5 stars. Yes, you read that right. Zenith is probably one of the most controversial books I have ever encountered. Just take a look at the myriad of Goodreads reviews and you'd think that this novel was probably one of the worst books written of all time. I honestly didn't think I'd like it either, since I perused some of said reviews before starting this book. So it is really surprising to me to tell you guys that I actually really enjoyed this book! No, I'm not just saying that because I am subscribed Sasha as a booktuber (which I am) or because I believe booktubers have to love fellow booktubers content no matter what (which I don't think). I just genuinely, honest-to-God really enjoyed this book. Sue me. (Actually please don't, but you get my gist).
Were there some editing mistakes or some weird sentences that seemed kind of out of place? Sure, but there honestly weren't too many of them. Also, it has been mentioned several times that this book was edited in only a few weeks. And while this was obviously not the best decision and while I do think that the book could have done a bit better with more edits, this didn't take away from my reading experience or from the story. In fact, those weird sentence structures probably only happened a handful of times.
Furthermore, when reading over some of the (extremely) negative reviews posted online, I feel like so many people are kind of nitpicking sentences which might sound a bit too artistic to an extent I don't find justified. Many, many other authors have also used similar creative similes or sentence structures that might sound strange at first and no one has batted an eyelash. In fact, some of the ones mentioned in some of those reviews I actually didn't find too weird myself at all ("death filled the void left behind" actually kind of makes perfect sense to me??? but maybe that's just me)
Furthermore, when reading over some of the (extremely) negative reviews posted online, I feel like so many people are kind of nitpicking sentences which might sound a bit too artistic to an extent I don't find justified. Many, many other authors have also used similar creative similes or sentence structures that might sound strange at first and no one has batted an eyelash. In fact, some of the ones mentioned in some of those reviews I actually didn't find too weird myself at all ("death filled the void left behind" actually kind of makes perfect sense to me??? but maybe that's just me)
To be quite honest, I also don't really understand the reason why a lot of people seem to criticize that some of the characters have strange characteristics that made them seem inhuman (e.g. Lira having glowing scales). Uhm, excuse me? This is a sci-fi/fantasy novel that takes place on over 20 planets. There is absolutely nothing wrong with authors deciding that a certain type of macro-evolution would have taken place to those human beings or that some other aliens exist which have human-like traits over the thousands and thousands of years. Like, seriously. No one complains about this in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy.
Now as for the POV's. I do know that a lot of people seem to dislike having shorter chapters and multiple POVs that jump around quite fast, which is completely fine and to each their own. As for me, I actually absolutely love books that are constructed this way. I think that multiple POVs always add a greater depth to the story and provide the reader with a more immersive backstory than if the book was only focused on one or two points of views. And shorter chapters don't really ever make me feel like I can't really focus on the story. Instead, I find myself being able to focus on the content a lot better when the chapters are a bit shorter. But again, this is just a personal preference and I totally understand people who don't like books like this. However, for my reading taste, this kind of chapter construction actually seemed to enhance my reading experience of Zenith rather than take away from it.
The worldbuilding was probably my favorite aspect of this book. It gave me a very Lunar Chronicles-esque vibe while still retaining its own originality. Each planet Andi and her fellow space pirates visited felt very unique and distinct from one another. I also feel like Sasha and Lindsay did a good job at crafting a very intricate history of these planets, interweaving their histories in a very personal way (which is also something that gets revealed during the story!).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Is this book everyone's cup of tea? Probably not. Are people allowed to criticize it and build up their own opinion about it? Of course! That is the amazing thing about each person having their own opinion. However, I do also have to say that I do believe some of the harsh criticisms were not really justified and some attacked Sasha personally which I myself find unacceptable.
If you are interested in reading Zenith, go ahead and make up your own mind about it. I honestly didn't think I was going to like it when I took a look at the reviews but I found myself finishing this book with a grand satisfaction.
The worldbuilding was probably my favorite aspect of this book. It gave me a very Lunar Chronicles-esque vibe while still retaining its own originality. Each planet Andi and her fellow space pirates visited felt very unique and distinct from one another. I also feel like Sasha and Lindsay did a good job at crafting a very intricate history of these planets, interweaving their histories in a very personal way (which is also something that gets revealed during the story!).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Is this book everyone's cup of tea? Probably not. Are people allowed to criticize it and build up their own opinion about it? Of course! That is the amazing thing about each person having their own opinion. However, I do also have to say that I do believe some of the harsh criticisms were not really justified and some attacked Sasha personally which I myself find unacceptable.
If you are interested in reading Zenith, go ahead and make up your own mind about it. I honestly didn't think I was going to like it when I took a look at the reviews but I found myself finishing this book with a grand satisfaction.
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