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Exo #1
Exo
It’s been a century of peace since Earth became a colony of an alien race with far reaches into the galaxy. Some die-hard extremists still oppose alien rule on Earth, but Donovan Reyes isn’t one of them. His dad holds the prestigious position of Prime Liaison in the collaborationist government, and Donovan’s high social standing along with his exocel (a remarkable alien technology fused to his body) guarantee him a bright future in the security forces. That is, until a routine patrol goes awry and Donovan’s abducted by the human revolutionary group Sapience, determined to end alien control.
When Sapience realizes whose son Donovan is, they think they’ve found the ultimate bargaining chip . But the Prime Liaison doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, not even for his own son. Left in the hands of terrorists who have more uses for him dead than alive, the fate of Earth rests on Donovan’s survival. Because if Sapience kills him, it could spark another intergalactic war. And Earth didn’t win the last one...
When Sapience realizes whose son Donovan is, they think they’ve found the ultimate bargaining chip . But the Prime Liaison doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, not even for his own son. Left in the hands of terrorists who have more uses for him dead than alive, the fate of Earth rests on Donovan’s survival. Because if Sapience kills him, it could spark another intergalactic war. And Earth didn’t win the last one...
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2017
227 people are currently reading
5084 people want to read
About the author
Fonda Lee
42 books7,561 followersFonda Lee is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the epic Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City and continuing in Jade War and Jade Legacy. Her most recent work is the fantasy novella, Untethered Sky. She is also the author of the acclaimed science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire.
Fonda is a winner of the Locus Award, a six-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), and a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews, been included on numerous state reading lists, named Junior Library Guild selections, and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City was named among the Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time by Time Magazine and has been optioned for television development.
Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in Boston.
Fonda is a winner of the Locus Award, a six-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), and a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews, been included on numerous state reading lists, named Junior Library Guild selections, and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City was named among the Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time by Time Magazine and has been optioned for television development.
Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 470 reviews
January 13, 2024
Peace Day may be quickly approaching, but a battle is about to go down while something more sinister, bigger, bubbles beneath. Tension between the Global Security & Pacification Forces (SecPac) and humans is palpable; the humans’ hatred, disgust and raw fury with the zhree is tangible, yet they plan to celebrate a century of coexistence. Coexistence applies to the fifteen percent of mankind approved to exist among the zhree. The remaining eighty-five percent faded into shadows of themselves or morphed into fierce, determined resistance fighters.
Having survived the Hardening process that transforms a zhree-approved human child into an exo, the only son of the Prime Liaison appears as a firmly committed SecPac soldier. Donovan is confident and unquestioning in his fight against human rebels; until a raid to goes wrong. Held hostage where humans are the apex species, his perspective shifts. It becomes impossible to see the individuals around him as the cohesive, carbon-copy-collection he has been fighting against. What he fought for blurs out of focus. Who he really is becomes crystal clear: not human enough for mankind, “nothing but human” to the zhree. Although it feels as if everything is different now, one thing is very much the same: the entire planet is in danger and Donovan is helpless as a hostage.
Exo is brilliant example of Science-Fiction feeling oh-so-real. Ms. Lee packs powerful punches in action scenes, soothes with sympathy in some situations, but bites with wit and humor in others. Entertaining, empathy evoking, surprisingly relatable and utterly thought provoking, this is a book for everyone; not just Science-Fiction fans.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
Having survived the Hardening process that transforms a zhree-approved human child into an exo, the only son of the Prime Liaison appears as a firmly committed SecPac soldier. Donovan is confident and unquestioning in his fight against human rebels; until a raid to goes wrong. Held hostage where humans are the apex species, his perspective shifts. It becomes impossible to see the individuals around him as the cohesive, carbon-copy-collection he has been fighting against. What he fought for blurs out of focus. Who he really is becomes crystal clear: not human enough for mankind, “nothing but human” to the zhree. Although it feels as if everything is different now, one thing is very much the same: the entire planet is in danger and Donovan is helpless as a hostage.
Exo is brilliant example of Science-Fiction feeling oh-so-real. Ms. Lee packs powerful punches in action scenes, soothes with sympathy in some situations, but bites with wit and humor in others. Entertaining, empathy evoking, surprisingly relatable and utterly thought provoking, this is a book for everyone; not just Science-Fiction fans.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
August 8, 2016
This book is original and fantastic and asks questions that I can't stop thinking about. Highly, highly recommend.
May 1, 2018
While reading, Exo by Fonda Lee, I just kept thinking, 'Finally. FINALLY.'
Finally, a young adult dystopian/science-fiction novel with a writer that understands the nuances and complexities of colonialism and oppression. Finally, a story that isn't just about the suppression of individualistic expression and calling it oppression, but a story that understands that oppression is systemic, involves power, and is more than about teens spearheading a revolution for the sake of plot and action. Finally, a book that has delivered a very nuanced story that shows that systemic oppression and overcoming it is not simple, but can be morally grey.
For this reason alone, I loved Exo instantly.
Exo is set in the future where Earth has been colonized by an alien race called the Zhree. But rather than portray Zhree as a violent and autocratic oppressive power, the Zhree have made a home on Earth as well as a strategic outpost in the midst of a galactic war. They are seemingly 'benevolent' after centuries of a bloody colonial war over Earth's hegemony, and have in their hands the subservience of humankind in exchange for humankind's protection from other alien species that want Earth to gain an edge in a greater galactic war. The Zhree as oppressors are complex individuals, with a fascinating power dynamic that realistically echoes the power dynamics we can witness within our own society. Indeed, Earth has been conquered and invaded by aliens, but is that such a bad thing? Exo asks these powerful and compelling questions with no clear cut answer.
The book follows Donovan, a member of the eponymous Exo - humans who have been genetically enhanced using Zhree technology and are formidable human soldiers. Donovan has never questioned his station as a soldier and follows the doctrine laid out by his Zhree superiors -- that is, until he gets kidnapped and entangled with a pro-human and anti-Zhree organization called Sapience. They're terrorists - or freedom fighters, depending on which side you ask - and their agenda threatens everything that the Zhree and Donovan stand for. Therefore, Exo poses some fantastic and thought-provoking questions about the price of freedom, conflict, and subjugation, what it means to be free - and not just ideologically, but the 'practical' consequences as well, such as who dies in your endeavour for freedom?
Exo's brilliance is captured and evidenced by its boldness to ask questions that, perhaps, we don't even have the answer to. For once, I felt like I was reading a book that seriously questioned perceptions of freedom fighters/terrorists. Historically in young adult fiction, freedom fighters are often the 'good guys' who challenge an unambiguous 'bad guy', leaving no nuance or ambiguity of the moral positions of either side. In Exo, however, both 'sides' are discerned and scrutinized, all through the eyes of a confused soldier who doesn't know what is right or wrong. I loved the intelligent discourse that was not only compelling and fascinating, but also very down-to-earth in its perspective.
A large proportion of the characters in Exo were morally grey. And I loved it. The leaders of either 'side' of the conflict were fascinating characters, both with valid perspectives who just want to do what they think is best for humankind. Chief of all was Donovan himself; he begins as an individual who knows who or for what he fights for, but when his views and ideology are challenged and another side is presented, he begins to question himself and his superiors. Like leaders of either side, he too wants to do the right thing, but struggles immensely to discern what the right thing is. There was a romance in the story, a component that wasn't as interesting, but thankfully it didn't overshadow the narrative and, against the backdrop of the book's events, makes Donovan's character development much more interesting.
Listen. You need to read Exo. Not only is it one of the best science-fiction books I've read with excellent political and social discourse, but it's a book that doesn't present a clear-cut answer. Exo engages, provokes, and challenges, and encourages you to make your own decision and judgement. Exo is a brilliant book, one that will inevitably probe fascinating discussion and thought.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
-
Is this book for you?
Premise in a sentence: The life of a human soldier who serves Earth's alien masters is turned upside down when he is kidnapped by an anti-alien organization.
Perfect for: Readers who love science-fiction, political and social discourse, and war/revolution/freedom narratives.
Genre: Young adult, post-apocalyptic, science-fiction.
