The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Book Title: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Author: Becky Chambers
Genres: Science Fiction
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Goodreads, Amazon UK

Goodreads Summary: Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart. This is an everyday sort of ship, just trying to get from here to there.
But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling. A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she‘s left behind. An alien pilot, navigating life without her own kind. A pacifist captain, awaiting the return of a loved one at war.
Set against a backdrop of curious cultures and distant worlds, this episodic tale weaves together the adventures of nine eclectic characters, each on a journey of their own.

What did I think? We weren't off to a good start, this book and I. About halfway through I wasn't convinced. I thought it was a bit long, didn't really understand where the author was going with it and almost put it to the side.

The last 200 hundred pages are heart-warming, tense and brilliant though and I closed the book feeling happy. Obviously I wouldn't recommend a book just because of the last 200 pages, but looking back at the rest of the book, I think I was going in with the wrong expectations. I was expecting more action, and the wrong expectations sometimes lead to disappointment.

This isn't about action. This is life. This is the story of a ship and its crew. This is about their lives, and about all these interesting alien species they meet, who each have their own extensive cultures and history. This is the story of several characters that live together and form a family. They are a unique and interesting bunch and their purpose isn't to save the galaxy, instead it's building tunnels. This is a story that explores sexuality, gender, cultural differences, race and politics and it's beautiful.