Jamie Allenby originally went to work as a veteranerian on the far flung planet Soltaire to get a little space after a miscarriage made dealing with her feelings difficult. After a species-killing virus hits and only one in a million people survive she's got more space than she's comfortable with.

As she goes to the capitol city hoping to reach someone, she finds she's not alone on the planet--two others have survived, and all three of them want to go back to Earth to find loved ones or familiar ground.

The Space Between the stars is an interesting look at defining self and finding meaning when you're only one of a few humans left alive. Jamie goes through a lot of character development as she examines what it is she really wants, and who she really wants to be. The apocalyptic virus also forces what humanity is left to show it's true face.

Examining society's expectations of people vs. what people actually want is an interesting topic that's explored here, and Jamie tries to figure out what of her wants were actually hers vs what others wanted of her.

Relatable, compelling characters and an interesting storyline.

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett

Pros: conflicted characters, good world-building

Cons: not hard SF

Earth spent years forcing thousands of people to emigrate to other inhabitable worlds as the population grew out of control. Jamie Allenby was living on Soltaire, at the edge of inhabited space, when the plague came through. The survival rate of zero point zero zero zero one percent haunts her as she makes her way to the space port in hopes of finding other survivors. As others emerge, they head towards Earth, unsure of what they’re looking for or how life will carry on.

I found Jamie an interesting character. In many ways she reminded me of Millicent, the protagonist in Mishell Baker’s Borderline. She’s not particularly likeable, but because you’re seeing her thoughts and feelings (and occasional flashbacks), you understand why she’s making the decisions she is, and why she has trouble letting people get close. Jamie slowly comes to understand what she’s looking for, but I suspect some readers will find her constant questioning herself and where she’s going with her life frustrating. I felt this frustration myself a time or two towards the end of the book, especially when she’s trying to get others to join their group despite making it clear that she thinks people should do what they want and joining the group isn’t what those people want to do.

Most of the supporting characters are conflicted too, not sure what this new world holds, whether it’s better to return to the old way of doing things or hope for something new. Rena annoyed me, but I think she was supposed to. I appreciated the author including an autistic young man in with the main group of survivors.

I liked that different views of how the world should continue were offered by different groups. It didn’t surprise me that societal classes would survive the apocalypse. One of the groups they encountered did surprise me though, with their adherence to an even older age.

Some sections of the book are designed to get you to think deeply about life: what it means, where humanity is headed, etc. This was undercut by Jamie’s constant waffling though, never sure of what she wanted and feeling at one with the universe for a moment and then doubting the emotion the next.

The world-building was pretty good. Callan’s history especially grounded the world for me, in all its cruelty.

This isn’t hard SF. While there are lags for communication transmissions, there’s no time dilation affecting space travel and it only takes a day or two to get between worlds, with no explanation of how the ship is navigating the distances so quickly. Because Jamie was constantly questioning her decisions, it made me wonder how things would have changed for her if moving from one planet to the next meant years or decades would have passed for those she left behind, so that there was no going back, no reconciliation. How would things have changed for her if these decisions were permanent once she left? Would she have been happier? Would she have stayed on Earth? On Alegria? Would she have found the personal space she needed some other way? Or would she still have ended up on Soltaire, conflicted about the decisions she’d made with her life?

It was an interesting debut. It posed some good questions and while it wasn’t perfect, it kept me turning pages.

This isn't my usual read with a virus decimating the Earth's population and all it's outer colonies. When Jamie awakes she finds herself totally alone on the ranch in a remote colony in space. She's in a panic and finally gets herself to the spaceport where she discovers a preacher man and another woman. They send out a distress signal and are relieved when a ship answers their call and picks them up. They make two more stops on their return trip to earth. When they finally make it to earth, it's soon apparent that one member of their group is willing to end humanity for all time. I couldn't stop reading this story. I had to find out what was going to happen next. Lots of intrigue, a little romance and lots of luck has this small band of survivors moving forward. This appears to be Anne Corlett's first novel and it's a good one.

A well-written and enjoyable book, I am glad I requested this title and will be more than happy to pass the title along to my fellow library purchasers.

I go back and forth about putting the book name in the name of the blog post, but you know, I think it's useful to know what you're getting into: today, I lean in that direction.

The Space Between the Stars, by Anne Corlett, is a book that I received for review from Netgalley, and the blurb couldn't be more up my alley. Post-viral civilization collapse! A ragtag band of survivors aboard a spaceship! A lone wolf developing grudging respect for her new compatriots! What's not to love?

But I don't love it. There are a few things that come together, some of which fall into the "just not for me" category and some of which are, I think, real weaknesses. "Just not for me" is that the characters are all very angry; "actual weaknesses" I would mostly categorize as clunky. Thinking about it more, I think this is an issue book--an after school special-level point-maker.