Recommended? Tired of poorly-written and -conceived science fiction novels? If yes, then YES.
Trigger/content warnings: death, terrorism, violence, torture, executions.
-
This review can also be found on my book blog, Read, Think, Ponder!
Finally, a young adult dystopian/science-fiction novel with a writer that understands the nuances and complexities of colonialism and oppression. Finally, a story that isn't just about the suppression of individualistic expression and calling it oppression, but a story that understands that oppression is systemic, involves power, and is more than about teens spearheading a revolution for the sake of plot and action. Finally, a book that has delivered a very nuanced story that shows that systemic oppression and overcoming it is not simple, but can be morally grey.
For this reason alone, I loved Exo instantly.
Exo is set in the future where Earth has been colonized by an alien race called the Zhree. But rather than portray Zhree as a violent and autocratic oppressive power, the Zhree have made a home on Earth as well as a strategic outpost in the midst of a galactic war. They are seemingly 'benevolent' after centuries of a bloody colonial war over Earth's hegemony, and have in their hands the subservience of humankind in exchange for humankind's protection from other alien species that want Earth to gain an edge in a greater galactic war. The Zhree as oppressors are complex individuals, with a fascinating power dynamic that realistically echoes the power dynamics we can witness within our own society. Indeed, Earth has been conquered and invaded by aliens, but is that such a bad thing? Exo asks these powerful and compelling questions with no clear cut answer.
"We're still fighting for the same thing we were fighting for back then ... There's nothing more precious than freedom. Freedom is worth any cost."
The book follows Donovan, a member of the eponymous Exo - humans who have been genetically enhanced using Zhree technology and are formidable human soldiers. Donovan has never questioned his station as a soldier and follows the doctrine laid out by his Zhree superiors -- that is, until he gets kidnapped and entangled with a pro-human and anti-Zhree organization called Sapience. They're terrorists - or freedom fighters, depending on which side you ask - and their agenda threatens everything that the Zhree and Donovan stand for. Therefore, Exo poses some fantastic and thought-provoking questions about the price of freedom, conflict, and subjugation, what it means to be free - and not just ideologically, but the 'practical' consequences as well, such as who dies in your endeavour for freedom?
Exo's brilliance is captured and evidenced by its boldness to ask questions that, perhaps, we don't even have the answer to. For once, I felt like I was reading a book that seriously questioned perceptions of freedom fighters/terrorists. Historically in young adult fiction, freedom fighters are often the 'good guys' who challenge an unambiguous 'bad guy', leaving no nuance or ambiguity of the moral positions of either side. In Exo, however, both 'sides' are discerned and scrutinized, all through the eyes of a confused soldier who doesn't know what is right or wrong. I loved the intelligent discourse that was not only compelling and fascinating, but also very down-to-earth in its perspective.
"Why do humans still hate us so much ... ? Haven't we governed them fairly, given them all advantages of exocels, shared technology with them?"
A large proportion of the characters in Exo were morally grey. And I loved it. The leaders of either 'side' of the conflict were fascinating characters, both with valid perspectives who just want to do what they think is best for humankind. Chief of all was Donovan himself; he begins as an individual who knows who or for what he fights for, but when his views and ideology are challenged and another side is presented, he begins to question himself and his superiors. Like leaders of either side, he too wants to do the right thing, but struggles immensely to discern what the right thing is. There was a romance in the story, a component that wasn't as interesting, but thankfully it didn't overshadow the narrative and, against the backdrop of the book's events, makes Donovan's character development much more interesting.
Listen. You need to read Exo. Not only is it one of the best science-fiction books I've read with excellent political and social discourse, but it's a book that doesn't present a clear-cut answer. Exo engages, provokes, and challenges, and encourages you to make your own decision and judgement. Exo is a brilliant book, one that will inevitably probe fascinating discussion and thought.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
-
Is this book for you?
Premise in a sentence: The life of a human soldier who serves Earth's alien masters is turned upside down when he is kidnapped by an anti-alien organization.
Perfect for: Readers who love science-fiction, political and social discourse, and war/revolution/freedom narratives.
Genre: Young adult, post-apocalyptic, science-fiction.
Recommended? Tired of poorly-written and -conceived science fiction novels? If yes, then YES.
Trigger/content warnings: death, terrorism, violence, torture, executions.
-
This review can also be found on my book blog, Read, Think, Ponder!
Read
April 7, 2016The second book in an author's career is often harder to write than the first, so as much as I love ZEROBOXER, I am especially proud of EXO. I set out to break a lot of tropes in this book, to completely twist the old "aliens conquer Earth" narrative, and to write an action-packed science fiction novel about soldiers and aliens and terrorists in a story that's ultimately about reconciling yourself with the choices made by your parents. Also, I would really like to have an exocel, wouldn't you?
February 10, 2018
Last year I read Fonda Lee's debut novel, Zeroboxer and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I went in to Exo expecting to like it, and I loved it. Enough so that I'm adding it to my favourites 2017 shelf.
Lee has a gift for emotive storytelling and creative worldbuilding, which she puts to good use here. Questions of alien integration into human culture, the use of different technology and biotechnology, and who gets access to those things, all play out within the context of a story ultimately about family, friendships, and identity.
The pacing is tight and interspersed with some excellently written scenes where confrontations come to a head. This is one of those books that took me on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster as the main character went through various difficulties only to have them become even more complicated as the story progressed.
What I liked about Exo was something I also liked about Zeroboxer; the story doesn't deal in black and white, but in varying shades of grey. The main character, Donovan, is likeable because he understands this clearly, even though he wishes that he didn't. That would be so much easier.
Originally this was written as a standalone book, but a sequel is in the works and will be released in summer 2018. I think there is still a lot of story to tell in the world Lee has created, and I am certainly looking forward to reading it.
** A note on the audiobook - I listened to the audiobook version of this read by MacLeod Andrews, and know I have said this about him before, but his audio performances are absolutely first rate and really added to my enjoyment of the book.
Lee has a gift for emotive storytelling and creative worldbuilding, which she puts to good use here. Questions of alien integration into human culture, the use of different technology and biotechnology, and who gets access to those things, all play out within the context of a story ultimately about family, friendships, and identity.
The pacing is tight and interspersed with some excellently written scenes where confrontations come to a head. This is one of those books that took me on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster as the main character went through various difficulties only to have them become even more complicated as the story progressed.
What I liked about Exo was something I also liked about Zeroboxer; the story doesn't deal in black and white, but in varying shades of grey. The main character, Donovan, is likeable because he understands this clearly, even though he wishes that he didn't. That would be so much easier.
Originally this was written as a standalone book, but a sequel is in the works and will be released in summer 2018. I think there is still a lot of story to tell in the world Lee has created, and I am certainly looking forward to reading it.
** A note on the audiobook - I listened to the audiobook version of this read by MacLeod Andrews, and know I have said this about him before, but his audio performances are absolutely first rate and really added to my enjoyment of the book.
August 7, 2017
One hundred and fifty years ago the Zhree came to Earth to invade. After a thirty year war they won. Now Earth is a Zhree colony on the edge of their space. Humans are a servant race, some of which have been taken into Zhree culture and marked as part of Zhree families/castes. A small elite of whom have undergone "hardening" as children, modified with Zhree biotechnology to have exocels, a retractable covering of armor and weaponry.
Donovan Reyes is an Exo with one of these exocels working for the Global Security and Pacification Forces (SecPac) and part of a soldier erze, one of the Zhree family/castes. He's also the 17-year old son of the Prime Liason, the most powerful human in the collaborator government. Even over a century after the Zhree took over, there is still a human resistance called Sapience and SecPac's main job is to deal with the activity of this terrorist group.
When Donovan is captured by the terrorists he's challenged by a wide range of opposing view-points including one that's a big surprise to him personally. But very few things are black and white.
I found this book to be very frustrating.
