as tragic but almost flippantly.
The story begins when the two main characters are in middle school. Patricia is a witch, and Laurence is an engineering genius. Both of them are treated as outsiders and hounded mercilessly, by their families as well as by their schoolmates. They remain somewhat oblivious to their ill treatment, however, except by withdrawing further into their odd niches. When they meet each other, they sense they can serve as allies to one another, although Laurence is a little freaked out by Patricia’s powers.
Laurence leaves for science school and Patricia for witch school; eventually they meet up again ten years later in San Francisco. Although they were supposed to be enemies - "science versus magic" - they ended up feeling bound together instead. But the apocalypse arrives, started in part by increasing environmental disasters, and it threatens not only their relationship, but the survival of the entire Earth (somehow equated in level of tragedy in this book).
Discussion: In some ways this book reminded me of The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins, in terms of being creatively different, but also with very appalling imagery. It also had a similar mix of fantasy, horror, science fiction, alternate history, and social satire, with some romance thrown into the mix. But the writing in this book often seemed sophomoric or juvenile. A variety of plot threads are abandoned mid-stream. And none of the characters were developed with enough dimension to let the reader (or this reader) feel close enough to care. As for the ending, it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.
Evaluation: I’ve seen a lot of praise for this book, and the blurb by Michael Chabon was astoundingly complementary. (In truth, however, it sounded to me like he was describing one of his own books rather than this one.) The author explored some interesting ideas, but I had to push myself to get through the book.
“I really hope you guys enjoyed this book. If you didn’t, or if there was stuff that didn’t make sense to you or seemed too random, just e-mail me and I’ll come to your house and act the whole thing out for you.
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Maybe with origami finger puppets.”I am one of those who would need her to visit with her puppets. Much of the book didn’t make sense to me. The parts that did, I didn’t like so much. Bullying and the abuse of kids is not one of my favorite subjects. The author portrayed these not so much as tragic but almost flippantly.
The story begins when the two main characters are in middle school. Patricia is a witch, and Laurence is an engineering genius. Both of them are treated as outsiders and hounded mercilessly, by their families as well as by their schoolmates. They remain somewhat oblivious to their ill treatment, however, except by withdrawing further into their odd niches. When they meet each other, they sense they can serve as allies to one another, although Laurence is a little freaked out by Patricia’s powers.
Laurence leaves for science school and Patricia for witch school; eventually they meet up again ten years later in San Francisco. Although they were supposed to be enemies - "science versus magic" - they ended up feeling bound together instead. But the apocalypse arrives, started in part by increasing environmental disasters, and it threatens not only their relationship, but the survival of the entire Earth (somehow equated in level of tragedy in this book).
Discussion: In some ways this book reminded me of The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins, in terms of being creatively different, but also with very appalling imagery. It also had a similar mix of fantasy, horror, science fiction, alternate history, and social satire, with some romance thrown into the mix. But the writing in this book often seemed sophomoric or juvenile. A variety of plot threads are abandoned mid-stream. And none of the characters were developed with enough dimension to let the reader (or this reader) feel close enough to care. As for the ending, it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.
Evaluation: I’ve seen a lot of praise for this book, and the blurb by Michael Chabon was astoundingly complementary. (In truth, however, it sounded to me like he was describing one of his own books rather than this one.) The author explored some interesting ideas, but I had to push myself to get through the book.
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LibraryThing member voracious
Patricia and Lawrence are an unlikely pair of friends who meet in Junior High, primarily because they are both outcasts. Patricia is rejected by her family and sadistic older sister and spends most of her time isolated in her room on punishment. Lawrence is a super geek obsessed with physics and
This fantasy novel was interesting enough for me to finish it but was a little too young adult for me to fully enjoy it, although the Willy Wonka style humor was fanciful and silly. It seemed like a cross between "The Magicians" and Harry Potter but with talking birds and dystopia thrown in for good measure. All in all, not a bad story but a middle school reader would probably enjoy it more than I did.