Jamie is a veterinarian working on a backward colony planet when the plague hits. Thanks to a long incubation period, it's spread through all the inhabited worlds before anyone realizes the danger, and the fatality rate is 99.9999%--meaning across the known galaxy, there are only a few thousand survivors. And thanks to the nature of the virus, people who stay close to other people pass the mutating virus back and forth--the denser the population, the higher the fatality.

This does not explain why there aren't more survivors on the cattle station. However.

Jamie is a bit of a misanthropist and very much a loner. A few things to know about Jamie: she is separated from her husband. She recently lost a near-full term pregnancy. Her mother died when she was a young teenager. And she was born as a conjoined twin whose sister died in the surgery to separate them. So in case you didn't notice, Jamie is a person who is very distant from other people.

We pick up other characters as we go along, and at first I thought the fact that they were all somewhat opaque was going to be a mystery--that everyone would be hiding a secret, or that we would learn that there's more to people than meets the eye. But although there are some secrets, there's not a lot more nuance--Lena is an eccentric religious zealot; Lowry is a level-headed, spiritual man; Mira is every stereotype of a woman who has suffered sexual abuse (sometimes she reflects contradictory stereotypes at the same time); and so on.

The whole book takes place pretty immediately after the end of the world, but there's not a lot of complexity to the emotions of the characters. Sometimes they get upset, and that's the explanation, but there's no unexpected depth to anyone's reactions. Eventually it's turned into a story about how society is evil and corrupt and the people who try to run things are out to stomp down on individual choice. Honestly, I'm reading The Handmaid's Tale right now, too, and once we get into the totalitarian part of the book, the comparisons are too easy to draw, and this book is almost a caricature of that much better one.

There are several autistic characters, as well as others who fall somewhere between extreme introvert and apparently on the spectrum--including Jamie, who is very sensitive to touch and often uncomfortable in social situations. Sometimes the book almost reads like a fantasy of how much easier it would be to live in the world if there weren't so many people in it, and that maybe it would even be easier to connect. And sometimes that came across in ways that really bothered me, like when Finn, who is explicitly autistic, doesn't want to be touched, but Jamie persists in trying to comfort him, and eventually he holds her hand gratefully. That is not my understanding of how to handle that kind of touch sensitivity, and it feels kind of disrespectful of that kind of difference.

So sadly, this is not the book I had hoped it would be. I think what I like in a good apocalypse/dystopia story is how people come together in adversity--to find hope, to find peace, to stand up. I don't mind if it's a long road to that--whether it's Man vs. Nature or Man vs. Himself, it's about how the human spirit survives. But these characters are so blank that I just can't find the human spirit in them; all the non-misfits are blank-faced fascists, and the misfits end up monologuing in detail about how there's nothing wrong with living the way they do. I'm calling this one clunky, preachy, and not for me.

Calling The Space Between the Stars science fiction feels a bit of a misnomer to me. Yes, the book involves space travel and colonizing other planets and a killer virus wiping out almost all of humanity regardless of how far-flung throughout the cosmos, but the focus of the book, the real impact, is the (oftentimes dystopian) reflections on what we do, how we interact and what we believe and value. This focus gets dialed up to 11 because of the premise of humanity’s near extinction.

I love me some sci-fi, but trust me, you go into this thinking it’s another action-packed dystopia survival in space, you will be disappointed. Totally recommend it for readers who enjoy a philosophical bent to their fiction, or who like to muse on how we would handle one of the worst crises ever (which, full confession, I also love me some navel-gazing novels). Which is not to say that The Space Between the Stars isn’t an esoteric reflection on the inevitability of death and the struggle of survival. Corlett’s writing is really accessible and none too flowery even with the philosophy. I found the book to be a refreshing break from most post-apocalyptic survival fiction. Instead of focusing on warring factions or the daily grind of survival, Corlett examines the mental stresses, fears and hopes driving the survivors.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and will probably reread it to reflect again on the thoughts Corlett raises.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of the book in exchange for a review.

5/5 Ribbons

Imagine you're the only person left on your planet. What would you do? Who would you try to contact? Where would you go?
Follow Jaime on her journey through space and the time after a virus has turned almost all humans to dust, at least that's what the statistics say.
This story is a story of humanity, of coping with big changes. There is some romance in the story but I'd say it's about 2% of the whole story, so there are a few mentions about people here and there but nothing major. I loved that it has a sci-fi touch wasn't really too strong because I tend to find sci-fy books interesting but more often than not, the authors just don't pull it off and at some point, things are not believable anymore. That really wasn't the case here. Corlett did a great job building her world and especially the characters.

