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Tinkered Stars
Crudrat
Maura is doomed to starve. Her space station has no further use for her.
New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger brings you a fast-paced young adult scifi adventure featuring a capable heroine, her adorable pet, and the alien they accidentally rescue.
Abandoned
Outcast
Crudrat
With only her crud-eating murmel and a fuzzy alien stranger to help, Maura must find a way to survive, before they catch her and blow what’s left of her life into space.
In the far future, on a space-port the size of a city, crudrats scrape out a meager living cleaning the great machines that generate usable power. Only children can safely traverse the cramped tunnels and the massive blades that harvest crud. But one misstep and a crudrat gets caught on a blade edge and killed. Like rats, they scurry through the bulkheads, duty-bound to clean the air ducts so everyone else can breathe.
But, when they grow too big to be useful, they become outcasts. Now one of the forgotten, Maura might just be able to turn rejection into escape – if she’s resourceful enough.
New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger brings you a fast-paced young adult scifi adventure featuring a capable heroine, her adorable pet, and the alien they accidentally rescue.
Abandoned
Outcast
Crudrat
With only her crud-eating murmel and a fuzzy alien stranger to help, Maura must find a way to survive, before they catch her and blow what’s left of her life into space.
In the far future, on a space-port the size of a city, crudrats scrape out a meager living cleaning the great machines that generate usable power. Only children can safely traverse the cramped tunnels and the massive blades that harvest crud. But one misstep and a crudrat gets caught on a blade edge and killed. Like rats, they scurry through the bulkheads, duty-bound to clean the air ducts so everyone else can breathe.
But, when they grow too big to be useful, they become outcasts. Now one of the forgotten, Maura might just be able to turn rejection into escape – if she’s resourceful enough.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2014
About the author
Gail Carriger
59 books15.2k followersGail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and the sexy San Andreas Shifter series as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate and the Finishing School series. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea. Join the Chirrup for sneak peaks of upcoming giggles: http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
June 11, 2022
I loved the story, but oh my gosh was it poorly proofread. Or not at all. I'm talking three misspellings in a page sometimes. Considering this was a re-release, I'm not even sure what to think. The wrong file uploaded to the Kindle edition or something? (I'm really starting to think it is, cause there's a sample at the end of my copy of a related book to come, and it starts with "change this to that" and stuff...)
But anyway, I loved the story well enough, and it has that peculiar tone that authors who don't normally write scifi put in their scifi books. That's good and it's refreshing, because they don't go for the typical tropes or settings in scifi. That said, this was a YA dystopia, and some things were fairly typical for one, some didn't even make sense and seemed to be there only to fit the theme of the evil dystopian society, to check a box. But even that said, it did not take away from the enjoyment. I devoured this in a day and a half and it was time well spent. I also kind of wish it had a sequel.
But anyway, I loved the story well enough, and it has that peculiar tone that authors who don't normally write scifi put in their scifi books. That's good and it's refreshing, because they don't go for the typical tropes or settings in scifi. That said, this was a YA dystopia, and some things were fairly typical for one, some didn't even make sense and seemed to be there only to fit the theme of the evil dystopian society, to check a box. But even that said, it did not take away from the enjoyment. I devoured this in a day and a half and it was time well spent. I also kind of wish it had a sequel.
May 1, 2018
This is a great YA story set in the far future, in space, and tells the story of Maura, a twelve-year-old girl who lives on a space station where everyone and everything is controlled by implants -- and the children who for some reason reject this implant are summarily rejected from society, regardless of their family's status. They become Cyphers, non-citizens, without any rights or support. Their only recourse is to become crudrats, a dangerous, slave-like life with a very short life expectancy (and, of course, vital to the function of the space station). And if they survive this cruel and dangerous existence, by developing skills and talents that few others have, they will live long enough to grow too big for the work, getting thrown out from the only thing they are permitted to do. This is what happens to Maura at the start of the book, leaving her two options: starve to death or get "spaced" for using precious air that should be saved for her betters. And then she spies something very interesting: a captured alien creature on the station, and decides to save it.
I listened to the full-cast audio version of the book, which is engaging and a lot of fun, though a bit amateurish in parts, not always doing total justice to the text. The characters are interesting and the would-building is good, but leaving you wanting to know more. I liked that the protagonist lacks the entitled "poor me" attitude of so many YA protags, even though she is faced with very hard, and often unfair, challenges.The ending feels like a setup for further stories.
I listened to the full-cast audio version of the book, which is engaging and a lot of fun, though a bit amateurish in parts, not always doing total justice to the text. The characters are interesting and the would-building is good, but leaving you wanting to know more. I liked that the protagonist lacks the entitled "poor me" attitude of so many YA protags, even though she is faced with very hard, and often unfair, challenges.The ending feels like a setup for further stories.