One one hand you have an absolutely fascinating colonization/conquest scenario where generations after the invasion the Zhree living there consider Earth home as well and have substantial affection for their humans. By placing the collaborators in the righteous role and exploring the motivations of the Prime Liason the book smartly addresses one of the more problematic elements of the colonization narrative: that the outcomes of colonization are actually a mix of good and bad. Events during the story highlight this even further with the consequences of a potential pullback of Zhree from Earth and what that would mean.
On the other hand the main character is incredibly annoying for much of the book with a good dose of daddy issues and abandonment issues that make him an emotional basket case. He is uniquely placed and absolutely at his best when he's operating to bridge the various groups in the story, but he spends far, far too long being a whiny dope. I found myself flashing back to the worst emotional conflict elements of Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion, but Donovan is supposed to be a highly trained soldier.
To be clear, I love the world-building, and the narrative choices are clever as well (although the timing of the High Speaker's arrival is stupidly coincidental). Probably enough to balance the persistent and prolonged immaturity of Donovan to make me want to pick up next year's sequel. It's just annoying that the worst sequences around that element were so much of the book, otherwise I can see this as being a clear 5 stars. Unfortunately it ranks probably closer to 3.5 IMO.
Donovan Reyes is an Exo with one of these exocels working for the Global Security and Pacification Forces (SecPac) and part of a soldier erze, one of the Zhree family/castes. He's also the 17-year old son of the Prime Liason, the most powerful human in the collaborator government. Even over a century after the Zhree took over, there is still a human resistance called Sapience and SecPac's main job is to deal with the activity of this terrorist group.
When Donovan is captured by the terrorists he's challenged by a wide range of opposing view-points including one that's a big surprise to him personally. But very few things are black and white.
I found this book to be very frustrating.
One one hand you have an absolutely fascinating colonization/conquest scenario where generations after the invasion the Zhree living there consider Earth home as well and have substantial affection for their humans. By placing the collaborators in the righteous role and exploring the motivations of the Prime Liason the book smartly addresses one of the more problematic elements of the colonization narrative: that the outcomes of colonization are actually a mix of good and bad. Events during the story highlight this even further with the consequences of a potential pullback of Zhree from Earth and what that would mean.
On the other hand the main character is incredibly annoying for much of the book with a good dose of daddy issues and abandonment issues that make him an emotional basket case. He is uniquely placed and absolutely at his best when he's operating to bridge the various groups in the story, but he spends far, far too long being a whiny dope. I found myself flashing back to the worst emotional conflict elements of Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion, but Donovan is supposed to be a highly trained soldier.
To be clear, I love the world-building, and the narrative choices are clever as well (although the timing of the High Speaker's arrival is stupidly coincidental). Probably enough to balance the persistent and prolonged immaturity of Donovan to make me want to pick up next year's sequel. It's just annoying that the worst sequences around that element were so much of the book, otherwise I can see this as being a clear 5 stars. Unfortunately it ranks probably closer to 3.5 IMO.
March 28, 2018
This book was lacking in everything but potential.
I picked up Exo because it had an interesting premise. Aliens have colonized Earth and the Prime Liaison's son has been captured by human extremists -what's not to love? Indeed, Fonda Lee delivered on the action and drama promised within the synopsis. However, the promises that pulled me in where entirely dampened by the fact that I didn't care about any of the characters. Not. A. Single. One. The cast simply came off as flat and ill-defined. Littered with insta-love and unrealistic parental relationships, I quickly lost investment in the well-being of the characters and their fragile society. For a book that hinges a lot on the concept of picking sides, I could not have cared less for either.
Considering all of the action going down in this book, I'm truly amazed at how boring it actually was.
I picked up Exo because it had an interesting premise. Aliens have colonized Earth and the Prime Liaison's son has been captured by human extremists -what's not to love? Indeed, Fonda Lee delivered on the action and drama promised within the synopsis. However, the promises that pulled me in where entirely dampened by the fact that I didn't care about any of the characters. Not. A. Single. One. The cast simply came off as flat and ill-defined. Littered with insta-love and unrealistic parental relationships, I quickly lost investment in the well-being of the characters and their fragile society. For a book that hinges a lot on the concept of picking sides, I could not have cared less for either.
Considering all of the action going down in this book, I'm truly amazed at how boring it actually was.
May 1, 2017
Originally Posted On The Sassy Book Geek
3.5 Stars
**** Thank you to Scholastic for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review****
I was on and off with “Exo” a lot because there were many things I enjoyed and a few that I didn’t so I was debating between a 3 star and 3.5 star rating which in the end I decided 3.5 was a good rating since I did actually enjoy myself.
The Plot
“Exo” gets into the action immediately at the start of the book with Donovan and his partner going to capture some rebel humans and Donovan getting kidnapped instead. It really grabs your attention and makes you want to read more, however, that fast pacing does NOT last. The pacing (and my interest) slowed down considerably after Donovan is captured and it all seems really boring and pointless, it took a lot of effort to make it past this point in the plot for me. This actually happened a few times so the pacing overall was very uneven.
I was also left kind of wondering what exactly the main conflict was in this book because as stated in the description Donovan is kidnapped by human revolutionaries but this is actually resolved pretty early in the story. So after that I didn’t really understand what was happening and why. Is there going to be some war between humans and aliens? Aliens versus other aliens? Who knows? I didn’t really like this free floating feeling I had through the plot….
However, I did really like that what conflicts there were in the plot weren’t black or white they were all very much in a grey area. No side is strictly good or evil, they both have their reasons for doing what they do. So I thought that was very interesting and added a lot of complexity to the story.
Also the main reason I rated this book higher than I probably would have is because of the world building, which was absolutely excellent. Fonda Lee does an amazing job of building a very complex world in which humans have been “conquered” by an alien race and now co-exist with them. There’s a caste system, different technologies, and everything from the language to the biology of the aliens is provided. There’s a lot of imaginations and detail put into this world and I very much appreciated it, even though I wanted to learn so much more! Plus there’s no info-dumping!
The Characters
So we actually get a male POV in this book which I thought was a big plus since it isn’t something we normally see, especially in YA. Just a fun tidbit!
To start off I will say that all of the characters, including, Donovan were pretty flat and reading I felt very distant from them. I didn’t relate and I didn’t really care what happened to any of them because I felt I didn’t actually get to know any of them. That’s not to say I didn’t learn anything about the characters, I did learn quite a bit, I just felt that no one was really developed at all.
Donovan, however, I came to have a certain degree of respect for because he is put through absolute hell in this book but some of the actions he took were stupid and therefore annoying. That’s really all I can say for our main character.
I also found that all of the characters that received any degree of development all had a significant relationship with Donovan, any other secondary characters lacked any development or even “screen time” so to speak. Even the relationships weren’t depicted as being really strong either, they all felt really bland to me such as Donovan and his father and Jet (his BFF).
I especially felt that Donovan’s romantic interest Anya was completely unnecessary because of how underwhelming and underdeveloped it felt. I felt that this was only added for the sake of having some form of romance and I felt like asking “But why?” a lot.
In Conclusion
Overall I did like this book even though there were times that I felt very bored and wondered if I would even finish. I think the world building is very unique and I liked the fact that this was alien-scifi because who doesn’t love aliens? I am excited to continue the series and see what happens next even though it hasn’t been confirmed yet that this is a series, with that ending there better be more though!
What I Liked:
-The world building was amazing, detailed, and imaginative
-No info-dumping
-The action parts that were fast paced were awesome
-No side in the conflict was black or white, everything’s a shade of gray
-Male POV
-Aliens!
What I Disliked:
-Uneven pacing
-Not much character development
-Main conflict was confusing and obscure
-Romance was very underwhelming and unnecessary
Recommend?
This is kind of “meh” as far as recommending goes I would say if your a fan of YA science fiction or want to try out a sci-fi book that involves aliens then give this a go! It’s overall a pretty decent read.
3.5 Stars
**** Thank you to Scholastic for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review****
I was on and off with “Exo” a lot because there were many things I enjoyed and a few that I didn’t so I was debating between a 3 star and 3.5 star rating which in the end I decided 3.5 was a good rating since I did actually enjoy myself.
