Rating: 
Summary: Bittersweet
Review: What a tough task for me, to choose a rating for this book, and write a small editorial. Because I enjoyed reading Venus, but felt it could've been a lot better; on the other hand, I also have the feeling that Mr. Bova realizes it could have been better, but had a goal for quick, easy, light reading. That was my main problem with Venus. It was a little too quick, easy, and light. While I enjoyed the storyline, at times it seemed more like I was reading a comic book or watching a soap-opera than a novel. Again, I think the comic book effect seemed to be what he was shooting for, though! To his credit, it was very fast-paced... there's a lot of action for such a short novel! Often SciFi can be cumbersome to read, as some authors overdo the scienctific explanations and fantasies, and historical backgrounds. Bova is very straight and to the point though....that's where it's hard to explain, that a strength is like a weakness, because at times I would've liked the book to get a little deeper than it does! One of the big revelations/turning points might remind you a little bit of one of the big plot twists in Star Wars. I won't give out any more info. on it though, not to spoil it! The main character, Van Humphries, is indeed a very unique one...spacey, sickly, naieve...but of course he pulls it together. So overall not bad...it was my first Bova, although I will say I know he is capable of better, because I'm about 100 pages into Mars right now and can tell it's a much more solid piece of novelism. I'll post a review on Mars soon!
Rating: 
Summary: Blistering Entertainment
Review: When I started reading this tale, I was less than impressed with Ben Bova's choice of a protagonist. But, the reader quickly begins to empathize with Van Humphries, the somewhat sickly, younger son of billionaire, Martin Humphries. The plot develops as Martin-still mourning the lost of his first son Alex; whose spaceship crashed on the first manned expedition to Venus-withdraws his financial support for Van. Simultaneously, Martin announces a $10 billion Venus Prize to the first person who recovers Alex's remains from the planet's scorching surface. Reluctantly, Van rises to the challenge, and puts together an expedition in search of his monetary independence. In a well-paced tale, Van encounters incredible dangers and a determined rival, Lars Fuchs (his fathers arch-enemy), as he descends through Venus's hellish atmosphere. Van experiences real character growth as he struggles to overcome everything his shipmates and Venus can throw at him. You know the writing is good when you stay up late because you've got to find out what happens next. That's what happened to me when I reached the book's climax. --David Hitchcock, author, VIRTUAL LIFE and PATENT SEARCHING MADE EASY
Rating: 
Summary: Skip Venus and move on to the next Planet!
Review: Yes, I know that Ben Bova is a master of Science and usually his books are a treat. But No, Venus is not. I did learn a few things about the hellish planet but couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Bova got bored half way throught the book and "rushed it out." I was left with too many questions about the characters and a very disapointing ending. But silly me, I knew a big surprise ending would be worth the effort. Nope! Very predictible.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not as good as typical Bova.
Review: _Venus_ follows a familiar form; it is easily compared to the Mars (_Mars_ and _Return to Mars_) and Moon (_Moonrise_ and _Moonwar_) series. However, it is both the quickest read and the least interesting of the bunch. I would recommend the above 4 books before reading Venus, and if you like those, I would then recommend Venus. Furthermore, the books are all loosely connected, since they share the same "universe" and time. They seem to take place in approximately the order they were written. Venus also has a minor character who I believe was also in _Return to Mars_. However, beyond the throw-away connections, each "planet" stands alone. Perhaps in the future there will be a book to tie them all together. [Also note that you must click on "read more" to see the _Venus_ review in the above Kirkus Reviews section since it covers multiple books.]
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