Calculated Risks is basically one big bottle-episode character study. Definitely not a book to put down and pick up and put down and pick up — which I did for the most part. It is definitely a book and a story that works better in much larger chunks than I was reading it in. I recommend reading it when you have time to actually sit down and read it. All of that said, Calculated Risks was very good.
Poor, poor Sarah having to deal with the closest members of her family without them remembering her. I don’t know if I could have coped, but she manages arguably better than anyone could be asked to. Especially given that they all have to deal with the stress of an alternate universe and basically zombies at the same time. I also believe I said in my Imaginary Numbers review that I wasn’t really affected by the Sarah/Artie romance… Calculated Risks made me feel it in-absentia. Sarah’s heartbreak during the 24-hours or so during which Artie does not remember her is palpable.
Artie during this whole thing is a giant jerk and is called out several times for it. Given how much time he and Sarah apparently spent together throughout their lives, I do not blame him one bit. I’m sure having such patchwork memories to deal with was awful. I do like that he eventually came around and it is very helpful to remember that Calculated Risks takes place over 48-hours so it’s not like there was a lot of time to process.
I like James a bit more now. Getting the little bits of time with him near the end reminded me that he’s a research nerd and maybe doesn’t have much of an outward personality, which isn’t a bad thing. I also think his rapport with Annie is pretty awesome. They really do feel very much like James took to being a Price quite quickly. I’m sure being stuck in a camper with Annie and the gang helped with that, but I really felt his whole thing here… if that makes any sense to anyone but me.
Annie was her loveable self throughout. I am glad we basically got to see how well-rounded she is as a person from both inside and outside perspectives. Sarah was definitely right when she called Annie “the flexible one.” Annie will always be my fave of the Price “kids.”
Finally, Mark. Hmm, he’s alright for a fully adult cuckoo. I quite like somewhat acerbic heart-of-gold type characters. Like, we know he’s inherently selfish, but not entirely so that works. I also definitely think he did a bit of a whammy on Annie, James, and Artie to make them more comfy around him, even if it was unintentional and not really addressed. I feel like Mark would be a good ancillary character to have around after this.
The story itself was mostly a bottle-episode focused on Sarah. I didn’t really feel much dread until the giant spiders started appearing, which was over halfway through the book. Aaand I don’t like giant spiders, not even Greg. I tried very hard not to think about Greg or the mantids and focus myself on Sarah and the other humanoids. Speaking of, we finally learn why the Prices are luckier than normal humans! That was fun, even if I can’t remember the name of the species their luck comes from. We do learn a but more about cuckoo brain-ology though. Seeing them pretty much from tiny to fully instar-ed out helped with that.
I’m glad Sarah basically found a way to de-cuckoo the cuckoos… or at least the kiddos who “made it” to the Iowa thingy. Hopefully they make a point of going about de-cuckoo-ing any others they can. I’m interested to see how the species is going forward.
So yeah, Calculated Risks is very emotionally heavy and should be read (in my opinion) in as few sittings as possible for full enjoyment. Really let those emotions sink in a burrow, man.
Favorite Lines
"And then it was said and Stated, as it always shall be, Never Split the Party!" - Aeslin Mouse
"Dumbledore was a dick," - Sarah Zellaby
"Sarah is my cousin, because say so, and I'm the terrifying one." - Antimony Price
"Is that the correct plural?" I asked. "I thought it was 'mantids.'""I don't think the correct plural is appropriate for me to use around children" - Sarah Zellaby and James Smith
Singing the Comic-Con Blues by Seanan McGuire
I’m not overly fond of nine-years-ago Annie. She might be a quippy smart-alec but she’s also just straight-up mean. Seriously, the amount of Verity hate in the entire thing is egregious. Needs character development.
This novella was kinda cute, but not really satisfying. I mean, I would have liked to get an actual resolution to the siren, rather than just the “let’s talk in a few hours.” Sarah was adorable. Artie was there, being nervous, but largely just there. Much shrugging.
Favorite Lines
"I am what happens when nerds are allowed to marry and thus produce even more nerds, like nerdiness squared, like what happens when Seymour from Little Shop is allowed to hook up with Jordan from Real Genius. And if you got both those references, odds are good that you're a nerd, too, which would explain why you're following this road trip of the damned." - Antimony Price
"Why? Are we expecting a visit from the normal people for some reason? I thought I was done with them when Artie graduated and they stopped trying to strong-arm me onto the PTA." - Jane Harrington
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