The Plot
“Exo” gets into the action immediately at the start of the book with Donovan and his partner going to capture some rebel humans and Donovan getting kidnapped instead. It really grabs your attention and makes you want to read more, however, that fast pacing does NOT last. The pacing (and my interest) slowed down considerably after Donovan is captured and it all seems really boring and pointless, it took a lot of effort to make it past this point in the plot for me. This actually happened a few times so the pacing overall was very uneven.
I was also left kind of wondering what exactly the main conflict was in this book because as stated in the description Donovan is kidnapped by human revolutionaries but this is actually resolved pretty early in the story. So after that I didn’t really understand what was happening and why. Is there going to be some war between humans and aliens? Aliens versus other aliens? Who knows? I didn’t really like this free floating feeling I had through the plot….
However, I did really like that what conflicts there were in the plot weren’t black or white they were all very much in a grey area. No side is strictly good or evil, they both have their reasons for doing what they do. So I thought that was very interesting and added a lot of complexity to the story.
Also the main reason I rated this book higher than I probably would have is because of the world building, which was absolutely excellent. Fonda Lee does an amazing job of building a very complex world in which humans have been “conquered” by an alien race and now co-exist with them. There’s a caste system, different technologies, and everything from the language to the biology of the aliens is provided. There’s a lot of imaginations and detail put into this world and I very much appreciated it, even though I wanted to learn so much more! Plus there’s no info-dumping!
The Characters
So we actually get a male POV in this book which I thought was a big plus since it isn’t something we normally see, especially in YA. Just a fun tidbit!
To start off I will say that all of the characters, including, Donovan were pretty flat and reading I felt very distant from them. I didn’t relate and I didn’t really care what happened to any of them because I felt I didn’t actually get to know any of them. That’s not to say I didn’t learn anything about the characters, I did learn quite a bit, I just felt that no one was really developed at all.
Donovan, however, I came to have a certain degree of respect for because he is put through absolute hell in this book but some of the actions he took were stupid and therefore annoying. That’s really all I can say for our main character.
I also found that all of the characters that received any degree of development all had a significant relationship with Donovan, any other secondary characters lacked any development or even “screen time” so to speak. Even the relationships weren’t depicted as being really strong either, they all felt really bland to me such as Donovan and his father and Jet (his BFF).
I especially felt that Donovan’s romantic interest Anya was completely unnecessary because of how underwhelming and underdeveloped it felt. I felt that this was only added for the sake of having some form of romance and I felt like asking “But why?” a lot.
In Conclusion
Overall I did like this book even though there were times that I felt very bored and wondered if I would even finish. I think the world building is very unique and I liked the fact that this was alien-scifi because who doesn’t love aliens? I am excited to continue the series and see what happens next even though it hasn’t been confirmed yet that this is a series, with that ending there better be more though!
What I Liked:
-The world building was amazing, detailed, and imaginative
-No info-dumping
-The action parts that were fast paced were awesome
-No side in the conflict was black or white, everything’s a shade of gray
-Male POV
-Aliens!
What I Disliked:
-Uneven pacing
-Not much character development
-Main conflict was confusing and obscure
-Romance was very underwhelming and unnecessary
Recommend?
This is kind of “meh” as far as recommending goes I would say if your a fan of YA science fiction or want to try out a sci-fi book that involves aliens then give this a go! It’s overall a pretty decent read.
June 14, 2022
Earth is now a few generations post invasion and governed by an alien race. Humans are part of the government and enjoy many rights, they have been given advanced alien technology in including these fused Exocels, protection from other alien races, and many other benefits
There’s a faction of humans that didn’t benefit so much though and have turned into a terrorist organization called Sapience. Donovan’s security patrols are primarily concerned with rooting these terrorists out, although *most* are smalltime offenders.
Long story short, things go badly and Donovan gets thrown into the world of Sapience. He has literal and figurative bombshells thrown at him and learns both sides of the war. He sees the face of “evil” and ultimately faces legitimate moral conflicts involving family, loyalty, the alien races, and the big picture of Earth’s survival.
The ideas of nature vs nurture and natural vs unnatural are huge themes in this book. The main character has significant life changing events that allows him to see both sides of the story and I think this is great for YA readers. Both of Donovan’s parents had terrible choices to make and also made terrible choices, and isn’t it eventually the child’s burden to sort this out and make their own choices? Yes, and Lee NAILS this
There’s also first contact from the perspective of the leader of the alien race. This is an interesting choice and not done so frequently. He comes to survey Earth and has never seen humans before, even though the aliens on Earth have grown up with humans and protect/care for them. The leader is like “ew, the hell are these little squishy things and why do they have Exos? Do we need to save these things?”
Another thing I appreciate is the LANGUAGE! World appropriate slang that is based off the Zhree (alien) language is a great touch. Tell me again why SFF books need modern day swearing, especially in YA … they don’t!
Lastly a note on the characters – I liked Donovan and Jet too. Jet is a saint and Donovan is lucky to have him as a best friend. I do think the little romance could have been cut out but it was clean and gave the characters incentive to bridge the gap between their politics.
Overall: fast moving plot, plotting, frequent action, great characters, micro and macro threats, family… This is a really solid Young Adult book and I think some adults may enjoy it as well.
There’s a faction of humans that didn’t benefit so much though and have turned into a terrorist organization called Sapience. Donovan’s security patrols are primarily concerned with rooting these terrorists out, although *most* are smalltime offenders.
Long story short, things go badly and Donovan gets thrown into the world of Sapience. He has literal and figurative bombshells thrown at him and learns both sides of the war. He sees the face of “evil” and ultimately faces legitimate moral conflicts involving family, loyalty, the alien races, and the big picture of Earth’s survival.
The ideas of nature vs nurture and natural vs unnatural are huge themes in this book. The main character has significant life changing events that allows him to see both sides of the story and I think this is great for YA readers. Both of Donovan’s parents had terrible choices to make and also made terrible choices, and isn’t it eventually the child’s burden to sort this out and make their own choices? Yes, and Lee NAILS this
There’s also first contact from the perspective of the leader of the alien race. This is an interesting choice and not done so frequently. He comes to survey Earth and has never seen humans before, even though the aliens on Earth have grown up with humans and protect/care for them. The leader is like “ew, the hell are these little squishy things and why do they have Exos? Do we need to save these things?”
Another thing I appreciate is the LANGUAGE! World appropriate slang that is based off the Zhree (alien) language is a great touch. Tell me again why SFF books need modern day swearing, especially in YA … they don’t!
Lastly a note on the characters – I liked Donovan and Jet too. Jet is a saint and Donovan is lucky to have him as a best friend. I do think the little romance could have been cut out but it was clean and gave the characters incentive to bridge the gap between their politics.
Overall: fast moving plot, plotting, frequent action, great characters, micro and macro threats, family… This is a really solid Young Adult book and I think some adults may enjoy it as well.
February 26, 2017
I was initially drawn to this book by the cover art, although I did not win the GR giveaway. Donovan Reyes is an exo soldier, and the son of the Prime Liaison between the aliens now ruling the Earth and the surviving humans. When Donovan was five years old, his father decided over the objections of his departed wife to have him "changed," undergoing an operation to create a hardened shell. Donovan is captured by the resistance, Sapience, on a routine patrol, and becomes uncertain of his loyalties when one of his captors saves his life and one of the resistance leaders . Donovan is rescued in a horrific attack on the resistance, and then has to decide about his loyalties, especially when the resistance leader is going to be atomized. I thought the world building took too long, but liked the characters enough to enjoy the book.
August 19, 2022
This was okay?
It definitely got stronger plot wise towards the end and really gained momentum about 80% of the way through.
Other than that, it was very ya orientated and felt light instead of gripping and immersive which you can’t help but expect from fantasy books.
It definitely got stronger plot wise towards the end and really gained momentum about 80% of the way through.
Other than that, it was very ya orientated and felt light instead of gripping and immersive which you can’t help but expect from fantasy books.
dnf
February 10, 2017Pages read: 49
Characters are flat, voice is bland, and I'm not invested in fifty pages. Buh bye now.
Characters are flat, voice is bland, and I'm not invested in fifty pages. Buh bye now.
