Cover Image: Waste of Space

Waste of Space

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Overall this book was pretty good. I will say this would be more amusing as a movie than a book. But that being said I would still probably tell someone to read this. The characteristics of each character were very pronounced. There are only a few surprises that even I admit were nice twists. The ending was unexpected but expected at the same time. I think this book would have been good with a different ending buy this ending foods well. I will end it with saying I am a sticker for a happy ending for the good guys.

Was this review helpful?

This contained all the elements of a brilliant can't-take-your-eyes-away reality show combined with the really fantastically woven drama of a well crafted rich leader.

I'm not usually too much of a sucker for reality television, but I felt that this utilized the best aspects of shows quite effectively in that it was absolutely terrible and I couldn't stop watching. The premise of the show was iffy at best, and the way that certain groups kept publishing articles about how it wasn't possible felt scarily reminiscent of the real world.

I loved the style in which this was told, and how the intern narrator gathered evidence from all over and compiled it into this. It added realism to the plot while making it more mysterious. I enjoyed reading the dialogue and felt like it was quite simple to follow though the style allowed us to see the events of the book from the perspective of practically everyone involved.

The casting of the characters, although it was completely random, was completely perfect and the author did a lovely job of picking a strong mix of personalities to compete. Just like a viewer, I loved some, hated some, and shipped others. Bacardi is a complete gem. And I love the dynamic between NASAW and the television production company.

Yet this book also isn't predictable as I thought it might be. There were quite a lot of things that surprised me, though everything indeed felt believable. The plot had me turning pages all the way through the very clever ending.

I think this book is best for high school aged readers, but most people who enjoy a good laugh should enjoy it.

Was this review helpful?

Reality television, 10 teenagers, and an opportunity to go to space. In Waste of Space by Gina Damico, it seems as if this very premise is a chance of a lifetime and that nothing could go wrong...but it can.

Ten teenagers are presented with the opportunity to travel to space for a reality television show, Waste of Space, vying for a grand prize of one million space dollars (...whatever that amounts to in currency on Earth). The kids (or at least most of them) believe that they are actually in space while they are actually in the Arizona desert on a soundstage in a "space plane" built by both a special effects company and scientists of a lesser known governmental space agency. When communication to the kids suddenly is severed, the producers realize that the scientists have taken over and strange things begin to happen on the ship, making those who think they're on Earth question if they might somehow actually be in space.
An incredibly quick-paced read, the story unfolds before us as a series of evidence compiled from phone calls, video recordings, emails, and aired and behind-the-scenes transcripts of footage. The writing is infused with plenty of humorous quips and references to both build upon and counter some of the ridiculous events of the story. Each of the characters did serve a specific purpose in the narrative but it seemed as if their primary role was fulfilling the quota of stereotyped reality show characters, which was ultimately understandable though groan-worthy in its own right. This was a light, entertaining read that poked fun at the reality television racket.

Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

Wow. This novel is hilarious and hits so many notes: mystery, Sci-Fi, outrageous comedy and teenage angst.

I thought, early on, that I'd made a sound prediction of what the major twist was. I'm delighted to say that I had it wrong and the twist was twistier than I'd expected. I do love it when a book turns in an unforeseen direction.

The style was a lot of fun, merging transcripts and emails and narrative.

Due to drug and sex references, I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone younger than Year 10 (that's 15 years old in the UK).

Was this review helpful?