Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear

Karen Memory is an interesting enough book. I think I may have DNF’d it the last time I read it, because I did not at all remember the second half of the book. That’s where most of the action is.

I definitely feel like the descriptions in the book could have used some work. Before Karen strapped herself into the sewing machine, I had zero clue it was essentially a mech-suit. I still could not tell you how any of that worked… or what I was imagining because sewing machine and mech-suit do not square up in my head. Even Peter Bantle’s machine is a nothing-burger of vaguely steam-punk tubes and lighting in my head. A lot of the steam-punk elements very much rely on the reader to make up rather than actual descriptions of them.

The rest of the story was alright. I wasn’t expecting the turns it took, which I guess is realistic, because Karen definitely didn’t, either. I thought Karen and Priya’s romance was cute. Definitely satisfying and not a bury-your-gays trope. But, uh, yeah… fairly rollicking adventure.