July 30, 2017
DNF. I got about halfway through, and I just found too many details that had me eyerolling. I can buy into the premise that an alien species invaded Earth, we fought, and we lost. I can buy into the premise that the alien species now co-exists peacefully on Earth along with humans. What I struggled with was finding any sympathy for Sapience. They want to wage another war, starting from a disadvantaged position, against a species that already crushed humans, even when humans had the advantage. They think they can win this war by kidnapping and murdering fellow humans, then dispersing that media. Just... what? And Donovan's relationship with his mom was even more eyeroll-worthy. I get that she was trying to draw parallels from slavery to this co-existence with aliens, and maybe I've just played too much Mass Effect or something, but "aliens interacting with us on a prolonged basis and society having to reshape based on this knowledge" is so far and away from slavery that Sapience just... didn't manage to muster even the tiniest sliver of sympathy.
October 27, 2016
This book was such an unexpected, fantastic surprise, since I'd heard absolutely nothing about it beforehand.
The MC, Donovan, is an incredibly sympathetic character, the plot roars forward from the beginning and doesn't stop, the characters and opposing 'sides' are all multifaceted and complicated, and this world - 150 years into an alien colonization - is vividly fleshed-out.
I highly recommend this. I ordered Zeroboxer about halfway through reading this because I enjoyed it so much.
The MC, Donovan, is an incredibly sympathetic character, the plot roars forward from the beginning and doesn't stop, the characters and opposing 'sides' are all multifaceted and complicated, and this world - 150 years into an alien colonization - is vividly fleshed-out.
I highly recommend this. I ordered Zeroboxer about halfway through reading this because I enjoyed it so much.
May 22, 2020
Too long to be half a book.
July 11, 2019
Exo is my second Fonda Lee book and I'd say she's solidly on the path to becoming an auto-buy author for me. I quite enjoyed her brand of a post-alien invasion world and what that means for us. It's very unique and original. I can't say I've ever seen aliens quite like the zhree before now. Her world-building especially is fascinating. Plus, this dystopian definitely raises a lot of important questions and each side makes many valid points. I only wish we got a bigger picture of the wider universe. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series, Cross Fire.
April 21, 2017
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaficti...
Suit up, sci-fi fans—this isn’t your standard fare alien invasion plot.
Several generations after being overtaken by a vastly different and technologically superior alien race called the zhree, humanity is divided on their perception of the occupation. Those who’ve strived for a peaceful and mutually beneficent co-existence live close to the zhree and enjoy their technological benefits. Those who’ve proven problematic or of no particular use live in early 21st century conditions. And those who openly continue to resist have formed an underground terrorist network called “Sapience.”
“In a war, you wield every weapon you have, including words. Especially words."
The story is told in third-person past-tense, entirely from the viewpoint of Donovan Reyes, the 17-year-old son of the Prime Liaison (essentially the most influential human on Earth, given his rapport with the zhree.) Donovan is also an Exo—physiologically augmented at a young age with alien technology that provides him with a reflexive armor skin. Ever striving to please his distant, unpleasable father, he works as a somewhat gung-ho officer for the Global Security and Pacification Forces (SecPac.) Donovan’s eagerness to prove himself lands him in tremendous danger when he is captured by Sapience and held for collateral. But the terrorists are a bit more complicated than the mindless hate group they appear to be… and to some of them, Donovan may prove to be more inconveniently human than they would prefer to believe.
Fonda Lee’s fresh voice for the futuristic comes through with unique strength and solid worldbuilding. This book bears some execution similarity to her debut stand-alone, Zeroboxer, in that it is told from the lone POV of a young, standout male. But from there it diverges tremendously. Having read her first book, this reader found EXO more notably memorable and compelling. A large part of this is owed to the complexity of the issues being covered, and the author’s multi-dimensional handling of them: parental neglect/abandonment; politics; nebulous ethics; prejudice; hatred; propaganda; group loyalty; fear-mongering; sentience; terrorism, supremacy, and extremist mindsets… all received different angles of examination, and little by way of black-and-white conclusions. There are no easy answers.
The Trope Twist
Speaking of “no easy answers,” extra kudos for premise originality.
The aliens featured in this book aren’t genocidal, resource-greedy, or evil—but they are ALIEN in nearly every sense of the word. Lee does a remarkable job of making theirs a flawed-yet-sympathetic race. The zhree are at a severe relatability disadvantage--having no reference for understanding humanity’s drive for “freedom” from perceived oppression, and no comprehension of their familial units (as they are egg-laying hermaphrodites.) The cultural and technological differences between their civilization and humanity is immense, and much of the tragedy of their initial arrival is owed to misunderstandings and miscommunications on both sides. In the eyes of the zhree, they are benevolent overseers. By their logic, Earth needed to be made into an outlying colony to protect it from the very real threat of their enemies, the Rii—who DO operate on a planet-raping genocidal level.
In some ways, this book almost feels like two different works welded together. The first half of the book moves along at a steady, rapid clip—fraught with compelling character exploration and tense plot development. There is a fascinating element of Stockholm syndrome, as well as its opposite (which, this reader discovered through research inspired by this book, is referred to as Lima syndrome.) But at the halfway point, the paradigm shifts—and with it the pacing and drive of the story. Some readers may find it more of an effort to get through the second portion. Those reading for the romantic angle may ultimately be disappointed with the way that thread resolves—however open-ended. (This reader could have done without it altogether. There just wasn’t enough substance for me to feel invested in Donovan’s love interest.)
Overall, this is a rare kind of read—one that begs difficult questions and opens up potential talking points on a myriad of speculative (and not-so speculative) topics.
Suit up, sci-fi fans—this isn’t your standard fare alien invasion plot.
Several generations after being overtaken by a vastly different and technologically superior alien race called the zhree, humanity is divided on their perception of the occupation. Those who’ve strived for a peaceful and mutually beneficent co-existence live close to the zhree and enjoy their technological benefits. Those who’ve proven problematic or of no particular use live in early 21st century conditions. And those who openly continue to resist have formed an underground terrorist network called “Sapience.”
“In a war, you wield every weapon you have, including words. Especially words."
The story is told in third-person past-tense, entirely from the viewpoint of Donovan Reyes, the 17-year-old son of the Prime Liaison (essentially the most influential human on Earth, given his rapport with the zhree.) Donovan is also an Exo—physiologically augmented at a young age with alien technology that provides him with a reflexive armor skin. Ever striving to please his distant, unpleasable father, he works as a somewhat gung-ho officer for the Global Security and Pacification Forces (SecPac.) Donovan’s eagerness to prove himself lands him in tremendous danger when he is captured by Sapience and held for collateral. But the terrorists are a bit more complicated than the mindless hate group they appear to be… and to some of them, Donovan may prove to be more inconveniently human than they would prefer to believe.
Fonda Lee’s fresh voice for the futuristic comes through with unique strength and solid worldbuilding. This book bears some execution similarity to her debut stand-alone, Zeroboxer, in that it is told from the lone POV of a young, standout male. But from there it diverges tremendously. Having read her first book, this reader found EXO more notably memorable and compelling. A large part of this is owed to the complexity of the issues being covered, and the author’s multi-dimensional handling of them: parental neglect/abandonment; politics; nebulous ethics; prejudice; hatred; propaganda; group loyalty; fear-mongering; sentience; terrorism, supremacy, and extremist mindsets… all received different angles of examination, and little by way of black-and-white conclusions. There are no easy answers.
The Trope Twist
Speaking of “no easy answers,” extra kudos for premise originality.
The aliens featured in this book aren’t genocidal, resource-greedy, or evil—but they are ALIEN in nearly every sense of the word. Lee does a remarkable job of making theirs a flawed-yet-sympathetic race. The zhree are at a severe relatability disadvantage--having no reference for understanding humanity’s drive for “freedom” from perceived oppression, and no comprehension of their familial units (as they are egg-laying hermaphrodites.) The cultural and technological differences between their civilization and humanity is immense, and much of the tragedy of their initial arrival is owed to misunderstandings and miscommunications on both sides. In the eyes of the zhree, they are benevolent overseers. By their logic, Earth needed to be made into an outlying colony to protect it from the very real threat of their enemies, the Rii—who DO operate on a planet-raping genocidal level.
