I don't read sci-fi often even though I forget how much I enjoy that genre, and this book reminded me again how much. Goddess in the Machine follows dual POVs- Andra (Andromeda) Yue Watts, who was put in cryonic sleep in the year 2161 in Riverside, OH, expecting to wake up about 100 years later on a different planet colonized by humans named Holymyth, but is instead woken up closer to 1000 years later in 3102 on a planet the people living there call Hell-mouth, with those living there thinking she's a goddess. The other POV is that of the person who woke her, Zhade, who is an exiled bastard prince of the city Eerensed. Things seem pretty straightforward at first as they head to Eerensed, even though there's the mystery of what happened and why Andra woke up so late/was forgotten, and why her tech can't match up properly.

The beginning was funny at times with the differences in culture/words from Andra's time to 1000 years later. I loved that aspect about the book- the creative way in which the author incorporated the change of the English language/linguistics to the story, especially since Andra is interested in linguistics herself. The words take a bit of getting used to at first, but you catch on/ know the gist of what is being said quickly.

Once in the city, there's a lot of other characters that come into play with a careful dance of politics and power. Every person/group seems to have their own goals- Zhade with his plans he won't fully divulge but is hinted at throughout the book, Andra with her trying to figure out what happened and wanting to go home to Earth, Maret (Zhade's younger half brother) who is the head of power with the title of "Guv" of Eerensed, the group the Schism with Skilla+Xana+others, Tsurina (Maret's mother), and on top of that, there's the demands of the people, especially with the protective dome over the city failing and demands of Andra to perform "magic." I loved the complicated dynamics and the messiness of all these forces coming together. There's plenty of twists/ reveals- some that weren't that surprising with the clues the author incorporates, but also a couple I didn't see.

Andra is a 17 year old girl, she stumbles and has cringey moments and makes mistakes, but I would too, 1000 years out of my element. Zhade is calculating and shady, but also funny and charming. Maret seems more complicated and is a bit of a mysterious character. I'm wondering about him and what his thoughts are, especially regarding his mother and his knowledge of certain truths. There wasn't much character development but I'm thinking that might be saved for the sequel. I loved all the twists and reveals and it was such an interesting and enjoyable journey, but also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that makes me need the sequel ASAP.

A girl who’s been asleep for a thousand years. A cocky prince who’s up to no good. The classic Sleeping Beauty tale gets a Sci-fi upgrade—fraught with epic twists & turns.

“When Andra wakes up, she’s drowning.

Not only that, but she’s in a hot, dirty cave, it’s the year 3102, and everyone keeps calling her Goddess. She knows she’s nothing special, but she’ll play along if it means she can figure out why she was left in stasis and how to get back to Earth.

Zhade, the exiled bastard prince of Eerensed, has other plans. Four years ago, the sleeping Goddess’s glass coffin disappeared from the palace, and Zhade devoted himself to finding it. Now he’s hoping the Goddess will be the key to taking his rightful place on the throne–if he can get her to play her part, that is. Because if his people realize she doesn’t actually have the power to save their dying planet, they’ll kill her.”

I love the Sleeping Beauty trope, and whether or not it was intentional, this thrilling Sci-fi adventure definitely played on those classic themes, and turned them on their heads! In the original fairytale we all know and love, it’s the charming prince who wakes the sleeping beauty up and saves the day. But it’s very apparent from the start that this prince definitely has his own agenda. And while he may be charming, he’s not the hero of this story.

Andra is.

”She was angry at the cryo’tech who froze her...Angry that she had never been enough. Angry that she felt like she had to be a goddess to be important.”


The Characters

I really loved getting to see Andra’s reaction to every new challenge that was thrown at her, because BOY, did this world throw them. And throw them. And throw them. Her banter with Zhade was also so enjoyable to watch 😂

The complicated dynamic between them was so interesting! It’s not necessarily enemies-to-lovers, but more like rescuer-to-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers-to-whatever-the-heck-they-are. It’s complicated, and fraught with tension, and I’m here for it.

I also loved sweet sweet Lew. And Dzeni 🤧DON’T GET ME STARTED. They needed more screen time! ALSO, Lilibet and Kiv - oh sweet Moses, I want a brooding palace soldier.

The World

The world-building was definitely on another level. You can tell by reading the various vast descriptions of each change of setting and explanation of culture, that the author did her homework. She knows this world backward and forwards. Also, the language, while a little difficult to get used to at first, was such a unique insight into the dynamics of the world.

