"The Space Between the Stars"

“The Space Between The Stars”

Written by Anne Corlett

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“The Space Between The Stars” is an apocalyptic, science fiction novel. In this story, a virus has annihilated almost all of the human population on Earth and its space colonies. Our main character, Jamie, has woken from this viral fog, safe and alive. She begins a journey to find her loved ones and help the other survivors.

I can understand the time and effort placed into writing a book like this, but I did not enjoy this book. I personally love apocalyptic science fiction. This book had all of the components for a great novel in this genre, but the final product felt lost on me. Having unlikable and unreliable characters navigate this journey made the story feel strained, as if I had to push myself to continue reading. Jamie is not a strong female hero; she constantly butts heads and puts everyone in danger, by siding with those whom she shouldn’t. In addition, Jamie’s core goal is to find her ex-husband, Daniel, who once she finds, is completely different. Daniel wants to start the human race anew, with great big plans to help everyone. Yet Jamie, who does not have the scientific knowledge or power, complains and makes more trouble for what she’s worth.

The other characters in the story are not well-written. Callan, Mila, Rena, Lowry, Gracie, Finn, and more are the ensemble cast, but their characterization is so limited. We find out crucial information about these characters, two pages before climatic moments hit. Some characters die, but we do not have time to process, grieve, or feel relief.

I also felt the plot to be far less exciting than I initially anticipated. The story is just one adventurous journey, but I found myself wondering if it would ever become more than just that. Bopping from one planet to another. The ending was not satisfying for me, either.

I do not recommend this book, but I recommend other books more. If you are looking for a meaningful, important apocalyptic fiction, I highly recommend “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel. The characters in this are fully fleshed out, interesting, and we care about them.