Rating: 
Summary: An amazing book, but not for kids
Review: Amy did a wonderful job of envolving the reader and pulling you into her world. Yet in the end she took the easy way out. Juna was so strong and vibrant throughout the book that it was a let down for her to give in as she did, at the end. Her willingness to give up all that she learned from the Tendu is so weak that it undermines *everything* that took place in the previous parts of the book.
That's not to say that Amy didn't create a beautiful world and a very personal tale. The depth of the language and the feelings connected with it are wonderful and detailed. I loved the idea of the book and the world that evolved before me into a place that people could love and learn from. But, as said in the title, it was a very good first half of the book, but Amy really took the easy way out at the end.
Rating: 
Summary: A very good start, but weak ending
Review: Amy did a wonderful job of envolving the reader and pulling you into her world. Yet in the end she took the easy way out. Juna was so strong and vibrant throughout the book that it was a let down for her to give in as she did, at the end. Her willingness to give up all that she learned from the Tendu is so weak that it undermines *everything* that took place in the previous parts of the book.
That's not to say that Amy didn't create a beautiful world and a very personal tale. The depth of the language and the feelings connected with it are wonderful and detailed. I loved the idea of the book and the world that evolved before me into a place that people could love and learn from. But, as said in the title, it was a very good first half of the book, but Amy really took the easy way out at the end.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing, entertaining and believable.
Review: Amy Thomson creates an imaginative and intricate world which
is surprisingly believable. The two central women characters
are strong, warm and wonderful -- excellent role models for
women, young and old. Her description of the molecular
changes was excellent, and she made me want to experience the
"mind sharing" for myself! I enjoyed this book very much, and have
already shared it with 2 other friends. I highly recommend
it and I hope that Amy Thomson writes a sequel!
Rating:
Summary: Fun first contact!
Review: Amy Thomson does a wonderful job of letting the reader discover the culture of the Tendu right alongside with the marooned Juna Saari. This is a thoroughly entertaining book, and a light, easy read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Rating:
Summary: Fun first contact!
Review: Amy Thomson does a wonderful job of letting the reader discover the culture of the Tendu right alongside with the marooned Juna Saari. This is a thoroughly entertaining book, and a light, easy read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Rating:
Summary: Very imaginative first contact story.
Review: Amy Thomson has created an amazingly complete and complex alien culture in "The Color of Distance." The story is about Juna, a human explorer inadvertently stranded on an alien planet. She is rescued by the Tendu, a sentient race that adopts and cares for her until the humans will return and take her back to earth. Most of the plot is about Juna and the Tendu mutually discovering the fascinating differences between their two cultures. By far the most impressive part of the novel is Thomson's vivid description of the Tendu people and planet. She has skillfully created a complete cultural matrix that is very different from our own but that nevertheless makes sense in its own right. Particularly interesting was Juna's gradual discovery of the Tendu life cycle. That alone makes the book worth reading. Even though I was impressed with that part of the book, I don't think the book is much more than a fun, entertaining read. There are no great themes here, and Thomson barely brushes upon the moral dilemmas inherent in the mutual discovery of other cultures. For a truly brilliant handling of that theme, read "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. My other complaint about "The Color of Distance" is that the ending was very cursory and little more than a set up for the sequel. Despite that, this is a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: Very imaginative first contact story.
Review: Amy Thomson has created an amazingly complete and complex alien culture in "The Color of Distance." The story is about Juna, a human explorer inadvertently stranded on an alien planet. She is rescued by the Tendu, a sentient race that adopts and cares for her until the humans will return and take her back to earth. Most of the plot is about Juna and the Tendu mutually discovering the fascinating differences between their two cultures. By far the most impressive part of the novel is Thomson's vivid description of the Tendu people and planet. She has skillfully created a complete cultural matrix that is very different from our own but that nevertheless makes sense in its own right. Particularly interesting was Juna's gradual discovery of the Tendu life cycle. That alone makes the book worth reading. Even though I was impressed with that part of the book, I don't think the book is much more than a fun, entertaining read. There are no great themes here, and Thomson barely brushes upon the moral dilemmas inherent in the mutual discovery of other cultures. For a truly brilliant handling of that theme, read "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. My other complaint about "The Color of Distance" is that the ending was very cursory and little more than a set up for the sequel. Despite that, this is a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: Very imaginative first contact story.
Review: Amy Thomson has created an amazingly complete and complex alien culture in "The Color of Distance." The story is about Juna, a human explorer inadvertently stranded on an alien planet. She is rescued by the Tendu, a sentient race that adopts and cares for her until the humans will return and take her back to earth. Most of the plot is about Juna and the Tendu mutually discovering the fascinating differences between their two cultures. By far the most impressive part of the novel is Thomson's vivid description of the Tendu people and planet. She has skillfully created a complete cultural matrix that is very different from our own but that nevertheless makes sense in its own right. Particularly interesting was Juna's gradual discovery of the Tendu life cycle. That alone makes the book worth reading. Even though I was impressed with that part of the book, I don't think the book is much more than a fun, entertaining read. There are no great themes here, and Thomson barely brushes upon the moral dilemmas inherent in the mutual discovery of other cultures. For a truly brilliant handling of that theme, read "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. My other complaint about "The Color of Distance" is that the ending was very cursory and little more than a set up for the sequel. Despite that, this is a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: A rich world
Review: At some point in reading this book, I found myself so engrossed in the world Amy Thomson had created I started thinking of the emotions that I was feeling in terms of colors (a way in which the alien race in this book express emotions). I was enthralled with the rich world and culture that was created by the author. I especially enjoyed the relationships between the main character and the Tendu as she begins to learn and appreciate the complex relationships that exist within the Tendu and between the Tendu and the environment. Perhaps, as others have noted, I did not feel that the Tendu were THAT alien. I don't think that this is a bad thing though. If they were entirely alien, neither the reader nor the main character could relate to them as well as we do. Would Juna (the human main character) feel as compelled to take care of a bami (a juvenile Tendu) if the bami didn't resemble a mix of a child and eager to please puppy? The part of the story which was most compelling to me was the changes that Juna has to undergo - both physically and psychologically in order to adapt to the world on which she finds herself stranded. I enjoyed seeing her transform as she "grew into" her new alien body and into her part in the web of the Tendu society. Amy Thomson weaves a spell with her use of language and imagery. And I found myself captivated by her writing as well as the world that she creates. A trully enjoyable adventure!
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a first contact novel that isn't an alien invasion
Review: Finally, someone who doesn't think that all the aliens want to destroy us and doesn't assume that they are higher-tech then us.
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