August 5, 2017
That was a fun YA scifi story. It certainly left me wanting more without the need for cliff hanger or next-book tricks.
March 15, 2014
The universe expanded fast.
Crudat keeps a great pace, ever answer creates more questions making you race till the end.
Starting from small and cramped to the roofless possibilities of endless space, Gail has built a world from the inside out and then goes beyond. You don’t need a Cypher to see the hints to an underlying mythology that will tie the universes and characters together as the series continues.
This one is looking forward to experiencing Maura’s journey again as a full cast audio book when it’s released in April.
Crudat keeps a great pace, ever answer creates more questions making you race till the end.
Starting from small and cramped to the roofless possibilities of endless space, Gail has built a world from the inside out and then goes beyond. You don’t need a Cypher to see the hints to an underlying mythology that will tie the universes and characters together as the series continues.
This one is looking forward to experiencing Maura’s journey again as a full cast audio book when it’s released in April.
August 23, 2022
Maura is an outcast, working as a cleaner on the space station ducts until she gets to big for that. Within a week she is kicked out, rescues and alien and travels to a new world…
Why I started this book: Needed a fun book this month, as I traveling has limited my reading time.
Why I finished it: Very compelling and exciting story… with the opportunity for more. Nothing listed yet, but I will have to keep my eye out for more Maura adventures.
Why I started this book: Needed a fun book this month, as I traveling has limited my reading time.
Why I finished it: Very compelling and exciting story… with the opportunity for more. Nothing listed yet, but I will have to keep my eye out for more Maura adventures.
June 20, 2023
Great book. The story is good, world building is good, and I enjoyed the characters. I thought the Killki mayor was unfair in her treatment of Maura, even if she was portrayed as being fair, but it seems like she was honourable in her own way. I don't particularly like some of the judgement and high-handedness, but that is part of the story.
I did like the scope of the story, Maura finding her way in this new society. I'm very much looking forward to a sequel!
I did like the scope of the story, Maura finding her way in this new society. I'm very much looking forward to a sequel!
April 19, 2022
4.5 stars for this fun, strange, addicting little read. Crudrat is a unique experience and I loved it. It glories in its oddity, it’s strangeness and I can’t fault it for that 😁😁, I enjoyed the world building, the characters and their own discoveries along the way. I wasn’t sure what I would get out of a book named Crudrat, but it was sheer enjoyment :)
November 26, 2023
2023 bk 239 A delightful Science Fiction story not in anyway related to other books by Carriger. I wanted it to be part of other series, but then I really became enchanted with the two main characters and how a young woman adapts to living in an entirely different world that what she has ever known.
Very enjoyable.
Very enjoyable.
Read
January 16, 2024DNF ~4%
I went into this expecting it may be a DNF, and it was, but that's fully a me thing. YA/middle-grade has a hard time keeping my attention these days, and I just didn't enjoy the POV / written voice in this one.
I went into this expecting it may be a DNF, and it was, but that's fully a me thing. YA/middle-grade has a hard time keeping my attention these days, and I just didn't enjoy the POV / written voice in this one.
February 5, 2020
I did not think it will be as good as it was. I really liked this one. the 1st half was trying to understand terminology once you have that down really enjoyable
December 11, 2021
The audio is lots of fun and the world building is interesting and very well done. The characters are also interesting and my only issue is I felt it ends without a real resolution.
September 19, 2022
Delightful. Would love to read a sequel. And now I want a pet murmel.
May 23, 2022
This is YA sci-fi, but a completely suitable adult read. I enjoy stories which immerse in a universe without pages of info-dumps. Which this was. Told from Maura’s perspective, but not first-person. The main story “worthy young person, rejected by society, does good” is not that original, but the world-building and storytelling definitely is.
Most interesting was that Ms Garringer avoided the “super hero” trap. While Maura is and does good, she is not a full success in her new society. And I highly liked Maura’s viewpoint, which was - to use an overused cliché - refreshingly honest.
Between 4 and 5, somewhat closer to 4. And I‘D be definitely in for any follow-up.
Most interesting was that Ms Garringer avoided the “super hero” trap. While Maura is and does good, she is not a full success in her new society. And I highly liked Maura’s viewpoint, which was - to use an overused cliché - refreshingly honest.
Between 4 and 5, somewhat closer to 4. And I‘D be definitely in for any follow-up.
April 23, 2023
This was rather slow and mostly world building and an introduction to the characters. Interesting world and characters.