In some ways, this book almost feels like two different works welded together. The first half of the book moves along at a steady, rapid clip—fraught with compelling character exploration and tense plot development. There is a fascinating element of Stockholm syndrome, as well as its opposite (which, this reader discovered through research inspired by this book, is referred to as Lima syndrome.) But at the halfway point, the paradigm shifts—and with it the pacing and drive of the story. Some readers may find it more of an effort to get through the second portion. Those reading for the romantic angle may ultimately be disappointed with the way that thread resolves—however open-ended. (This reader could have done without it altogether. There just wasn’t enough substance for me to feel invested in Donovan’s love interest.)
Overall, this is a rare kind of read—one that begs difficult questions and opens up potential talking points on a myriad of speculative (and not-so speculative) topics.
October 7, 2019
Well...it ain't no Jade City.
Exo is a case of great premise with strong world building and conceptual foundations, but tepid characterizations and plot. A century before, an alien race called the zhree landed on Earth and declared it one of several far flung outposts in its empire. As you'd expect, humans weren't initially thrilled with the idea, but in time, thanks to the alien's willingness to share advanced technology, humanity has accepted their alien overlords. A small segment of humans, known as Sapience, however, continue to fight alien rule, largely through acts of terrorism.
Donovan Reyes is an exo, a supersoldier augmented with zhree technology (an exoskeleton). He and his brothers- and sisters-in-arms spend much of their time patrolling the rougher parts of town, rooting out human insurrectionists. When a routine arrest goes awry, Donovan is captured by Sapience. There he meets a girl (because, of course he does) and begins to develop a more nuanced view of the zhree occupation of Earth.
The world building is solid, meaning the complexities of an Earth that is largely run by an occupying alien race are fully developed. The situation is essential one where a colonial power uses superior technology to oppress a native population, but softens the blow by sharing its technology with the "savages," as it were. And as often happens, a portion of the indigenous race goes along with the subjugation, enjoying privilege and power as a consequence. Those who resist, however, find themselves living as less-than-second-class citizens on their own planet.
The premise, though strong, can't make up for cardboard characters. Donovan and Anya, his love interest, have zero chemistry, and individually their personalities are flatter than crepes at a fancy restaurant. Usually, YA romance goes overboard, with the hormonal angst dial to nuclear. And usually, I find the emphasis on crazy-teen-monkey-love annoying. Exo, however, takes a different tack, with a romance that's so low-key, one wonders why it's there at all.
The initial plot revs up fast, with Donovan getting himself captured in the first pages, but that situation is resolved easily and the stakes don't start to elevate until the last third of the book. Even then, the conflict sort of fizzles, and the entire novel feels like a very long, plodding backstory exercise; set up for the next book.
The most interesting character aspect was one character's name: Vercingetorix. Vercingetorix was the chieftain of the Averni Gallic tribe and he managed to briefly unite the warring tribes of Gaul against Rome during Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. I assumed, given a name with that provenance, the character was gonna do something cool, or surprising, but alas, this wasn't the case.
Entertaining enough to read from cover to cover, but it's unlikely I'll continue on to the next book.
Exo is a case of great premise with strong world building and conceptual foundations, but tepid characterizations and plot. A century before, an alien race called the zhree landed on Earth and declared it one of several far flung outposts in its empire. As you'd expect, humans weren't initially thrilled with the idea, but in time, thanks to the alien's willingness to share advanced technology, humanity has accepted their alien overlords. A small segment of humans, known as Sapience, however, continue to fight alien rule, largely through acts of terrorism.
Donovan Reyes is an exo, a supersoldier augmented with zhree technology (an exoskeleton). He and his brothers- and sisters-in-arms spend much of their time patrolling the rougher parts of town, rooting out human insurrectionists. When a routine arrest goes awry, Donovan is captured by Sapience. There he meets a girl (because, of course he does) and begins to develop a more nuanced view of the zhree occupation of Earth.
The world building is solid, meaning the complexities of an Earth that is largely run by an occupying alien race are fully developed. The situation is essential one where a colonial power uses superior technology to oppress a native population, but softens the blow by sharing its technology with the "savages," as it were. And as often happens, a portion of the indigenous race goes along with the subjugation, enjoying privilege and power as a consequence. Those who resist, however, find themselves living as less-than-second-class citizens on their own planet.
The premise, though strong, can't make up for cardboard characters. Donovan and Anya, his love interest, have zero chemistry, and individually their personalities are flatter than crepes at a fancy restaurant. Usually, YA romance goes overboard, with the hormonal angst dial to nuclear. And usually, I find the emphasis on crazy-teen-monkey-love annoying. Exo, however, takes a different tack, with a romance that's so low-key, one wonders why it's there at all.
The initial plot revs up fast, with Donovan getting himself captured in the first pages, but that situation is resolved easily and the stakes don't start to elevate until the last third of the book. Even then, the conflict sort of fizzles, and the entire novel feels like a very long, plodding backstory exercise; set up for the next book.
The most interesting character aspect was one character's name: Vercingetorix. Vercingetorix was the chieftain of the Averni Gallic tribe and he managed to briefly unite the warring tribes of Gaul against Rome during Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. I assumed, given a name with that provenance, the character was gonna do something cool, or surprising, but alas, this wasn't the case.
Entertaining enough to read from cover to cover, but it's unlikely I'll continue on to the next book.
November 22, 2018
I'm not going to downstar this because it's a YA book and I am decades away from being a YA. I think it does a good job of being a YA book.
There's a solid enough plot, and a good array of non-obvious moral choices.
Our hero's extreme moral righteousness is for once well explained as inherited.
The world-building is believable enough.
The characters? Well, lookit, I just finished the book an hour ago and I've already forgotten the hero's name. The characters are mostly there to surround him ((Donovan). Saul's too soft and Jevid too hard to be credible.
But I award a point for naming a character Vercingetorix (Jet) - go on, Google the V name -- and I award one for Donovan making exactly the sort of mistakes someone his age would be expected to make.
I'll read the next one of these, although I'd rather read Jade City 2.
There's a solid enough plot, and a good array of non-obvious moral choices.
Our hero's extreme moral righteousness is for once well explained as inherited.
The world-building is believable enough.
The characters? Well, lookit, I just finished the book an hour ago and I've already forgotten the hero's name. The characters are mostly there to surround him ((Donovan). Saul's too soft and Jevid too hard to be credible.
But I award a point for naming a character Vercingetorix (Jet) - go on, Google the V name -- and I award one for Donovan making exactly the sort of mistakes someone his age would be expected to make.
I'll read the next one of these, although I'd rather read Jade City 2.
February 19, 2018
This was a YA sci-fi novel that was smart. Taking place on an earth that has been colonized by an alien race, it explores the ideas of colonialism, suppression, indoctrination, rebellion, trying to retain culture, and the many shades of grey involved.
Other people have written wonderfully thought out reviews. I particularly recommend the review of CW (Read Think Ponder). She breaks it all down brilliantly!
I literally bought this book because of a blind book shopping challenge, having not known anything about it. This book is seriously under-hyped. Go read it!
Other people have written wonderfully thought out reviews. I particularly recommend the review of CW (Read Think Ponder). She breaks it all down brilliantly!
I literally bought this book because of a blind book shopping challenge, having not known anything about it. This book is seriously under-hyped. Go read it!
April 20, 2020
(3.5)
there were times where i was like i want more angst!!! (& yeah i'm surprised too), but that was mostly i wanted to dwell more on donovan's emotions, also the romance was mostly boring and somewhat underdeveloped. BUT the fact remains this is the second audiobook in existence i have enjoyed listening to and the angst that there was was exquisite
there were times where i was like i want more angst!!! (& yeah i'm surprised too), but that was mostly i wanted to dwell more on donovan's emotions, also the romance was mostly boring and somewhat underdeveloped. BUT the fact remains this is the second audiobook in existence i have enjoyed listening to and the angst that there was was exquisite
February 19, 2019
Exo is a teen family drama set during an alien occupation of Earth. It is very much a young adult novel. I never read young adult books as a young adult - I was a literary snob back then - but I am trying it a little more now. I read an article by Lee in Locus Magazine (https://locusmag.com/2018/05/fonda-le...) that convinced me that young adult science fiction deserves more attention.