There’s something so alluring about a story that must rely on the remnants of the past, to discover the mysteries of the future. I love stories that play on that dynamic, mostly because it’s so filled with tension for the reader: when the answers are technically right in front of you but have long faded away, and it’s left to the character and the reader to pick up the pieces. This story has that! As the reader, you’ll constantly be trying to puzzle together the past. What happened to Andra, who was the First Goddess, what are Zhade’s intentions, etc.,

There were times where I felt the story dragged a little, but let me tell you - that finale. Totally made up for it. Mind.Blown.

However you think it might end, you’re wrong. Just take my word for it 😂

Lets start this out with saying that this book reminded me A LOT of Aurora Rising and the Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy books. It didn't add a great new spin to the mixture of those two series and that made me feel as if I had already read this book since it was nothing new at all.

There are a number of reasons this book and I didn’t get along, but the thing I was never able to get past was the dialogue style. It’s not written in standard written English, no doubt to reflect the story and to bring the character closer to the world but it actually does the opposite for me. The dialogue was horrendous. It is my job to help people with their grammar, so this gave me a headache. I don’t go around correcting people or judging them when they’re wrong; grammar can always get better, and I’m guilty of mistakes myself, but books go through a rigorous editing process before they’re published. This is bad grammar on purpose, bad grammar for the sake of style, and I actively hated it for the entire book.

I liked the diversity in these characters and I think they are the right track for sure. The writing when it wasn't broken English was superb from this author, but as for this story, I just didn't feel a connection.

First impression: HOLY WOW. This book has everything I crave in a YA sci-fi, from a dash of mystery to a rollercoaster of plot twists to heapings of cool technology. It reminds me a lot of Across the Universe by Beth Revis (a book I adored), but with enough originality to make it feel fresh.

The first thing that struck me about this book is how the author created a whole new dialect of English for the people of the future. It took me a few chapters to get into, especially since one of the viewpoint characters (Zhade) has all of his narration in this dialect, but I found it pretty easy to get a handle on. It makes total sense that human language would evolve after thousands of years, so I found this to be a realistic and immersive piece of worldbuilding.

I also thought it was awesome how the citizens of this world have come to see technology as magic, meaning that this story had a distinctly YA-fantasy-court-intrigue spin on what could have been a straight-up sci-fi. To me, this element sets it apart from many other YA sci-fi stories that fall into a similar vein.

It took me a while to get a handle on who Andra was as a person, but as the story progressed, her character arc became clear and resonated a lot with me. Zhade was kind of annoying at first, but he totally grew on me and ended up becoming my favorite character. I loved his morally gray motives mixed with his hilarious banter -- serious Captain Carswell Thorne vibes!

The story's ending was pretty darn satisfying for me, considering it's the first in a duology. It was clearly a setup for the sequel, of course, but enough of my questions were answered that the story felt complete for now. That said, I'll be first in line to grab the next book when it comes out!

Imagine going into cryogenic sleep, expecting to wake in 100 years surrounded by your family on a new, beautiful planet. Now imagine waking up 1,000 year later than you expected, alone, on a dying planet. It’s honestly terrifying to think about, and that is exactly what happens to Andromeda.

Goddess in the Machine is an amazing science fiction novel about Andra and the trials she faces after waking 1,000 years late on a dying planet in which the citizens believe she is a Goddess. As Andra searches for the truth about what happened to her, more and more mysteries and secrets are unearthed.

The characters of this book catch your attention from the very beginning. The main character, Andra, is a curvy girl with many insecurities that she overcomes throughout the book, and it was refreshing to see that in a sci-fi. As the book goes on, Andra becomes more sure of herself and takes control of her own fate, and it was so empowering to read. Zhade, the mysterious bastard prince who woke Andra, also grows so much throughout the story. Although I liked him from the beginning, I loved him by the end, even as I was constantly trying to find out what his intentions were. I had such a connection with all of the characters, including the side characters. I would have liked to see even more of some of the side characters like Doon and Rashmi, and I hope that there will be more of them in the next book!

All in all, I really loved this book. Lora Beth Johnson did an amazing job building a world filled with technology and a unique dialect that really solidified the futuristic setting for me. There were so many unexpected twists that I was constantly wondering what would happen next, and most of the time I was totally shocked. It is an incredible and suspenseful story that will definitely keep you on your toes, and I can’t wait to continue with the series.

*Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Goddess in the Machine, by Lora Beth Johnson, follows a young woman named Andra (short for Andromeda—badass, I know), who goes into a cryogenic sleep in order to travel with her family and other “colonists” to a new planet where they will set up a home away from Earth. But when she is woken, she is alone, in a foreign land, and it’s 1000 years later than when she was supposed to wake up. The current residents of the planet she’s on—who seem to have undergone a technological regression or a “dark age” of sorts—don’t understand what cryogenic sleep is and think she’s a goddess. The teenager, who up until this point thought she was ordinary, finds herself plunged into an existence that couldn’t be more different from her former life—along with a bastard prince named Zhade, who makes her his reluctant companion in trying to buy his way back into his kingdom and save his people.

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy novels, you’ll probably like this one—even if you’re not usually a huge fan of sci-fi. It reads a lot like a young adult fantasy. It may not be a lost princess story, but it’s a lost princess story. In this case, Andra is a goddess, but at its heart of hearts, it’s classic lost princess: she doesn’t know who she is, she comes to find out as the story goes on, she doesn’t know her own power, and it’s up to her to save the people. And of course, we’ve got a somewhat arrogant male companion in one of everyone’s favorite tropes—hate to love. Or at the very least, reluctant cooperation to love. Zhade actually reminds me of a more futuristic, more royal Jace Wayland/Herondale/Morgenstern from TMI (which means, of course, I liked him). Once Andra and Zhade make it to Eerensed, Zhade’s city inside a biodome, it also reads like a YA fantasy in a lot of ways as they spend their time in the palace with the current prince (who is called a “guv” in this rendition of our classic tale) and servants, and make their way through hidden tunnels under the city. It’s like a princess-y fantasy with touches of sci-fi as they incorporate futuristic technology and talk about space travel and AI. Toward the end of the book, it gets more heavily into the sci-fi and feels more like straight sci-fi, but throughout the novel, it’s definitely a sci-fi/fantasy blend.

Andra as a main character is very likable. She’s relatable and feels super real, especially because she talks about her body and her own insecurities about it when she’s woken up naked and drowning in her cryo tank by a boy she doesn’t know and yet has seen every inch of her very exposed. It’s nice to see a YA heroine who isn’t described as flawlessly beautiful (though of course she doesn’t know it) and stick skinny and perfect, but is instead a real person like you or I with a real young woman’s body.

Although the blurb makes it sound like it’s entirely Andra’s story, we actually get a lot from her companion, Zhade, as it alternates POVs to show us his thoughts and what he’s going through as someone who has been awake, and as the person who woke the Goddess in the first place. He knows Andra is in danger if she admits what she knows—that she’s not a goddess but a teenage girl—and needs to protect her not just for her own good, but for his intentions and goals, as well. And Zhade’s chapters are…well, interesting. Which leads me to my next point…

The language of the novel. Johnson actually developed her own new and unique language for this book, which is a vision of what the English language might look like thousands of years down the road as it has developed and changed over time, as words get shortened or even entirely repurposed.
I want to be clear, I think a lot of people are going to go crazy for this aspect of the book and will absolutely love it. For some, it will probably be their favorite thing about it. And also to be clear, I 100% respect the sheer amount of work and ambition that went into inventing this futuristic language for the author. I can definitely see why she did it—it’s natural to assume that as time goes on, language will continue to develop and alter, just like it did over the past centuries up until now. But I didn’t like it.

I really found the newly invented language more distracting than helpful. It’s easy enough to get used to and after a little bit of it, you slip right into it, and despite the fact that it’s a very, very clunky language, you can easily discern (for the most part) how the words are being used and what the characters are talking about. But I found it distracting because my brain would get too busy dissecting the language to pay attention to what was actually going on. I’d find myself wondering why the language would have developed in exactly that way, or why they would use the word in that way, pondering the etymology behind it. I’d wonder why some words were shortened (like “certz” for “certain”) but others somehow became longer and more awkward (like “boyo” for “boy”), and then I’d have to reread the section because I got so wrapped up in that, that I missed what was happening. Some of it sounded like the characters were speaking out loud in lazy teen Internet slang (or at least someone’s interpretation of lazy teen Internet slang), which resulted in making the characters sound a little silly. I’d also find myself wondering why some areas of text were more heavily developed into the language, and others remained the same. Zhade’s chapters are entirely in the new language (not just his dialogue), but some sentences still slipped back into modern syntax, and then I’d wonder why that particular choice was made. Again, I definitely think other people are going to love this aspect of the novel and I respect the work that went into it—but it was not my cup of tea.

What was my cup of tea was the fact that this novel is full of twists and turns that you will probably not see coming. Especially in the third act of the novel, things really pick up and there are so many twists and new discoveries and surprising moments, and I could not put it down because I had to know what would happen next!