March 29, 2020
Mara is a crudrat, a blue haired silver eyed pipe-cleaner of sorts, at a space-station. One of the best ones, but getting too old for her job. Then things happens.
I like this one, but the beginning is a bit too long. It gets a faster more tightly paced as it moves along.
Unusual for me to listen to a full cast audio production, but after a while it works.
A few issues with the production and my listening, the background sounds can be a bit much and one of the voices was hard to understand (for me, not a native english speaker) but when I listen it is usually with one (or two) narrators, and no ambient sounds. Could not listen at my usual 1.2 speed, had to slow down to 1.05.
Storywise 4/5
Production 2/5
Too bad this is not available in print.
Also too bad it ends in a sort of cliffhanger.
I belive it is in the same universe as the 5th gender, but on the far side of the galaxy or perhaps diffrent time.
I like this one, but the beginning is a bit too long. It gets a faster more tightly paced as it moves along.
Unusual for me to listen to a full cast audio production, but after a while it works.
A few issues with the production and my listening, the background sounds can be a bit much and one of the voices was hard to understand (for me, not a native english speaker) but when I listen it is usually with one (or two) narrators, and no ambient sounds. Could not listen at my usual 1.2 speed, had to slow down to 1.05.
Storywise 4/5
Production 2/5
Too bad this is not available in print.
Also too bad it ends in a sort of cliffhanger.
I belive it is in the same universe as the 5th gender, but on the far side of the galaxy or perhaps diffrent time.
April 23, 2015
I am consistently impressed (and amused) by Gail Carriger's writing. This book is no exception! The plot is fascinating and the slang she invents for a group of characters is amazing. While this book is sci-fi and not steampunk, I think other Carriger fans will enjoy Crudrat thoroughly.
I also must mention the wonderful full cast audio recording! I loved it! The production quality is very high and the different voices are delightful. A must listen!
I also must mention the wonderful full cast audio recording! I loved it! The production quality is very high and the different voices are delightful. A must listen!
August 5, 2016
This is a change for Carriger. I've loved her other series for their witty dialogue and laugh out loud action. Crudrat is a fast moving story without the humor of her previous offerings. The world building is solid and clearly this is the first in a series. But this is geared more for a middle grade reader more than the Parasol Protectorate, Finishing School, and Custard Protocol series. Take it or leave it. It's a quick read or listen.
FORMAT: Audiobook, full cast.
FORMAT: Audiobook, full cast.
April 3, 2022
this is fantastic
Gail Carriger has done it again. I can’t wait to read the next book. Please please write it quickly! Space-stations, cool aliens, excellent characters, excitement, cute pet..just read it.
Gail Carriger has done it again. I can’t wait to read the next book. Please please write it quickly! Space-stations, cool aliens, excellent characters, excitement, cute pet..just read it.
March 7, 2024
Series Info/Source: This is set in the Tinkered Stars universe but standaalone. I borrowed a copy of this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: I absolutely adore the Tinkered Starsong Trilogy and was incredibly excited to read another book set in that world. This ended up being okay but not nearly as well done or as fun as I expected. I think if I had read this before I read the Tinkered Starsong series I might have been more excited about it. That series set my expectations really high and additionally I didn't get the wonder about learning about this world since I already knew about it from that series.
This story follows Maura, a crudrat, who is getting too big for crud-ratting. Her and a friend start to dream up ways Maura might escape the Wheel. However, they are only dreams until Maura spots an alien getting led to prison and ends up involved in helping him escape.
This started out really slow and I really struggled to engage with Maura and the story. I was hoping that we would learn a lot more about the Wheel and Crudratting here and we do learn a bit more but it just wasn't built out as much as I had hoped. For the first 50% of this book I struggled to stay engaged, I kept putting the book down to find other things to do. There were also a lot of typos in the first parts of the book; misspellings, faulty punctuation...really basic stuff. I really wanted to love this though, so I stuck with it.
The second half of the book was a lot better. Maura gets to experience a new planet and see new species of aliens. I really enjoyed this a lot and thought Maura really came into her own as the story progressed. I loved that she knew her strengths and was happy to live up to those strengths rather than try to meet other people's expectations of her. I also loved that we saw other parts of cultures and aliens that were also talked about in the Tinkered Starsong series, this built out some of the races better for me. I did think things ended very unfinished feeling and would love to see a book that builds out more of Maura's story.
So, I am a bit torn on this one. I really loved the second half of the book but thought the first half was slow and awkward. This book really needs some better editing, luckily I borrowed this from the library and didn't purchase it, so I don't own this poorly edited book. Hopefully they will push out an updated, edited version at some point.