I have mixed feelings about this book. Like I said, it is very young adult. It is the first book I can remember reading that felt like it was written only for teens. More importantly, it has many stereotypically young adult elements. It bothered me just how much the world of Exo revolves around a teenage boy. I also had limited patience for the family drama at the center of the story. I still debate in my head whether Anya was a forced romantic interest or a genuine relationship prospect. I could not stand the exo puberty flashback that ground the book to a halt. It is hard for me to judge the merit of these inclusions because I am clearly not the target audience.
That said, I never really disliked the book. The world is interesting, if only partially explored (Lee has good discipline about which elements to describe in depth and which to only reference). The zhree seem like one of the coolest alien species I have ever read. The image of the six eyes opening and closing to focus is fascinating. The exocel armor and the rituals around it are unique to my memory. The conflict among the Mur Erzen, the Rii, and the human Sapience terrorists is intriguing. I especially loved that Lee subverted expectations by making the occupying aliens genuinely benevolent (I was convinced when Administrator Seir tells the High Speaker that humans could eventually become an interstellar species). I want to see more of this world. I hope that the Mur Erzen and Rii are explored intimately in the sequel.
I have seen Exo classified as a dystopia. That is silly. It is another example of lazy classification because it is easier to sell young adult science fiction as dystopian. That said, I also struggle to call this work optimistic. Sure, life is not awful. There are some cool futuristic elements to this world. However, this world is too messy and ambiguous to be truly optimistic. More importantly, the ending is completely in doubt. There is no indication whether future developments will be positive or negative.
Donovan himself feels like a realistic teen. He has a lot of responsibility, and he wants to live up to the expectations his friends and family have for him. Still, he is emotional and impulsive. He makes some startlingly stupid decisions. At times, I felt like beating some sense into him. (He really needed to get a nice exo girlfriend to get over the Sapience terrorist Anya.) However, the decisions he made were understandable enough to always keep him just on the right side of insufferable.
Despite my mixed feelings while reading Exo, Lee managed to hook me with the ending. I want to see if the Mur Erzen stay on Earth. I want to see the Rii invasion. I even want to see how Donovan handles his newfound responsibility. It is very rare for sequel bait to work on me, and Lee deserves some praise for that.
CHARACTER LIST (abridged)
Score: 3.5/5
I have mixed feelings about this book. Like I said, it is very young adult. It is the first book I can remember reading that felt like it was written only for teens. More importantly, it has many stereotypically young adult elements. It bothered me just how much the world of Exo revolves around a teenage boy. I also had limited patience for the family drama at the center of the story. I still debate in my head whether Anya was a forced romantic interest or a genuine relationship prospect. I could not stand the exo puberty flashback that ground the book to a halt. It is hard for me to judge the merit of these inclusions because I am clearly not the target audience.
That said, I never really disliked the book. The world is interesting, if only partially explored (Lee has good discipline about which elements to describe in depth and which to only reference). The zhree seem like one of the coolest alien species I have ever read. The image of the six eyes opening and closing to focus is fascinating. The exocel armor and the rituals around it are unique to my memory. The conflict among the Mur Erzen, the Rii, and the human Sapience terrorists is intriguing. I especially loved that Lee subverted expectations by making the occupying aliens genuinely benevolent (I was convinced when Administrator Seir tells the High Speaker that humans could eventually become an interstellar species). I want to see more of this world. I hope that the Mur Erzen and Rii are explored intimately in the sequel.
I have seen Exo classified as a dystopia. That is silly. It is another example of lazy classification because it is easier to sell young adult science fiction as dystopian. That said, I also struggle to call this work optimistic. Sure, life is not awful. There are some cool futuristic elements to this world. However, this world is too messy and ambiguous to be truly optimistic. More importantly, the ending is completely in doubt. There is no indication whether future developments will be positive or negative.
Donovan himself feels like a realistic teen. He has a lot of responsibility, and he wants to live up to the expectations his friends and family have for him. Still, he is emotional and impulsive. He makes some startlingly stupid decisions. At times, I felt like beating some sense into him. (He really needed to get a nice exo girlfriend to get over the Sapience terrorist Anya.) However, the decisions he made were understandable enough to always keep him just on the right side of insufferable.
Despite my mixed feelings while reading Exo, Lee managed to hook me with the ending. I want to see if the Mur Erzen stay on Earth. I want to see the Rii invasion. I even want to see how Donovan handles his newfound responsibility. It is very rare for sequel bait to work on me, and Lee deserves some praise for that.
CHARACTER LIST (abridged)
Score: 3.5/5
October 1, 2020
Y’all, I was genuinely expecting that Exo would effortlessly become a new favorite of mine, but I guess not even my author queen Fonda Lee’s phenomenal writing can overcome my complete lack of interest in alien colonization stories.
Yes, there were a lot of nuances in this story that numerous science fiction involving alien invasions tend to overlook. And yes, Fonda demonstrated her skills in world-building and in writing tension. And yes, I think that objectively speaking, Exo is a masterfully written sci-fi book. But by the end of the day, the only alien invasion stories I’m interested in are found within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Exo just isn’t for me.
Recommended*
Yes, there were a lot of nuances in this story that numerous science fiction involving alien invasions tend to overlook. And yes, Fonda demonstrated her skills in world-building and in writing tension. And yes, I think that objectively speaking, Exo is a masterfully written sci-fi book. But by the end of the day, the only alien invasion stories I’m interested in are found within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Exo just isn’t for me.
Recommended*
March 15, 2017
I expected more from this book. I didn't like the characters--human or alien. Also, there wasn't much action; the story was too slow. I did the the technology in this book. That was the most interesting part of this story.
August 4, 2018
Just not up my alley and pretty predictable. Although there was the colonization aspect of it that was interesting.
October 6, 2022
i read this book a couple years ago, and all i remember is that it was really boring, and then got interesting at the end. no profound effect was made on me, so three stars it is.
August 5, 2018
The romance was abrupt and uncalled for, the switch from yay-aliens to yay-humans was meh at best (and was NOT helped by the /oh mommy/ issue, that was just plain cliche), the kid in the middle of a messy divorce was not depicted with any of the appropriate drama, and I kept finding myself mentally revising the phrasing of the sentences...
On the upside, I enjoyed the concept. The exocels are cool, and the dustmites in a bigger drama aspect is totally spot-on believable. But other than that, this book just didn't land...
On the upside, I enjoyed the concept. The exocels are cool, and the dustmites in a bigger drama aspect is totally spot-on believable. But other than that, this book just didn't land...
August 1, 2025
This one is tricky to rate. I think to be fair I would call it a 3. But the series overall.. probably a 4. Because of book 2, and because of the setting.
The problem is that I didn't feel super invested in any of the characters. Fonda Lee's Jade City series was a 5 star series for me, and I also like YA, but this one.. the characterization just felt flimsy and rushed. Sure, I like Donovan. But I don't really get Anya. And I didn't know anything about his team. A lot of similar YA series that do this well do it well because you really get invested into the team as a whole. Thinking of Ender's Game, or even Sanderson's Skyward (mostly did not like after the first book, but the first book was great). Here, sure, Leon likes to draw half naked humanoids. Jet is a rule follower. Vic is hot. All of this was tell, not show. So by the time in Book 2, when .
But you know what the series did astonishingly well? It painted the picture of a plausible sci fi future world in which humanity is dominated by a superior alien species that treats it as subservient. Where there are "terrorist" rebels and "collaborator" humans. And seeing the story from a collaborator teen's perspective was fascinating. It was so hard to say "this side is right and this side is wrong." My judgment on that kept going back and forth.
