Chris

While it starts as a solid popcorn movie scifi story, even with the stereotypical characters, by about the midpoint the wheels come off and it truly feels like the author is flying by the seat of their pants. Characters are suddenly not what you'd expect, the plot shifts completely, and the book winds down to a bit of a whimper.

The great thing about the upcoming movie adaptation is that I know Keira Knightly should be fantastic as Ruth, and if you've read the book you know exactly what I mean.

One of the most important things I've ever read.

Johnson does a wonderful job of weaving together the tangled, complicated web of innovation and genius, taking many examples throughout history and breaking them down to strip away their “eureka!” moments and reveal their gradual, delicate, and complex formation. Inspiring and insightful and hopeful for whatever revolutions are percolating in our midst right now!

Devastating and beautiful, it is incredible that Baldwin was able to get this published in the 1950s. An intense and vulnerable examination of sexuality, masculinity, and how damn confusing and confounding life can be when you're young! A book everyone should read in their late teens or early twenties as they try to figure out themselves, their relationships, and their place in the world.