Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)

Things I loved:
☑ ART is back!! I feel that I can write reams on this alone but I’ll have to wait until my second or third re-read. I loved the way Ms. Wells how the Preservation folks and ART came together – even if Murderbot didn’t. Of course, the most shocking development of this book is that Murderbot and ART have a “relationship” (quotes aren’t mine, they are Muderbot’s.) I also loved the setup for the next book(s), because we know for a fact they’ll be together. (It was so cute how excited ART was to meet Dr. Mensah.)

☑ We got some explanations as to part of ART’s function, met some of his crew and met more Preservation folks. We also got to learn more about alien remnants and why they’re so dangerous. I’m not sure I got what was the bad guy hoping to achieve but the techie explanations in this series usually go over my head in the first read. I’m hoping to get some clarity when I read it next.

☑ Is this the start of the SecUnit revolution? (Or whatever?) Loved the addition of Three and Murderbot’s realization that its quirks are not because its a SecUnit but it’s its own person. I liked how the 2.0 issue was resolved because otherwise, this would have been too much like the

☑ Really glad that Preservation folks were important part of the plot: Ratthi (my favorite of them all) and really liked the addition of Amena. Also, I know Murderbot said that Dr. Mensah was his “teammate” but to me, she’s more like its mom.

A few quibbles
☒ I wish Murderbot and ART would have talked more about what they were so mad with each other. Saying “I apologize for calling you a fucker” wasn’t enough for me. (I know this would involve talking about feelings, but it’s not as if ART doesn’t know how to force difficult conversations.) Hoping this will come about in future books!

☒ I don’t like that Dr. Mensah is referred as Amena’s “second mom” because it makes it seem like she’s secondary. Why not go with mother/mama/mom?

☒ Corporations as evil, eevil, eeevil! I’m sure this resonates well with readers these days but at the end, Corporations are groups of people and I don’t like the assumption that everybody in Preservation is good because they are sort of socialists while everybody in the Corporation Rim are bad because they’re capitalists.

I hope we won’t have to wait 1.5 years for the next book and that some Preservation folks make it to future books (Amena will be a good candidate, although probably not for this next mission.)

In the meantime, I have some new shows to watch! Lineages of the Sun or Timestream Defenders Orion?

RE-READ #1 – May 20
Yes, I already re-read this book even though it has been out for like a week. As always a few things always pop back for me on the re-read:

I get it, the Corporation Rim are the bad guys of the series.
I guess Ms. Wells point is to explore a world where Corporate excesses are not checked and how bad things can become. That said, I still don’t like the idea that being a Corporate immediately means you’re bad person. I think I’d like to see a good corporate and a villain from Preservation.

I still don’t know what the heck the villain(s) was trying to accomplish here.
If somebody got it, please explain it to me.

What makes a person, a person
Like Murderbot, I didn’t get why Amena and ART were so upset about the whole 2.0 situation but I got it now. I thought of ART as a person so why I was so callous of 2.0?

Three as Murderbot’s St. Paul
You know, the one who actually spreads the word. Also, are the files that Murderbot shared with Three “his diaries? (You know, books 1-4?)

I bought the hardcover so I can go back easier to favorite sections and also, spell the names correctly. 🙂 Seeing the actual book, also made me realize why sometimes I have difficulty figuring out if Murderbot is speaking out loud or just thinking in the audiobook. There are so many asides!!

RE-READ #2 – Jun 21
I don’t know how I can get a book hungover from a series I read multiple times but there you have it. It made me realize that this series is my Sanctuary Moon. Whenever I feel sad, stressed, overwhelmed, I immediately come back to it and listening to it, makes me feel so much better.

I actually re-read the whole series the time and read book 6 BEFORE this one (as it’s set up before this time chronologically. It really makes more sense to read it.

Something new that I thought in this re-read is how the issue of ownership will be solved if Murderbot comes back to the Corporation Rim. Just wondering because they made an issue out of it with Amena. Fake docs? A contract with Dr. Mensah? Somebody from Preservation j0ining Murderbot?