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time-travel, who is also misunderstood by his family. After Patricia has a weird out-of-body experience where she flies and talks to birds, she becomes aware of certain undeveloped magical powers that she possesses. Meanwhile, a world renowned assassin becomes obsessed with killing Lawrence and Patrica because their existence threatens the future of the planet. When the assassin is hired as their school guidance counselor, it isn't long before everything falls apart and Patricia and Lawrence are sent their separate ways on their own. Years later, when the two reconnect as adults, Patricia is a full-fledged witch and Lawrence has been inducted into a scientific cult to develop a mechanism for teleportation/time-travel to save the planet. As good and evil forces emerge, the two combine forces to save their now dying planet from annihilation.This fantasy novel was interesting enough for me to finish it but was a little too young adult for me to fully enjoy it, although the Willy Wonka style humor was fanciful and silly. It seemed like a cross between "The Magicians" and Harry Potter but with talking birds and dystopia thrown in for good measure. All in all, not a bad story but a middle school reader would probably enjoy it more than I did.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
While this novel reads like literary fiction, the writing contains technical jargon and fantastical, largely-unexplained magic that readers who do not regularly enjoy science fiction or fantasy may find difficult to appreciate. If you can enjoy a story in which you don't fully understand the fine
Readalike: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecke
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points, All the Birds in the Sky is a creative and thought-provoking blend of science and magic. Patricia and Laurence are unusual children. She may be a witch who can sometimes speak to animals and he is building a semi-sentient supercomputer in his closet. Rejected by their peers in school, Patricia and Laurence form an awkward but mutually beneficial friendship. They grow apart as they age, each developing his and her unique skills amidst like-minded people. Unfortunately, groups of like-minded people can easily become extremists, so blinded by certainty that they cannot see another point of view. With the planet on a path to self-destruction, the magical community and scientific community believe in conflicting game plans with Patricia and Laurence playing on opposing teams, but forever connected by a force neither understands. With shades of bleakness and joy, hopelessness and hope, this is a big story that revolves around two likable but flawed characters and the elements of science and magic they represent. Readalike: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecke
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LibraryThing member porch_reader
"When the whole world turns chaotic, we must be the better part of chaos."
As middle school students, Laurence and Patricia are both outcasts. He develops a two-second time machine, and she is rumored to have magical powers. Friendless, they find each other and develop a tenuous friendship. But as
The world that Anders creates in this book is an interesting one. Of course, magic has always had a prominent place in books, and so have potential technological advances. Putting the two side by side, however, allows for a unique look at each. Anders explores a number of other themes, including the challenges of building relationships with those from other groups. At times, the story was a bit discontinuous, jumping ahead in time to accomplish all it set out to do, but overall, I was fascinated by the characters and the world building in this one.
As middle school students, Laurence and Patricia are both outcasts. He develops a two-second time machine, and she is rumored to have magical powers. Friendless, they find each other and develop a tenuous friendship. But as
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unexpected events take them both away from their middle school, they lose touch. They meet again as adults in a futuristic San Francisco. As the world begins to fall apart around them, they each try to save it. But Patricia's use of magic and Laurence's reliance on science and technology often put them at odds. Through their friendship, we gain insight into the clash that may save the world or may end it. The world that Anders creates in this book is an interesting one. Of course, magic has always had a prominent place in books, and so have potential technological advances. Putting the two side by side, however, allows for a unique look at each. Anders explores a number of other themes, including the challenges of building relationships with those from other groups. At times, the story was a bit discontinuous, jumping ahead in time to accomplish all it set out to do, but overall, I was fascinated by the characters and the world building in this one.
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LibraryThing member carriehh
I absolutely loved this book. The evolution of Patricia and Laurence from outcast school kids to practicing witch and scientist (engineer?) kept me captivated from the start. Charlie Jane Anders builds up a fascinating juxtaposition of magic and science in San Francisco and brings the story to a
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satisfying close when the two intersect just as our world slips from 'maybe we're in trouble here' to true peril. Show Less
LibraryThing member c.archer
I really enjoyed the first section of the book the best. As the story moved into a more futurist/dystopian tale, I lost some focus and was less enamored of the characters.
Overall, this was a decent, but not exceptional dystopian story.
Overall, this was a decent, but not exceptional dystopian story.
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 2017)
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 2016)
Locus Award (Finalist — Fantasy Novel — 2017)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Quarterfinalist — 2017)
IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award (Winner — 2017)
Otherwise Award (Long list — 2016)
NPR: Books We Love (2016)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Science Fiction and Fantasy — 2016)
Time Magazine's Best Books of the Year (Fiction — 2016)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2016)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016-01-26
Physical description
316 p.; 6.45 inches
ISBN
9780765379948