My Summary (3.5/5): Overall I am glad I read this but really struggled with both the beginning of the book and the poor editing. I oscillated between 3 and 4 stars, so ultimately decided on 3.5 stars. The real question is whether or not I will read "The 5th Gender". I am a bit reluctant too because of how poorly edited this book was, but I do love this world and would like to read stories set in it.. I would definitely recommend reading The Tinkered Starsong series over this series. This book does give some additional background on The Wheel, but I am not sure if it was enough background to enhance my enjoyment of The Tinkered Starsong series.
Thoughts: I absolutely adore the Tinkered Starsong Trilogy and was incredibly excited to read another book set in that world. This ended up being okay but not nearly as well done or as fun as I expected. I think if I had read this before I read the Tinkered Starsong series I might have been more excited about it. That series set my expectations really high and additionally I didn't get the wonder about learning about this world since I already knew about it from that series.
This story follows Maura, a crudrat, who is getting too big for crud-ratting. Her and a friend start to dream up ways Maura might escape the Wheel. However, they are only dreams until Maura spots an alien getting led to prison and ends up involved in helping him escape.
This started out really slow and I really struggled to engage with Maura and the story. I was hoping that we would learn a lot more about the Wheel and Crudratting here and we do learn a bit more but it just wasn't built out as much as I had hoped. For the first 50% of this book I struggled to stay engaged, I kept putting the book down to find other things to do. There were also a lot of typos in the first parts of the book; misspellings, faulty punctuation...really basic stuff. I really wanted to love this though, so I stuck with it.
The second half of the book was a lot better. Maura gets to experience a new planet and see new species of aliens. I really enjoyed this a lot and thought Maura really came into her own as the story progressed. I loved that she knew her strengths and was happy to live up to those strengths rather than try to meet other people's expectations of her. I also loved that we saw other parts of cultures and aliens that were also talked about in the Tinkered Starsong series, this built out some of the races better for me. I did think things ended very unfinished feeling and would love to see a book that builds out more of Maura's story.
So, I am a bit torn on this one. I really loved the second half of the book but thought the first half was slow and awkward. This book really needs some better editing, luckily I borrowed this from the library and didn't purchase it, so I don't own this poorly edited book. Hopefully they will push out an updated, edited version at some point.
My Summary (3.5/5): Overall I am glad I read this but really struggled with both the beginning of the book and the poor editing. I oscillated between 3 and 4 stars, so ultimately decided on 3.5 stars. The real question is whether or not I will read "The 5th Gender". I am a bit reluctant too because of how poorly edited this book was, but I do love this world and would like to read stories set in it.. I would definitely recommend reading The Tinkered Starsong series over this series. This book does give some additional background on The Wheel, but I am not sure if it was enough background to enhance my enjoyment of The Tinkered Starsong series.
July 15, 2022
This charmer of a story highlights relationships between lifeforms, first and foremost. It's a YA story filled with intimate bonds that aren't romantic, family dynamics that are both adversarial and caring, and even a starship that was once... well that would be telling.
The story of Crudrat begins in a claustrophobically small space. Our protagonist works inside a scyther tunnel filled with spinning, sharp blades. Maura has spent half her life cleaning those blades free of 'crud', which she feeds to her 'partner' a fuzzy, blue, long tailed, crud-eating murmel. I marveled at her grace as she jumped between the blades. Her livelihood and her life depended on her every move. But she's a growing girl, and is literally outgrowing her job. Which means society is outgrowing any need for her.
So, what will Maura do now that she's outgrowing her job and her life? She hasn't a clue, but as she finds her way, we follow along. I always pay attention to how an author chooses to introduce new settings and circumstances to their readers. In Science Fiction and Fantasy, worldbuilding is especially important, as we're most likely delving into lots of alien territory. I quite enjoy the 'through the eyes of the protagonist' method used in Crudrat. We learn about the space station Maura has lived on all her life, called The Wheel, as she races through it after snitching some food. It's the ultimate 'dine and dash'. Bit by bit, her world grows bigger, and we're there to witness it.
Various nuances of language help highlight the differences between species, such as saying "this one" rather than "I", and the crudratters quirky banter that reminds me of London's chimney sweeps.
Crudrat is an engaging story. It's easy to cheer for the good guys and boo the bad ones. I became emotionally engaged very early on. If you love Sci-Fi, you'll enjoy the Tinkered Stars universe. If you like character-driven stories, this one will leave you feeling satisfied.
Unfortunately, I needed to drop the star rating by a point for the editing and proofreading. It's not good. I hope the author and publisher are getting enough feedback on this problem to correct the errors (I counted about 40) and give this darling little book the polish it deserves.
