The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

A good character-centred tale which is driven more by philosophical reflection rather than plot.

As a story this was gentle, with a few well told moments of high excitement which, while fun, were more the seasoning rather than the meat of the book. This book shines in two areas: the characters and the reflection.

The characters where interesting, each from very different backgrounds. The conceit of putting them all in a ship that's on a long journey means that you get to sit back and watch as the relationships between them grow and develop - a very enjoyable and interesting experience.

As good as the characters were, it was the philosophical side of the book that really got me - both in the playing out of the plot and in literal discussion between characters. So many issues were addressed: prejudice, tradition, the nature of consciousness and the meaning of family to name a few.

The bottom line is, if you want a fun easy read with likeable characters and at the same time want to ponder the meaning of life - look no further - this is the book for you!