So many feelings! Oops, I said the f word – Murderbot is going to be cross with me. But I can’t help myself. Since my loss, the release of this book is the only thing I’ve been looking forward to this year and it didn’t disappoint.☑ ART is back!! I feel that I can write reams on this alone but I’ll have to wait until my second or third re-read. I loved the way Ms. Wells how the Preservation folks and ART came together – even if Murderbot didn’t. Of course, the most shocking development of this book is that Murderbot and ART have a “relationship” (quotes aren’t mine, they are Muderbot’s.) I also loved the setup for the next book(s), because we know for a fact they’ll be together. (It was so cute how excited ART was to meet Dr. Mensah.)☑ We got some explanations as to part of ART’s function, met some of his crew and met more Preservation folks. We also got to learn more about alien remnants and why they’re so dangerous. I’m not sure I got what was the bad guy hoping to achieve but the techie explanations in this series usually go over my head in the first read. I’m hoping to get some clarity when I read it next.☑ Is this the start of the SecUnit revolution? (Or whatever?) Loved the addition of Three and Murderbot’s realization that its quirks are not because its a SecUnit but it’s its own person. I liked how the 2.0 issue was resolved because otherwise, this would have been too much like the Bobiverse ☑ Really glad that Preservation folks were important part of the plot: Ratthi (my favorite of them all) and really liked the addition of Amena. Also, I know Murderbot said that Dr. Mensah was his “teammate” but to me, she’s more like its mom.☒ I wish Murderbot and ART would have talked more about what they were so mad with each other. Saying “I apologize for calling you a fucker” wasn’t enough for me. (I know this would involve talking about feelings, but it’s not as if ART doesn’t know how to force difficult conversations.) Hoping this will come about in future books!☒ I don’t like that Dr. Mensah is referred as Amena’s “second mom” because it makes it seem like she’s secondary. Why not go with mother/mama/mom?☒ Corporations as evil, eevil, eeevil! I’m sure this resonates well with readers these days but at the end, Corporations are groups of people and I don’t like the assumption that everybody in Preservation is good because they are sort of socialists while everybody in the Corporation Rim are bad because they’re capitalists.I hope we won’t have to wait 1.5 years for the next book and that some Preservation folks make it to future books (Amena will be a good candidate, although probably not for this next mission.)In the meantime, I have some new shows to watch!orYes, I already re-read this book even though it has been out for like a week. As always a few things always pop back for me on the re-read:I guess Ms. Wells point is to explore a world where Corporate excesses are not checked and how bad things can become. That said, I still don’t like the idea that being a Corporate immediately means you’re bad person. I think I’d like to see a good corporate and a villain from Preservation.If somebody got it, please explain it to me.Like Murderbot, I didn’t get why Amena and ART were so upset about the whole 2.0 situation but I got it now. I thought of ART as a person so why I was so callous of 2.0?You know, the one who actually spreads the word. Also, are the files that Murderbot shared with Three “his diaries? (You know, books 1-4?)I bought the hardcover so I can go back easier to favorite sections and also, spell the names correctly. 🙂 Seeing the actual book, also made me realize why sometimes I have difficulty figuring out if Murderbot is speaking out loud or just thinking in the audiobook. There are so many asides!!I don’t know how I can get a book hungover from a series I read multiple times but there you have it. It made me realize that this series is my. Whenever I feel sad, stressed, overwhelmed, I immediately come back to it and listening to it, makes me feel so much better.I actually re-read the whole series the time and read book 6 BEFORE this one (as it’s set up before this time chronologically. It really makes more sense to read it.Something new that I thought in this re-read is how the issue of ownership will be solved if Murderbot comes back to the Corporation Rim. Just wondering because they made an issue out of it with Amena. Fake docs? A contract with Dr. Mensah? Somebody from Preservation j0ining Murderbot?