Zoe's Tale

Though the events of this book have already played out in The Lost Colony, the reader is not bored by this due to the fact that the story is told from the perspective of the teenaged Zoe Boutin Perry, daughter of the traitor and adopted daughter of John Perry and Jane Sagan. A lot goes on that our adult protagonists were unaware of and, of course, it was a real treat to find out what happened when Zoe goes to visit General Gau. I just loved Zoe's voice and Scalzi does a particularly good job of writing from the POV of a teenager without overdoing it on slang and attitude. Zoe and her friend Gretchen come off as a bit precocious, but that's almost to be expected considering who their parents are. I loved, loved, loved the further revelations about the Obin and their connection to Zoe as well as their history with the Consu. Great book. Can't wait to read the rest.

A teenage girl fights to protect her new home from invaders.So often, I hear others say that a book from further along in an established series is a good place to start. I usually think that's tripe, but it's true here. Even though ZOE'S TALE takes place pretty far along in the OLD MAN'S WAR timeline, I never felt like I was out of the loop. Scalzi gave me everything I needed to establish a connection with Zoë and her story. I really liked how he handled the backstory and the worldbuilding; while Zoë sometimes discusses her past in some detail, it always feels like a natural part of the story, and it fit with her character.Which, by the way, is wonderful. I loved her voice. I can’t speak for the way Zoë sounds in the other books, but in this one she always comes across as being utterly herself. I really liked her snark and her honesty, and the back and forth between her and her friends really, really works. I believed in her completely. I did, however, question how aware she was of her teenage status. All the “never send an adult to do a teenager’s job” stuff got kind of old after a while. It felt rather forced.As far as the plot goes... well, when I stopped to think about it, I did find that I wanted a little bit more, but I so rarely did so that it wasn’t much of an issue. Zoë’s world is easy to sink into. I wanted to spend more time with her and her friends, and I appreciated how Scalzi intertwined her life with the wider political stuff going on around her. I’m sure that I’ll appreciate it all the more when I read THE LAST COLONY and see all the political stuff Zoë – and, by extension, I – missed out on.I often steer clear of science fiction as I find that most of the stuff I run across is very plot-over-character, but John Scalzi's got me thinking I should dip my toe in the water a bit more often. Zoe is unquestionably the focus here; I really felt for her, and even teared up a few times. I got a big kick out of the book, and recommend that you give it a go.(A rather different version of this review first appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina, as an open letter to John Scalzi).

The premise: it's not easy being seventeen. Not when you're the biological daughter of the man who betrayed the human race, the adopted daughter of the colony leaders on a pioneer world that's been abandoned and used for bait, and what amounts to being a holy icon to the Obin, a race of aliens. Zoë's Tale takes us through the events of The Last Colony, but all from HER point of view and how her actions effected that book. But it's more than a retelling: it's a story about love and friendship, about the dangers of a pioneer world, and what it means to hold the entire race of an alien people in the palm of your hands.My RatingMust Have: sue me, I've reached the point where I'm biased. I enjoy Scalzi's work way too much, and while his trademark humor and snark is evident in this book, he did a great job crafting Zoë's character and giving her a story within the story we already know. And I'm serious about wanting to get the YA audience to read this, because I think they'd really, really enjoy it (those who like SF, anyway). I think the book stands well enough on its own, but even I'll admit at its strongest after reading all the OMW books that come before. It's the icing on the cake, and the cherry on top is the realization that Scalzi could, if he wanted to, write YA too. Just watch out for the occasional bits of profanity. Although my new favorite word is now "smartassery." Thanks for that, Scalzi!The full review, which does include spoilers unless you've already read The Last Colony, is in my journal if anyone's interested. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)REVIEW: John Scalzi's ZOE'S TALEHappy Reading! :)

I do love how John Scalzi writes. Simple, straight-forward, tells his tales and lets the readers fill in a lot of the detail in their heads. This entry is particularly special because he tells the tale of a teenager who is allowed to grow and learn and is shown as intelligent, yet young and struggling to find her way in the world.

When I started this book I had a few misgivings: the previous one in the series, The Last Colony, had been a very enjoyable but not stellar read, at least compared to its predecessors, so I was afraid that a return to the same scenes, although from a different point of view, would prove less than interesting. Well, I was wrong.

Zoe's Tale fills very well the untold sections of its "parent" book, and does it in a consistent and believable voice, that of a teenager girl who never sounds contrived or cliché. John Scalzi did a great job in fitting the pieces of this puzzle with the previous one's, giving us a fresh look on known events and even offering new angles and insights on them. In the afterword the author speaks about his own doubts and difficulties in facing this kind of project, and in light of the successful outcome of this endeavor I must say that he truly outdid himself. Not doubting him again, no way...

Through Zoe's eyes, the characters of John Perry and Jane Sagan gain new facets: we see them as successful, well-balanced parents who go from raising a daughter to caring for an entire colony – which led me to think that raising Zoe might indeed have been a sort of dry run for the larger effort... What we learn about them, both as individuals and as a couple, comes from their daughter's clear-headed reflections, and gives them a more rounded – and more human – dimension that makes me like them even more.

What I most admired in the writing is how Mr. Scalzi approaches the feelings and turmoils of a teenager (and her friends): he keeps a light touch, sprinkled here and there with his trademark humor, and can deal with young emotions in a way that's both believable and engaging – either in happy and sad circumstances. Yet, despite this light touch, there was a moment when he had me in tears: the scene in which the hundred volunteer Obin offer, one by one, their allegiance to Zoe was such a powerful moment, for all its understated simplicity, that I felt overwhelmed.

Well done, well done indeed. And damn you, John Scalzi, for making me cry :-)

I am glad i waited a long time to read this book. If I had read it right after The Last Colony I don't think I would have liked it as much. Fun read but still a little to familiar for me to just gush about.