DNF. TThe "light episodic humor" just did nothing for me. The allusions current events seemed inappropriate and references to current cultural icons such as 'Star Wars' have no place in a novel set 4 centuries in the future. The humor just seemed silly and forced.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

starship repo (Patrick S. Tomlinson)
Title: starship repo
Author: Patrick S. Tomlinson
Publisher: Macmillian-Tor/Forge
Publication Date: TODAY!! (paperback/e-book)
ISBN: 978-1250302717
Source: NetGalley

I have been meaning to check out Tomlinson's writing for a while and was glad to get a review copy from the publisher.  This one is a light and fluffy story that follows a repo company in space.  The main character is a human called "Firstname Lastname" due to a clerical error on her refugee status card.  First, as she goes by, is a grifter who uses tricks to con aliens out of their money as she makes her way through the galaxy.  Only she gets caught and is given a choice to join the repo crew or go to jail.  Ye know what she picks.

The plot really feels like a series of vignettes strung together.  The story details the oddball crew and their adventures to reclaim spaceships for creditors.  The highlight of this story is First and the relationships she builds with those around her.  She is the first human this part of the galaxy has seen and so silliness abounds.  Favourite characters included the transgender alien crab, the brain in a jar, the granite roommate, and the Boss who happens to be a communal organism.

There are little cultural illusions sprinkled throughout for fun though a very thinly veiled Donald Trump caricature is found so be forewarned.  It was fast-paced and I enjoyed it.  Many parts made me smile.  Nothing earth-shattering here but a pleasant popcorn book.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:
Firstname Lastname is a no one with nowhere to go. With a name that is the result of an unfortunate clerical error and destined to be one of the only humans on an alien space station. That is until she sneaks aboard a ship and joins up with a crew of repomen (they are definitely not pirates).Now she's traveling the galaxy "recovering" ships. What could go wrong?

To visit the author’s website go to:
Patrick S. Tomlinson - Author

To buy the novel go to:
starship repo - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:
Yer Ports for Plunder List

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Starship repo follows the adventures of one of the first humans to make it into the larger universe after humanity enters it, a young girl just out of juvie. While the stories are entertaining, and they do vaguely link together, the novel has a very picaresque feel, as if we are getting a slice of life instead of a story that goes from the beginning to a conclusion. The writing is excellent and the characters are entertaining, but I never felt that the story was going anywhere.
I also have to note in passing that there is some rather biting commentary on our current political situation in the last episode that is not very subtle. If you are at all a fan of the current administration, you will probably be offended by the last section of the novel. If you are not a fan, you will probably think it hilarious.

Starship Repo is the second book in Patrick S. Tomlinson's current series, which started off with Gate Crashers, where mankind discovered that the final frontier was bounded by a fence marked "Human-Wildlife Sanctuary" and took a pair of cutters to the fence. Humans have been free-range for a while as this book opens, but still a pretty rare sight.

In fact, Firstname Lastname, which is what it says on our main character's galactic travel documents due to a "clerical error' is the first human most of the inhabitants of Junktion station, where she winds up at the beginning of the book, have ever seen. First, as she likes to be called, is a 17-18-year-old human female who lit out from the colony on Beta Centauri to get away from bad choices there and move on to bad choices out in the galaxy.

She's been making her way into the unexplored regions of galactic civilization by conning, stealing, and generally cheating the more gullible elements of galactic society.

At least until she goes 'straight' after being caught by the head of a firm that can use her talents for, if not good, at least more or less legal pursuits, like repossessing starships. Now her roommate is a sentient rock, her supervisor is a member of the race that tried to wipe humanity off the face of the cosmos, and her talent for getting involved in other people's problems has put her on probation.

Teenagers, go figure.

The 'novel' is really a series of short stories, one for each of the increasingly escalating capers, among which we're surprised to learn that stealing, I mean repoing a galactic cruise ship isn't nearly the biggest thing you could repossess. The capers are fun, but the real deal is the interplay between this particular band of misfits and our plucky gal.

Hopefully, she'll be back in future stories set in this universe, because she's just what humanity needs to make its mark in galactic civilization.

Here on NetGalley, Starship Repo got a pretty good reception, but over on Amazon, it's only managed to pull 3 stars. That's a pity because it's as smart as it is funny and well worth reading for fans of space opera and YASF, especially if you like it with a touch of humor. And when I say humor, it's not potty humor, but more absurd situation humor with a lot of classic SF references tossed in for fun.

I read a review that called this an episodic read, and that is true. I was able to put it down and pick it up. It was fun and quirky, perhaps a bit reminiscent of Becky Chambers. I enjoyed it.

Starship Repo by Patrick Tomlinson, a fun enjoyable read. Firstname Lastname is the only human on the station stuck with a name by way of a clerical error, She is looking to make money any way she can.