The story of Crudrat begins in a claustrophobically small space. Our protagonist works inside a scyther tunnel filled with spinning, sharp blades. Maura has spent half her life cleaning those blades free of 'crud', which she feeds to her 'partner' a fuzzy, blue, long tailed, crud-eating murmel. I marveled at her grace as she jumped between the blades. Her livelihood and her life depended on her every move. But she's a growing girl, and is literally outgrowing her job. Which means society is outgrowing any need for her.
So, what will Maura do now that she's outgrowing her job and her life? She hasn't a clue, but as she finds her way, we follow along. I always pay attention to how an author chooses to introduce new settings and circumstances to their readers. In Science Fiction and Fantasy, worldbuilding is especially important, as we're most likely delving into lots of alien territory. I quite enjoy the 'through the eyes of the protagonist' method used in Crudrat. We learn about the space station Maura has lived on all her life, called The Wheel, as she races through it after snitching some food. It's the ultimate 'dine and dash'. Bit by bit, her world grows bigger, and we're there to witness it.
Various nuances of language help highlight the differences between species, such as saying "this one" rather than "I", and the crudratters quirky banter that reminds me of London's chimney sweeps.
Crudrat is an engaging story. It's easy to cheer for the good guys and boo the bad ones. I became emotionally engaged very early on. If you love Sci-Fi, you'll enjoy the Tinkered Stars universe. If you like character-driven stories, this one will leave you feeling satisfied.
Unfortunately, I needed to drop the star rating by a point for the editing and proofreading. It's not good. I hope the author and publisher are getting enough feedback on this problem to correct the errors (I counted about 40) and give this darling little book the polish it deserves.
October 29, 2022
I love Gail Carriger’s paranormal book series and finally got around to reading this which is a sci-fi YA novel.
Crudrat is the title or slang or insulting nickname given to those “rats” or unwanted and unchipped rejects from the people who are instead permitted to clean up the waste or crud generated by the power plants on space stations.
Maura has little memory of her life before being a Crudrat but now she is one of the best and can clean the moving parts whilst jumping and spinning to avoid the whirling blades with ease - although she’s also still growing and getting taller and finding it harder to fit down some of the air conduits where the Crudrats live.
Her growing size is recognized by her supervisor who dismisses her, removing her license and sentencing her to a slow death by starvation of a quick death via an airlock. Instead of these routes, Maura wanders the station through the narrow air ducts and encounters an alien. An alien who winks at her.
From there Maura becomes determined to rescue the alien prisoner and herself from the space station and sets out on an adventure that will see her learn a lot, be grateful for her skills and find a new place in the universe.
I enjoyed this book so much! It contained elements of Charles Dickens street urchins, Mary Poppins chimney sweeps, Star Trek TNG alien encounters and negotiations and gladiatorial battling.
Maura is an awesome character as is Fuzzy. So many great secondary characters. They are all written so well and so emphatically - I can see them all so clearly!
Inspiring, fun, exciting, coming of age without the traditional format but in an intergalactic space exploration way!
Suitable for Middle schoolers and up.
Crudrat is the title or slang or insulting nickname given to those “rats” or unwanted and unchipped rejects from the people who are instead permitted to clean up the waste or crud generated by the power plants on space stations.
Maura has little memory of her life before being a Crudrat but now she is one of the best and can clean the moving parts whilst jumping and spinning to avoid the whirling blades with ease - although she’s also still growing and getting taller and finding it harder to fit down some of the air conduits where the Crudrats live.
Her growing size is recognized by her supervisor who dismisses her, removing her license and sentencing her to a slow death by starvation of a quick death via an airlock. Instead of these routes, Maura wanders the station through the narrow air ducts and encounters an alien. An alien who winks at her.
From there Maura becomes determined to rescue the alien prisoner and herself from the space station and sets out on an adventure that will see her learn a lot, be grateful for her skills and find a new place in the universe.
I enjoyed this book so much! It contained elements of Charles Dickens street urchins, Mary Poppins chimney sweeps, Star Trek TNG alien encounters and negotiations and gladiatorial battling.
Maura is an awesome character as is Fuzzy. So many great secondary characters. They are all written so well and so emphatically - I can see them all so clearly!
Inspiring, fun, exciting, coming of age without the traditional format but in an intergalactic space exploration way!
Suitable for Middle schoolers and up.
June 23, 2023
I want to give this book five stars, but there's a couple of sci-fi things that bug me. These are NOT a reflection on the author, as Is my understanding that they're part of the genre standard. E.g. - taking until half or greater through the story for certain made up terms to be defined, when context didn't make them clear enough. Culture not being explained beyond a few crucial items (nicknames used rather than true names) to a being new to their world. Again, these are genre standards and the author followed them correctly. I simply find those standards disorienting - it made getting drawn in within the first couple chapters difficult. By chapter 4 I still wasn't certain if the book was for me. But, I pushed through.
