GROWING UP WEIGHTLESS

Rating:
Summary: A moon-dreamer's classic
Review: I cannot imagine why Growing Up Weightless is not in print. I was on the jury that picked it for the P.K. Dick award, and since reading it I have always felt that it describes life on the Moon as it should and must be.

Rating:
Summary: Good setup, but poor ending
Review: I have to add my voice to those that say that this book ends too abruptly. The book starts well, and has a deeply rich and interesting background to work with, but the ending comes on very suddenly, and many elements of the plot are left undeveloped.

The book makes more sense if read as a sort of diary, wandering from one protagonist to another. If that was the author's intent, it could have been communicated more effectively. As it is, as a reader I thought it would be a standard plot with most of the elements and story arcs resolved at the end. Instead, it ends rather quickly, with most side-plots left hanging. This feels unnatural in a novel, even though "real life" is like that.

Rating:
Summary: Good setup, but poor ending
Review: I have to add my voice to those that say that this book ends too abruptly. The book starts well, and has a deeply rich and interesting background to work with, but the ending comes on very suddenly, and many elements of the plot are left undeveloped.

The book makes more sense if read as a sort of diary, wandering from one protagonist to another. If that was the author's intent, it could have been communicated more effectively. As it is, as a reader I thought it would be a standard plot with most of the elements and story arcs resolved at the end. Instead, it ends rather quickly, with most side-plots left hanging. This feels unnatural in a novel, even though "real life" is like that.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I just read this book recently and loved it. I'm amazed people haven't been collaring me and saying "Have you read Growing Up Weightless yet? It's fantastic!" It's the sort of book that ought to have a cult following.

It isn't really a coming of age book, it's more complicated than that. A lot goes on around the edges, and much that you think is important, isn't. This book is best read, in my opinion, in one or two sittings where you are really paying attention, and taking five minutes to process and then turning around and rereading to see what bits you missed the first time isn't out of place, and is well-rewarded.

Rating:
Summary: Realized its power years after the last page
Review: I read this book when I was too young to fully understand the complexity of the main character's decision about his future. When I started to go through the same sorts of choices, I found myself haunted by the book, even though I had finished it years ago. The most powerful scene for me is the mother's farewell. Even at the time it made me cry; now it is one of those scenes I use as an example to myself of what good writing really is. Thank you John M. Ford for a very moving experience!

Rating:
Summary: Realized its power years after the last page
Review: I read this book when I was too young to fully understand the complexity of the main character's decision about his future. When I started to go through the same sorts of choices, I found myself haunted by the book, even though I had finished it years ago. The most powerful scene for me is the mother's farewell. Even at the time it made me cry; now it is one of those scenes I use as an example to myself of what good writing really is. Thank you John M. Ford for a very moving experience!

Rating:
Summary: I've plowed through worse
Review: The criticisms of lack-of-plot in this book are well-founded. It's advertised as a "coming of age" book, but the coming of age is spectacularly abrupt, and strikes me as far too much of a deux ex machina. Until the end, there is a great deal of running around, talk about issues that are never resolved, and a general lack of focus that left me frustrated. Finally, I don't know if it was just the trade paperback copy, or every copy, but the book had no chapter breaks at all, which made it a somewhat annoying read.

However, on the plus side, I enjoyed the lunar background very much, and quite liked many of the details thereof. But with a protagonist who struck me as somewhat flat and uninteresting, I can't give this anything above a five.

Rating:
Summary: A start of the journey...
Review: The young characters of this book are very intelligent teenagers (thats why its labeled scifi). They are nearly adults, and must decide what to do with thier lives. The main character finds out, and to go through with it might tear up the family, and his friendships.

Some may say there is no strong plot in the story, but there is the strongest of plots, its a heart-tugger. Except you won't know it until you have finished, then you will mourn the loss of your bond with these young people. You'll also know that they have long lives ahead of them.

The longest journey starts with single step, and sometimes that can be the hardest, saddest step in your life. Sometimes losing your youth, while giving you great new opportunities, can make you hurt for what you are giving up. This book did that for at least one reader..... GeronL -a reader

Rating:
Summary: More of Ford's good work
Review: This book is out of print, but still available if you know where to look. John M. Ford's award winning "Growing Up Weightless" is a familiar theme for him: coming-of-age during a period of change in society. His version of Lunar society owes some debts to previous stories including Heinlein's 'The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress,' but has developed in ways that may surprise you.

As usual, his story is multi-layered, and requires an intelligent reader to decipher the hints and allusions that Ford places throughout the text. Those who want active, clearly described plots should look elsewhere - but those who prefer not to be condescended to and enjoy puzzling out a story would enjoy this novel.

Ford never descends to the device of having characters explain something to each other that they would obviously already know, i.e. "As you know, George, a light bulb is a luminescent device powered by electricity that creates light in dark areas." For science fiction in particular, I find this very refreshing.

Finally, Ford's teenagers are active, thinking kids with dreams and desires. If they are very bright, they also seem very real to me.

It's worth finding a copy of this book. Better still, it would be worth bringing back into print.

Rating:
Summary: More of Ford's good work
Review: This book is out of print, but still available if you know where to look. John M. Ford's award winning "Growing Up Weightless" is a familiar theme for him: coming-of-age during a period of change in society. His version of Lunar society owes some debts to previous stories including Heinlein's 'The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress,' but has developed in ways that may surprise you.

As usual, his story is multi-layered, and requires an intelligent reader to decipher the hints and allusions that Ford places throughout the text. Those who want active, clearly described plots should look elsewhere - but those who prefer not to be condescended to and enjoy puzzling out a story would enjoy this novel.

Ford never descends to the device of having characters explain something to each other that they would obviously already know, i.e. "As you know, George, a light bulb is a luminescent device powered by electricity that creates light in dark areas." For science fiction in particular, I find this very refreshing.

Finally, Ford's teenagers are active, thinking kids with dreams and desires. If they are very bright, they also seem very real to me.

It's worth finding a copy of this book. Better still, it would be worth bringing back into print.