"Recorder" is a very good book. It doesn't read at all like a debut novel; Cathy McCrumb does a wonderful job at bringing her literary world to life. I won't give out spoilers or rehash the plot. Let's talk about what did and didn't work for me in the story.
World-building is very well done. It's not hard to visualize the futuristic society crafted here, and we're not overwhelmed with details. We're simply immersed into the world, and we pick things up as we go. Nicely handled.
Characters are well-crafted and layered. We spend more time in Recorder's point of view, as it should be, though we're given glimpses into the past of other characters. The characters drive the story, and there's a lot of heart and emotion to it.
The plot is solid and character-driven. It relies on internal conflict, which is a little different from my normal reading, but not unwelcome. Honestly, I found it very powerful. I saw a parallel to someone coming out of an abusive relationship, but trying to hold on to it as "normal" while others try to tell that character the truth and offer help. (Okay, that was a bit of a spoiler. But that thread of the story really grabbed me.)
Dialogue is well-written and often provided some humor. I appreciate the lack of profanity in this book; while characters do use words as expletives, it's nothing we would consider as such.
Overall, the content is very clean. There's little physical conflict, and what we do see is handled without excessive blood and gore. There are no inappropriate "adult situations." No profanity, as mentioned earlier. I'd have no trouble sharing this book with my teen kids.
I did get a little bit lost in the flashback scenes, and had to flip back to earlier pages to figure things out. There's another subplot to the story that I did find a little too predictable; another twist or turn, or a red herring or two to draw my suspicions elsewhere, might have helped.
In the end, though, I very much enjoyed Cathy McCrumb's debut, and my introduction to the world of "Recorder." I knew already, in the early chapters, that I'd be looking forward to the sequel. That doesn't happen often, but it did here.
"Recorder" is a solid debut novel, and Cathy McCrumb is an author to watch.
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Excellent Debut! I can't wait for more.
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2021
I am not a science fiction reader at all, however, I knew a little about this story already - enough to know I wanted to read it. But - I did not expect to connect emotionally with Recorder so quickly. I opened the book, intending to read the first page or two before starting housework for the day, but after just the prologue, I was completely hooked, and it was an effort to put it down! (Smart me, I bought the audio version as well!)The audio version is narrated by Taylor Meskimen who did an excellent job! I’ve listened to other books narrated by her, but always contemporary romance, so I wasn’t sure she was a good fit for Recorder, but SHE WAS PERFECT! I HIGHLY recommend the audio so you don’t have to pause the story to get work done!What kept me reading (or didn’t).I fell completely in love with her (Recorder) from page one. The Recorder reminds me of a mix between Star Trek’s Seven-of-Nine and Data. Neither wanted to change what they were, but they also wanted to be more than they were. Both struggled with understanding and adapting to humanity. That is the feeling I get from Recorder. She was born to one thing; She was trained and disciplined to be not much more than a human computer, yet the reality of her human emotions and reactions pulled at her constantly.When an accident severs her from the drone that ensures she maintain her distance from the human side of herself, I quite literally FELT the loss myself. Ms. McCrumb’s ability to give so much emotion to a character who is supposed to have none is almost magical.When the crew begins to realize the depth of the changes she is facing, they risk everything to show her what it means to be cared for, and she begins to connect with that part of herself she had been punished for having. When their lives become more important to her than her own, she realizes she can never go back.Woven into the story of Recorder’s evolution is an underlying crime of sabotage, murder, and manipulation that drive the story forward as she and the crew try to solve the mystery of the failed outpost where all the disaster started - before she is lost to them forever.After taste.The way the crew members rallied around her, even when they weren’t quite sure they could trust her, was wonderful, and without being TOO spoilery, the relationship between Recorder and Nate was perfectly written. Nothing about any of the relationships felt forced or unnatural.The only reason I am giving this book 4 lattes instead of 5 is due to the flash back chapters from side characters. Honestly, I was lost most of the time. Probably due to me not being able to make the connections between all the character name variations (nicknames, last names, first names – all the characters seemed to be called by multiple things.) In Recorder’s time line, it was easy to follow, but in the jumps I had difficulty figuring out who was who, and it threw me from the story a couple times.All that being said, I will read it again when the next book is announced….SOON, RIGHT?!I stated at the beginning that I am not a hard science fiction reader, but Cathy McCrumb might just change my mind! I look forward to her next books!The opinions shared in this review are my own, and I have not been compensated in any way.
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2021
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 15, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 17, 2021
The audio version is narrated by Taylor Meskimen who did an excellent job! I’ve listened to other books narrated by her, but always contemporary romance, so I wasn’t sure she was a good fit for Recorder, but SHE WAS PERFECT! I HIGHLY recommend the audio so you don’t have to pause the story to get work done!