By chapter 10 I couldn't put it down. Quy and Maura are lovely characters. The culture clash between them and others of that world was interesting and have the story more depth. The found family element, found in all Miss Gail's books, was a delight.
All that said, I look forward to another book. I dearly wish to know what happens next. How their bond will grow and down over time.
I would also like to know a bit more about Maura before she rejected the chip implant as a child. What was her progenitor family like? What other triggered traits did they have? Are her speed and agility part of that and she simply unaware? Why doesn't she remember any of her life before becoming a reject? She was only 7 at the time. She 12 or 13 as of the telling. Not nearly long enough for her to have forgotten a family that loved her, until they didn't. Was her memory wiped as part of becoming a reject? I need to know more.
By chapter 10 I couldn't put it down. Quy and Maura are lovely characters. The culture clash between them and others of that world was interesting and have the story more depth. The found family element, found in all Miss Gail's books, was a delight.
All that said, I look forward to another book. I dearly wish to know what happens next. How their bond will grow and down over time.
I would also like to know a bit more about Maura before she rejected the chip implant as a child. What was her progenitor family like? What other triggered traits did they have? Are her speed and agility part of that and she simply unaware? Why doesn't she remember any of her life before becoming a reject? She was only 7 at the time. She 12 or 13 as of the telling. Not nearly long enough for her to have forgotten a family that loved her, until they didn't. Was her memory wiped as part of becoming a reject? I need to know more.
April 4, 2022
[This is a review of the book edition]
I've been itching to read this ever since I first heard about the story! But since I just can't get into audiobooks (even when they're well-done full-cast audio, like this one is), I've had a long wait.
But it's really paid off. Even though I'm glancingly familiar with this universe due to reading the 5th Gender, this book was a wholly new take on things. And it's really fantastic. The scope of the story is grander than it was in the 5th Gender, and it makes me realize how much I missed that aspect in the prior book.
I agree with a previous reviewer who said not to be scared off by the YA categorization if you're someone who typically doesn't read books in this genre - even though the protagonist is young, the story doesn't have a typical 'coming-of-age' framework or structure. In a lot of ways, this book hearkens back to some of the best things about Soulless (the first book of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate). I had the same feeling of discovering a new world through the eyes of an engaging, slightly cantankerous main character. And the universe's scope is broad enough to allow for many more adventures in future books.
Best of all, the characters are deeply engaging. They made me frustrated in the best of ways, and disappointed when the book ended. (It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but it's definitely written to leave the door *very* open for a future series.)
[cross-posted to Amazon; though Bezos is a tool, the platform is def. useful to get more eyes on awesome books like this one. :) ]
I've been itching to read this ever since I first heard about the story! But since I just can't get into audiobooks (even when they're well-done full-cast audio, like this one is), I've had a long wait.
But it's really paid off. Even though I'm glancingly familiar with this universe due to reading the 5th Gender, this book was a wholly new take on things. And it's really fantastic. The scope of the story is grander than it was in the 5th Gender, and it makes me realize how much I missed that aspect in the prior book.
I agree with a previous reviewer who said not to be scared off by the YA categorization if you're someone who typically doesn't read books in this genre - even though the protagonist is young, the story doesn't have a typical 'coming-of-age' framework or structure. In a lot of ways, this book hearkens back to some of the best things about Soulless (the first book of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate). I had the same feeling of discovering a new world through the eyes of an engaging, slightly cantankerous main character. And the universe's scope is broad enough to allow for many more adventures in future books.
Best of all, the characters are deeply engaging. They made me frustrated in the best of ways, and disappointed when the book ended. (It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but it's definitely written to leave the door *very* open for a future series.)
[cross-posted to Amazon; though Bezos is a tool, the platform is def. useful to get more eyes on awesome books like this one. :) ]
October 9, 2023
The story was ok but not great.
It IS meant for a child inclusive audience. Be aware. It was not an issue for me, but for some, that’s a deal breaker and that’s ok. The target audience is families/kids.
My issues were more that the writing itself felt very tossed about, disjointed. A lot of details in areas it wasn’t needed, yet desired info missing in others.
It’s also set up clearly to have a continuation, but from what I can tell, none exists. There is an air of “unfinished” to it that I don’t like in my reading. Not an issue if there was a continuation…. But there isn’t.