Especially Jaime is extremely deep, well-developed, strong and independent. I really liked her a lot and the other characters, too. Together they face all kinds of hardships. It was amazing how Corlett managed to show what humans truly are.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to try out something new without leaving their fantasy comfort-zone ;)

* I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an ok, 3 star read for me. The premise was interesting and the potential was there for a great story. Ultimately, however, the plot was weak and the characters were never really fully developed.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this book.

This is the perfect gentle space opera.The story begins with a plague that has wiped out most of the humans in the universe, there are only a few random survivors on scattered worlds. The story gathers a few survivors as they try to get back to earth. The characters are all flawed and just trying to make sense of what is happening.It is a beautiful story of people interacting under a whole new set of circumstances.The author handles their dilemma with sensitivity and grace focusing on their internal battles and their hopes for a future.
It was an excellent read.

The Space Between the Stars is quite the compelling read. The premise is excellent combining a dystopian storyline with romance, adventure, and mystery. It's a very psychological take on the situation as we're with the main character as she journeys from alone to having to survive with other people. It was quite thought-provoking as I wondered how I would be in Jamie's shoes. There are a lot of excellent scenes. The writing is both vivid and gripping. Readers of all kinds of fictions will want to check The Space Between the Stars out! You won't regret it.

This novel was nothing what I expected, and yet it is now stuck in my mind like an idea that just won’t go away. It’s one of those books that’s so breathtaking, so gorgeous, it becomes unforgettable. Fair warning, scifi fans: this is not hard scifi, this is not a space opera: it is something different, something more.

The virus hits, and humanity as we know it is gone. Less than a dozen or so survivors per planet. The virus has consumed so entirely that the dead are nothing but dust in sunbeams. Jamie is one of the survivors, seemingly alone on a frontier planet, so she finds hope by clinging to one idea: she needs to find her ex-husband on Earth, as they promised they would do so long ago. She’s not alone: soon, she finds a religious man with a troubled past; a woman slowly losing her mind; a pilot with a cold exterior, and his engineer; a young prostitute, and a mentally challenged boy. Strays. Stragglers. Survivors. Together, they decide to head to Earth.

The surprising thing about this novel is just how… calm it is. Not so say that the plot isn’t gripping, it’s just that you can almost feel the voices snuffed out. The author juxtaposes small, personal loses (or quite large ones) with the wide scale loss of your entire species. Jamie’s loss of her siamese twin, then unborn child, then the crumbling of her relationship with Daniel are poignant pains that are still valid in front of the collapse of mankind.

It’s really a book about philosophies, and personal beliefs around hope and religion. Some turn towards a god in this apocalypse; others turn away. And some try to take god’s place. Although some might try to take control, believing they know best, the truth is, all in all, there is no right answer to dealing with loss and grief. There’s no one sobbing in the street and mourning the dead – since this is a massive, collective loss, the hundred or so left might remain in shock forever.

I found that the plot was predictable, BUT, it was the philosophies that kept me hooked. Yes, the ‘twist’ at the end (or big reveal) is evident from about half way through, but I didn’t mind that since the rest of the book was so beautiful. It was very odd that out of the survivors (A little over a hundred out of the billions the human race used to be made up of) the protagonist knew or was related to two of them. The coincidences did feel heavy handed.

The novel really did manage to speak about today, about how our fear of ‘others’ can destroy us all. We hear bits and pieces about the forced emigration when Earth became over crowded; about the protest ships; about the echelons that make up our future society, where our fingers are branded with our class. I would have loved to know more about that, even if that world is now gone.

For fans of Station Eleven and Firefly, this seems to be the perfect combination of ‘ragtag space team’ and the burden of loss and survival. It’s an exploration of grief and hope, and, above all, belief. It’s an exploration of our humanity, what it means to be human when humankind is lost.

And it’s gorgeous.

Imagine a horrible virus that kills almost everyone not just on Earth but the satellite planets as well.
0.0001% of the people affected will make it and one of those is Jamie. She is on a satellite planet working as a vet after leaving her family and her longtime boyfriend back on Earth. This is her story and that of the few survivors left. It is a brave new world that greets this rag-tag group of survivors as they shuttle from planet to planet looking for answers and others on their way back to Earth. For an apocalyptic novel set in space, there is a sweetness to it that will make you think about what it means to be human long after you finish the book. Anne Corlett captures the frailty, fear and faith that it takes to deal with extreme loss and loneliness beautifully. It was a treat to read and what should have been a horror story became so much more. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I’ve been sitting on this one for a while because I wasn’t sure quite how I wanted to write it up. I’m still not sure but I figure if I start, maybe I’ll be able to edit my way into a decent review. Anyway, let’s start off with the Trigger/Content Warnings, shall we? There might be more but these are the ones I noticed.