And what was also so interesting was thinking about parallel historical events. Japanese imperial rule of China/Korea, etc. Collaborators were so despised, I didn't second think it. But here, the collaborators are very sympathetic. Does it make a difference that it's another species? Shouldn't collaborating be worse? But what if it truly was the only way for humanity to survive? But what about all the inequality? What about being subservient to aliens, and then being superior to ordinary humans? Of course the aliens with superior technology and strength couldn't see humans as equal. We cannot even see people of another race as equal in xenophobic societies on Earth. Not just in the past, even now. I can hardly blame the zhree. But do we give the exo humans a pass?
So, although I felt this series was weak in terms of characters, the setting.. the setting was worth the price of admission. And the second book did wrap up in a way that WARNING SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE SERIES . A lot to think about.
The problem is that I didn't feel super invested in any of the characters. Fonda Lee's Jade City series was a 5 star series for me, and I also like YA, but this one.. the characterization just felt flimsy and rushed. Sure, I like Donovan. But I don't really get Anya. And I didn't know anything about his team. A lot of similar YA series that do this well do it well because you really get invested into the team as a whole. Thinking of Ender's Game, or even Sanderson's Skyward (mostly did not like after the first book, but the first book was great). Here, sure, Leon likes to draw half naked humanoids. Jet is a rule follower. Vic is hot. All of this was tell, not show. So by the time in Book 2, when .
But you know what the series did astonishingly well? It painted the picture of a plausible sci fi future world in which humanity is dominated by a superior alien species that treats it as subservient. Where there are "terrorist" rebels and "collaborator" humans. And seeing the story from a collaborator teen's perspective was fascinating. It was so hard to say "this side is right and this side is wrong." My judgment on that kept going back and forth.
And what was also so interesting was thinking about parallel historical events. Japanese imperial rule of China/Korea, etc. Collaborators were so despised, I didn't second think it. But here, the collaborators are very sympathetic. Does it make a difference that it's another species? Shouldn't collaborating be worse? But what if it truly was the only way for humanity to survive? But what about all the inequality? What about being subservient to aliens, and then being superior to ordinary humans? Of course the aliens with superior technology and strength couldn't see humans as equal. We cannot even see people of another race as equal in xenophobic societies on Earth. Not just in the past, even now. I can hardly blame the zhree. But do we give the exo humans a pass?
So, although I felt this series was weak in terms of characters, the setting.. the setting was worth the price of admission. And the second book did wrap up in a way that WARNING SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE SERIES . A lot to think about.
August 9, 2020
I fell in love with Fonda Lee’s writing after reading Jade City so I knew I had to check this series out. While Jade City is much more fantasy, Exo is hard sci-fi. And how refreshing!!
It has been a looong time since I’ve read any hard sci-fi. I became absolutely obsessed with sci-fi, especially space and alien hard sci-fi, after reading Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein as a teenager. I read nearly all of his books and LOVED them.
However as I’ve gotten older, I’ve strayed more and more from the genre which is so dominated by white men who just write abhorrent women characters. I don’t read Heinlein anymore because I know that I just wouldn’t be able to stand reading the formulaic sex bomb women he always put in his books and that I essentially ignored growing up.
This book certainly does the exact opposite in terms of true and believable character depth regardless of gender.
Exo follows the story of Donovan, a 17-year old Stripe who is the son of the Prime Liaison of Earth. Depending on who you’d ask on this future Earth, the planet is now either shared with or occupied by an alien race called the Zhree. The Zhree have a special type of bio-armor that they adapt for certain humans to be able to be “hardened” with. Hardened humans become Exos and help the Zhree keep peace on planet Earth (or keep planet Earth oppressed depending on your perspective) which is now one of their colonies.
Donovan is a sort of cop or peacekeeper for SecPac (Global Security & Pacification Forces) who works to suppress the human revolutionaries called Sapience who are trying to gain freedom from the Zhree and end alien rule on Earth. Donovan ends up getting abducted by these terrorists or freedom fighters and his entire view of the world and belief system is challenged.
What I loved most about this book is that the entire time, I had no idea which side I would be on, Sapience or SecPac.
Would I be embracing the superior alien technology and opportunity brought by the Zhree even if it meant humans no longer governed themselves? I mean humans are pretty trash at governing ourselves.
Or would I be a Sapience freedom fighter/terrorist working to violently overthrow the alien colonizers no matter who died along the way?
This is is a super cool sci-fi with plenty of awesome technology and interesting alien culture. It’s also an incredibly human story making you ask yourself deep questions about right and wrong when the world is so gray and the people we love are on two opposing sides.
It has been a looong time since I’ve read any hard sci-fi. I became absolutely obsessed with sci-fi, especially space and alien hard sci-fi, after reading Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein as a teenager. I read nearly all of his books and LOVED them.
However as I’ve gotten older, I’ve strayed more and more from the genre which is so dominated by white men who just write abhorrent women characters. I don’t read Heinlein anymore because I know that I just wouldn’t be able to stand reading the formulaic sex bomb women he always put in his books and that I essentially ignored growing up.
This book certainly does the exact opposite in terms of true and believable character depth regardless of gender.
Exo follows the story of Donovan, a 17-year old Stripe who is the son of the Prime Liaison of Earth. Depending on who you’d ask on this future Earth, the planet is now either shared with or occupied by an alien race called the Zhree. The Zhree have a special type of bio-armor that they adapt for certain humans to be able to be “hardened” with. Hardened humans become Exos and help the Zhree keep peace on planet Earth (or keep planet Earth oppressed depending on your perspective) which is now one of their colonies.
Donovan is a sort of cop or peacekeeper for SecPac (Global Security & Pacification Forces) who works to suppress the human revolutionaries called Sapience who are trying to gain freedom from the Zhree and end alien rule on Earth. Donovan ends up getting abducted by these terrorists or freedom fighters and his entire view of the world and belief system is challenged.
What I loved most about this book is that the entire time, I had no idea which side I would be on, Sapience or SecPac.
Would I be embracing the superior alien technology and opportunity brought by the Zhree even if it meant humans no longer governed themselves? I mean humans are pretty trash at governing ourselves.
Or would I be a Sapience freedom fighter/terrorist working to violently overthrow the alien colonizers no matter who died along the way?
This is is a super cool sci-fi with plenty of awesome technology and interesting alien culture. It’s also an incredibly human story making you ask yourself deep questions about right and wrong when the world is so gray and the people we love are on two opposing sides.
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January 13, 2022While there are some ideas I liked, like this kind of symbiotic relationship between human and exosuit from the alien race, and the idea that people stand divided without being completly right or completly wrong... i mean, both sides have good points and both of them want for humans to survive... Although I kinda side with those against the exos, as they seem to be more pro freedom and there seems to be sth shady going on for the people Hardened to wear exos... Are they brainwashed? Trained since little to believe their side is the only good one?
Getting back to the “while there are some ideas that I liked” point, I have to say there were some things I didn't. While the characters hold promise I think they are missing a bit of personification? Being more fleshed out? As ideas they are okay, but I would have loved to see more about what makes them tick. Specially Donovan with Annie (so far I don't get why are they invested on each other, seemed a bit cliché), more about Donovan's conflict with his parents... About the different sides of pro alieans and pro human freedoom. I think more pages to delve into all of this would have made it all more fleshed out and believable. To see all sides to the conflict, to learn more about the alien ocupation and how humans reacted and react, having Donovan question everything he knows and reconstruct himself around it, around his new relationships... In a more profound way, that shaked his core belief in a more shocking believable way?
Getting back to the “while there are some ideas that I liked” point, I have to say there were some things I didn't. While the characters hold promise I think they are missing a bit of personification? Being more fleshed out? As ideas they are okay, but I would have loved to see more about what makes them tick. Specially Donovan with Annie (so far I don't get why are they invested on each other, seemed a bit cliché), more about Donovan's conflict with his parents... About the different sides of pro alieans and pro human freedoom. I think more pages to delve into all of this would have made it all more fleshed out and believable. To see all sides to the conflict, to learn more about the alien ocupation and how humans reacted and react, having Donovan question everything he knows and reconstruct himself around it, around his new relationships... In a more profound way, that shaked his core belief in a more shocking believable way?
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