The deal breaker for me is the audio. IT IS AWFUL if you’d like to try the title, get it in written word form. Be fair to when it was made, but the editor/proofed was a no go. There is music in odd bits, background noises that are distracting and painful to hear, background noises that I get were meant to set the mood or enhance the atmosphere (like talking in a dining hall under the scenes convo). But it was done in a way that made me cringe and not w any quality or skill. I think if you stripped it down to its words and redid all the additions, you could get a really strong audiobook. As is though, it’s a no for me. I had such a hard time and painful one, bc of the background additions.
It IS meant for a child inclusive audience. Be aware. It was not an issue for me, but for some, that’s a deal breaker and that’s ok. The target audience is families/kids.
My issues were more that the writing itself felt very tossed about, disjointed. A lot of details in areas it wasn’t needed, yet desired info missing in others.
It’s also set up clearly to have a continuation, but from what I can tell, none exists. There is an air of “unfinished” to it that I don’t like in my reading. Not an issue if there was a continuation…. But there isn’t.
The deal breaker for me is the audio. IT IS AWFUL if you’d like to try the title, get it in written word form. Be fair to when it was made, but the editor/proofed was a no go. There is music in odd bits, background noises that are distracting and painful to hear, background noises that I get were meant to set the mood or enhance the atmosphere (like talking in a dining hall under the scenes convo). But it was done in a way that made me cringe and not w any quality or skill. I think if you stripped it down to its words and redid all the additions, you could get a really strong audiobook. As is though, it’s a no for me. I had such a hard time and painful one, bc of the background additions.
August 4, 2018
Crudrat was brought to us as a kickstarter project which I backed because Ms Carriger was (and still is) a favorite author of mine. I really didn't expect to enjoy Crudrat though because it's set in a world that I don't tend to enjoy. Recently, Crudrat came up in a thread and people commented on how much they'd enjoyed it, so I dug out my audio copy that I got from being a backer and I started to listen to it. I was pretty disappointed in MYSELF that I hadn't given this a listen back when I first got it. This is such a fun story and it drew me right in! I'm almost finished with my 2nd listen through and I'm planning to read the e-book soon too. If you're a fan of Gail Carriger, please note that this is NOT like anything you've read from her before. This is set in the future on a different planet with a myriad of alien beings. Don't let that get in the way of your enjoyment here though. I truly loved this book and can't wait for the author to have time to get back into this world.
July 22, 2021
'Great Floating Frozen Blue Bollocks' what an adventure! 💙💙💙💙💙
I've put off listening to this because it's the only of Gail Carriger I haven't read. Once I finish it all I have to left are Soulless Graphic Novels. And while those are new to me and will be fun, I know how that story ends.
Crudrat is only available in Full Cast Audio. (Yes audiooks are reading too.) Funded by a Kickstarter Campaign a few years ago and only Print copies went to supporters. According to the latest Chirrup (sign up at https://gailcarriger.com/) there is a possibility it might be published sometime in the future.
Crudrat closes this particular chapter of Maura's life. There is is loose thread that could be woven into another story. And while The 5th Gender is labeled a Tinkered Stars Mystery other than both being set in space the characters don't overlap. There is plenty of room to build on Tinkered Stars Universe.🌠
Also The 5th Gender is such a fun read. A Lavender not Purple Alien with emotive hair. 💜💜💜💜💜
I've put off listening to this because it's the only of Gail Carriger I haven't read. Once I finish it all I have to left are Soulless Graphic Novels. And while those are new to me and will be fun, I know how that story ends.
Crudrat is only available in Full Cast Audio. (Yes audiooks are reading too.) Funded by a Kickstarter Campaign a few years ago and only Print copies went to supporters. According to the latest Chirrup (sign up at https://gailcarriger.com/) there is a possibility it might be published sometime in the future.
Crudrat closes this particular chapter of Maura's life. There is is loose thread that could be woven into another story. And while The 5th Gender is labeled a Tinkered Stars Mystery other than both being set in space the characters don't overlap. There is plenty of room to build on Tinkered Stars Universe.🌠
Also The 5th Gender is such a fun read. A Lavender not Purple Alien with emotive hair. 💜💜💜💜💜
April 12, 2022
Just finished this and I want more!
This is wonderful world building! While it's in the same universe as 5th Gender, it has no real connection other than a lot of aliens on a space station and not even the same space station.
Maura has been rejected by everyone on the station because she was unable to maintain an implant chip. Her only way to live was to work cleaning crud from the air filters while they were running. A job for only children and she was getting to tall and too heavy for it. Then along comes an white fuzzy alien who gets captured and seems to trust her and need her help. And off they go through space.
It's wonderfully irreverent and full of sarcasm. Great fun to read.