• Still Birth
• Attempted Rape
• Nonconsensual Sex

The main character, Jamie, was developed well enough that I felt like I might know her? Maybe? Question mark? I spent most of the book honestly believing she was asexual, if not aromantic asexual, because of the thoughts she had regarding Daniel, the guy she had been dating for years, as well as sex and childbirth. On multiple occasions, she implied that she was only dating him and having sex with him because that’s what was projected onto her as “normal.” The one scene where they do actually have sex, it isn’t consensual on her part and the whole time her thoughts are “this is normal, right?”

But then she started spending more time with Callan and she starts feeling both romantic and sexual feelings for him. Now, this could be a good demi rep? But honestly I still don’t know enough about that topic to say so. I’m researching and learning but still… I don’t know. In regards to this book, it was difficult for me to transition from believing Jamie was ace or aroace to finding out she might be demi. That might just be her journey? I don’t know. I would absolutely love to hear a demi person’s opinion on this so if you know someone who is and has reviewed this book, please let me know so I can go read it and possibly link it in this review.

As for the other characters, some of them felt developed and some of them didn’t. Daniel was not really developed much at all outside Jamie’s thoughts about him when he isn’t there. The crew and passengers of the ship was pretty well developed and I feel like I know them well enough to have gotten through the story.

I loved, loved, LOVED the development of Finn. Oh my gosh, Finn. He is my smol son and if you hurt him I will destroy you. There isn’t ever a specification made as to Finn’s neuro-diversity, but he is neuro diverse. He’s also touch averse, which I love and relate to so hard. He’s probably my favorite character in the entire story. Without the probably. I also really liked how everyone simply accepted him for who he was. It was beautiful because that doesn’t always happen in real life.

The world was a bit difficult to grasp because of how vast space is so a map would have come in handy. However, the space of the ship and buildings or outside spaces on the actual planets is built up beautifully and I was able to at least partially visualize the spaces. The only place I think I might have wanted more world building from would be Soltaire, the planet the story starts out on. In my mind, it’s a desert wasteland with scattered animal farms because there wasn’t enough for me to visualize otherwise.

The story itself started off pretty slow but picked up around Chapter 5. There are a few plot twists, but most of them are fairly predictable. The large twist at the end I didn’t completely see coming, but I had a feeling it had to do with that specific character. It was still fun to read a post-apocalyptic multi-planetary story and I think overall the plot moved fairly well. There were a few slower parts, but otherwise I stayed interested in reading it through to the end. At the same time, I’m hoping there’s a sequel because I still have questions.

This book was your standard-fare post-apocalyptic novel with a bit of space adventure thrown in. Jamie is dealing with a profound personal loss that occurred before a virus wiped out most of humanity. She's hard to get to know--it's who she is, but it did make things feel sloggy. Secondary characters were hit or miss, kind of cliché and underdeveloped. I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic stories, though, so I did like the escape this read provided.

In a universe where there is nothing but space, what does coming together mean? When the world has ended, who makes the rules? Can humanity leave its baggage behind and create something new?

Corlett's The Space Between the Stars has many things in common with your average post-apocalyptic, "we have to hit the road and go on an important journey" type novel: a ragtag band of characters; dangerous situations; a faith challenged; mysterious coincidences that could be their salvation or their ruin.

However, I think that the questions presented to us by The Space Between the Stars also prompt us to examine what it means to be human, and what it means to make your own choices, for better or for worse.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, both for the exciting space journey and the larger, quieter issues it presents. I would absolutely recommend this novel to science fiction readers, or anyone who likes stories where the journey is more than the sum of its parts.

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett is a dystopian novel that follows a few survivors after most of humanity (throughout the universe, no less) has been wiped out by a deadly virus.

Although the novel begins on a settled planet, moves to another planet, and then finally, to our planet earth, there is little science fiction. You have to take for granted elements of space travel and space colonies; they just happen, and truthfully, they are not really important. The whole thing could have taken place on earth without losing a thing.

Some interesting characters, some romance, some existential and theological ponderings. I think mainly this is a novel about Dorothy in Oz clicking those red shoes and saying--well, you know what she says. And home is not just a place, is it?

The Space Between the Stars wasn't what I expected, but it was entertaining. Did I find it "breathtakingly vivid"-- no, but since this is a debut novel, it might be interesting to see what Corlett comes up with next.

Read in February. Review scheduled for May 19.

NetGalley/Berkley Publishing

Dystopian. June 13, 2017. Print length: 368 pages.

I loved this psychologically-focused take on the future apocalypse. The question of how people respond emotionally and spiritually to 'the end of the world' is an interesting one and is explored well here. And there was still enough current, what's-going-to-happen action to keep the plot moving, with complicated characters driving that action.