What kept me reading (or didn’t).
I fell completely in love with her (Recorder) from page one. The Recorder reminds me of a mix between Star Trek’s Seven-of-Nine and Data. Neither wanted to change what they were, but they also wanted to be more than they were. Both struggled with understanding and adapting to humanity. That is the feeling I get from Recorder. She was born to one thing; She was trained and disciplined to be not much more than a human computer, yet the reality of her human emotions and reactions pulled at her constantly.
When an accident severs her from the drone that ensures she maintain her distance from the human side of herself, I quite literally FELT the loss myself. Ms. McCrumb’s ability to give so much emotion to a character who is supposed to have none is almost magical.
When the crew begins to realize the depth of the changes she is facing, they risk everything to show her what it means to be cared for, and she begins to connect with that part of herself she had been punished for having. When their lives become more important to her than her own, she realizes she can never go back.
Woven into the story of Recorder’s evolution is an underlying crime of sabotage, murder, and manipulation that drive the story forward as she and the crew try to solve the mystery of the failed outpost where all the disaster started - before she is lost to them forever.
After taste.
The way the crew members rallied around her, even when they weren’t quite sure they could trust her, was wonderful, and without being TOO spoilery, the relationship between Recorder and Nate was perfectly written. Nothing about any of the relationships felt forced or unnatural.
The only reason I am giving this book 4 lattes instead of 5 is due to the flash back chapters from side characters. Honestly, I was lost most of the time. Probably due to me not being able to make the connections between all the character name variations (nicknames, last names, first names – all the characters seemed to be called by multiple things.) In Recorder’s time line, it was easy to follow, but in the jumps I had difficulty figuring out who was who, and it threw me from the story a couple times.
All that being said, I will read it again when the next book is announced….SOON, RIGHT?!
I stated at the beginning that I am not a hard science fiction reader, but Cathy McCrumb might just change my mind! I look forward to her next books!
The opinions shared in this review are my own, and I have not been compensated in any way.
Excellent Debut! I can't wait for more.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 17, 2021
I am not a science fiction reader at all, however, I knew a little about this story already - enough to know I wanted to read it. But - I did not expect to connect emotionally with Recorder so quickly. I opened the book, intending to read the first page or two before starting housework for the day, but after just the prologue, I was completely hooked, and it was an effort to put it down! (Smart me, I bought the audio version as well!)Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 17, 2021
The audio version is narrated by Taylor Meskimen who did an excellent job! I’ve listened to other books narrated by her, but always contemporary romance, so I wasn’t sure she was a good fit for Recorder, but SHE WAS PERFECT! I HIGHLY recommend the audio so you don’t have to pause the story to get work done!
What kept me reading (or didn’t).
I fell completely in love with her (Recorder) from page one. The Recorder reminds me of a mix between Star Trek’s Seven-of-Nine and Data. Neither wanted to change what they were, but they also wanted to be more than they were. Both struggled with understanding and adapting to humanity. That is the feeling I get from Recorder. She was born to one thing; She was trained and disciplined to be not much more than a human computer, yet the reality of her human emotions and reactions pulled at her constantly.
When an accident severs her from the drone that ensures she maintain her distance from the human side of herself, I quite literally FELT the loss myself. Ms. McCrumb’s ability to give so much emotion to a character who is supposed to have none is almost magical.
When the crew begins to realize the depth of the changes she is facing, they risk everything to show her what it means to be cared for, and she begins to connect with that part of herself she had been punished for having. When their lives become more important to her than her own, she realizes she can never go back.
Woven into the story of Recorder’s evolution is an underlying crime of sabotage, murder, and manipulation that drive the story forward as she and the crew try to solve the mystery of the failed outpost where all the disaster started - before she is lost to them forever.
After taste.
The way the crew members rallied around her, even when they weren’t quite sure they could trust her, was wonderful, and without being TOO spoilery, the relationship between Recorder and Nate was perfectly written. Nothing about any of the relationships felt forced or unnatural.
The only reason I am giving this book 4 lattes instead of 5 is due to the flash back chapters from side characters. Honestly, I was lost most of the time. Probably due to me not being able to make the connections between all the character name variations (nicknames, last names, first names – all the characters seemed to be called by multiple things.) In Recorder’s time line, it was easy to follow, but in the jumps I had difficulty figuring out who was who, and it threw me from the story a couple times.
All that being said, I will read it again when the next book is announced….SOON, RIGHT?!
I stated at the beginning that I am not a hard science fiction reader, but Cathy McCrumb might just change my mind! I look forward to her next books!
The opinions shared in this review are my own, and I have not been compensated in any way.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 16, 2022
