If you’re a fan of the sci-fi genre, then this book is for you! In her book, ‘All the Birds in the Sky ‘, Charlie Jane Anders talks about the moving tales that mainly bursts the boundaries between the fantasy and science fiction genres.
Like any other 21st-century fictional writer, Charlie Jane Anders has explored this combination of genres into a beautifully crafted, funny, and tremendously moving masterpiece.
Book Summary
The book starts as any other conventional adult novel. It centers around the character Patricia Delfine who wanders off into the woods, where she encourages a sparrow and realizes she has the boon of talking to animals. Once her father discovers her remarkable ability, he locks her up in a room for a week, after which this memory becomes dreamlike, but it never recedes.
When such things are taking place at Patricia’s place, the readers are introduced to a boy named Laurence Armstead, who has his own skills and uses these skills. For example, he invents the time machine, which helps him to forward correctly for precisely 2 seconds. Apart from helping him dodge his mundane experiences, it also allows him to encounter rocket scientists, whom he is appointed as an unofficial mascot.
Patricia and Laurence go to the same private school, where they exchange their miraculous stories. Laurence also confides about the supercomputer he built in his bedroom closet. The elders are sent to different schools when they learn about these discoveries.
The story picks up in the middle, where the happenings in their lives are depicted in a sensitive way, adding darkness and humor to the book. Finally, they meet again in their 20s in San Francisco, where the two encourage evergrowing mysteries, where the two together save the world or end it!
Reader’s reviews
According to some readers, the book centers around high school and teenage romance and a bit of science and fiction. However, the others place contradicting statements where they see a slippery border between the two genres.
The book has received mixed criticism from the audience; some loved the different shifts in plots, while others saw it as just another book for entertainment. One of the most critical aspects that have attracted the readers to this book and kept them hooked throughout is the author’s casual and ‘chilled’ style of writing which makes even serious situations something funny. The descriptive texts and long paragraphs help people submerge into the story and lose touch with reality.
Many readers have stated that it is easy to connect the dots in the story and predict the climax. However, despite the mixed reviews, it remains a great book in the sci-fi genre, recommended for people between 15-40.