I want to know how Maura fairs in her new training and profession. What happens with Fuzzy's cousin? Do they get back to save Res from whatever his fate is in the Wheel and even if they bring along Ger for new training? I can't wait to see what Gail dreams up next...hopefully for several more books!
This is wonderful world building! While it's in the same universe as 5th Gender, it has no real connection other than a lot of aliens on a space station and not even the same space station.
Maura has been rejected by everyone on the station because she was unable to maintain an implant chip. Her only way to live was to work cleaning crud from the air filters while they were running. A job for only children and she was getting to tall and too heavy for it. Then along comes an white fuzzy alien who gets captured and seems to trust her and need her help. And off they go through space.
It's wonderfully irreverent and full of sarcasm. Great fun to read.
I want to know how Maura fairs in her new training and profession. What happens with Fuzzy's cousin? Do they get back to save Res from whatever his fate is in the Wheel and even if they bring along Ger for new training? I can't wait to see what Gail dreams up next...hopefully for several more books!
April 18, 2022
YA isn't usually my thing.
But it's by Gail Carriger, so....
It's well written. Great world building. Great balance between plot and character building. Maura is perhaps a bit to jaded, practical, and good at shutting down her own emotions to be instantly likable. All those things are obviously perfectly natural considering her circumstances, but that doesn't change the fact that she came off as a bit cold in the beginning. But she grew on me and I became very invested.
All in all, it's a very entertaining read that I pretty much sailed through.
However, it's not quite the sequel to The Fifth Gender that I expected.
First of all, it's YA, and TFG wasn't.
There's no love story - obviously - since Maura is only twelve.
And most importantly, Crudrat wasn't a stand-alone. Or that's my guess anyway, since so much was left hanging in the end. So I'm conflicted.
It's a great story, but wasn't really what I expected. Still, it's well worth a read, but you better be prepared for a very open ending.
But it's by Gail Carriger, so....
It's well written. Great world building. Great balance between plot and character building. Maura is perhaps a bit to jaded, practical, and good at shutting down her own emotions to be instantly likable. All those things are obviously perfectly natural considering her circumstances, but that doesn't change the fact that she came off as a bit cold in the beginning. But she grew on me and I became very invested.
All in all, it's a very entertaining read that I pretty much sailed through.
However, it's not quite the sequel to The Fifth Gender that I expected.
First of all, it's YA, and TFG wasn't.
There's no love story - obviously - since Maura is only twelve.
And most importantly, Crudrat wasn't a stand-alone. Or that's my guess anyway, since so much was left hanging in the end. So I'm conflicted.
It's a great story, but wasn't really what I expected. Still, it's well worth a read, but you better be prepared for a very open ending.
June 11, 2017
Crudrat by Gail Carriger is one of my favorite audiobooks now! I love the adventure, I love that it's in space, and I love that it's still in Gail Carriger's voice. This is not her usual Victorian setting with all your supernatural creatures. This full cast audiobook is one of her best stories about a young girl, a Crudrat who parkours throughout the tunnels of a major spaceport in order to clean the tunnels to keep the gravity spinning. Once she gets too big, her license pulled that keeps her somewhat safe, she finds herself with fewer options to keep herself from starving. Will running off with an alien creature and her crud eating murmel show her there's more to her own life than being a Crudrat? Or is that all she's suited for?
Are there still strong characters, unusual beings, and lots of running around trying to figure out what's going on? Yes. Is this worth a listen too if you love Gail's other books? YES! Do you love space and aliens and smart-ass girls who sometimes don't know when to stop? If yes, then you definitely need to listen to this book.
Are there still strong characters, unusual beings, and lots of running around trying to figure out what's going on? Yes. Is this worth a listen too if you love Gail's other books? YES! Do you love space and aliens and smart-ass girls who sometimes don't know when to stop? If yes, then you definitely need to listen to this book.
February 10, 2023
Her family abandoned her and society rejected her yet crudrat Maura is still getting by. She consistently outscores the other kids at dodging the dangerous blades while cleaning the station's ductworks with her bonded murmel but is still dreading the day she gets too large and will be facing getting spaced. On the day she's cut loose, she joins forces with an outsider and helps him to escape back into the larger universe. Soon finding herself in a new society, she must figure out how to make a place for herself there despite completely different rules and her limited education. Crudrat's story is a fun romp through dramatic steampunk-esque adventures. There's wild chases, reprehensible bad guys, and much overall pluckiness mixed with amazing derring-do. As is appropriate for a book about kids, there's no romance yet plenty about friends and family (and villains!). I highly recommend this book for a fun read. Gail Carriger (author) has exceeded my expectations on this one.
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