Overall, I’d give this one four out of five stars. The language took away from it for me, and it’s a bit of a slow starter, but overall, it’s interesting, it’s got a good plot, its main character is sassy and relatable, it has a cute love story, and I loved the more sci-fi, futuristic technology aspects of it that hearken back to old favorites like Alien or Star Wars. Despite its minor drawbacks, it’s definitely set up to have a sequel, and yeah, I’ll definitely be reading that one, too.

This book is perfect (and I mean perfect) for fans of The 100 and The Final Six (me) for its sci-fi aspects and efforts to save humanity through technology and space travel, and also for fans of Cinder and The Lunar Chronicles series. In fact, it reminded me of Cinder in a lot of ways! (And has an equally beautiful purple-themed cover.) Definitely check it out if you’re into any of those books, or if you’re just looking for a fun read, or if you are looking for a good entry point into YA sci-fi—this would be an excellent place to start.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen/Razorbill for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT!

This is one of the most unique and fascinating YA sci-fi stories I have ever read. The author crafts such an amazing world that is so intricate and detailed. The author even wrote a new language as part of this book! That is just impressive! There are so many twists and turns that occur in this book that just had me at the edge of my seat, eager to see what was going to happen next. The ending has me so excited for the sequel, which I need ASAP!

The only reason this book isn't a five star read for me (it almost is!) is that it took me a long time to get situated in the world and understand the new language that was being used. The new language is similar to our English but it cuts out certain words or replaces them with something else so it sounds different. This is so cool but like anything new, it takes time to understand. This is by no means the fault of the book but I do want to mention that it took me until about 30-40% into the book to get a grasp on the language and begin to really get into the story.

Overall, this is one of the most unique and fascinating sci-fi stories that I have ever read and I will be screaming about this book everywhere! This was such a great first book and I cannot wait to see what the author will do next, either in this series or any other books that she writes. I highly recommend this to sci-fi fans that are seeking a new sci-fi to dive into and fall in love with.

4.5 stars

GODDESS IN THE MACHINE is a stunning debut, a mash-up of sci-fi and fantasy, depending on the POV, that has really thought about how language changes with time.

The book is set in the fourth millennium, but technology has been forgotten and the inhabitants believe it is magic - hence the genre blend. Andra, the primary POV, knows that it's not magic - though she has to puzzle out exactly what the technology is - which is why this book leans more towards Sci-Fi. Zhade, the secondary POV, believes it's magic, and this difference in outlook helps distinguish the two POVs.

I loved seeing how perception can change the nature of a thing. Andra approaches the technology with a more clinical mindset, breaking it down into smaller component problems. Whereas Zhade, even as he learns about the nature of "magic", still considers it with more reverence and power.

The world itself if so much fun, but talking too much about that would be spoilers. Suffice to say, it's littered with clues to pick up on the second time round and the red herrings are going to catch you out. Societal evolution is something I find fascinating, as well as how people adapt to their environments. If that's something you enjoy, then this is a book for you!

Which brings me onto the language. Zhade (and the other inhabitants) speaks a different dialect of English to Andra. Lora Beth Johnson must have spent so much time designing it, all the care obvious in how seamlessly it fits into the book. It's simplified and several words are not in the context you'd expect but it's perfectly readable. All of Zhade's POV is written in this dialect.

In a few cases, it takes a little bit of effort to work out what the word means (using context). Once that's done, it's so interesting to trace it backwards and figure out how the language evolved. For example, the verb "to talk" is replaced with "to convo". As someone who has spent a lot of time learning (and teaching) the mathematical principles underpinning code breaking (and how this lead to working out Linear B), it was a huge nerd moment for me to see all of that applied to languages in a book - and yet it fits perfectly into the background.

All this babbling and I haven't touched on the story or characters! Oops! In short - it's a very engaging story (I'll admit, most of my focus was on the world and language, nerding out about that). I breezed through this book, as Andra tries to navigate an uncertain world. Zhade is very interesting as a character, his motivations and plans always shifting as he adapts.

This is a duology, and you can bet I want to read the second installment!

Seriously one of the best YA sci-fi books I have ever read, Goddess in the Machine takes an intriguing premise and executes it incredibly well with epic twists throughout the book. Andra is a teen girl who has been put into cryogenic stasis for 100 years as she travels with her family to colonize a new planet. Except when she wakes up, it has been 1,000 years and everyone thinks she is a goddess. I mean, how can you not want to read that?!

Andra is trying to cope with the death of her family and friends, heavy expectations from people around her in a vastly different and much more brutal society, and navigating the court intrigue that goes along with it. She is woken up Zhade, the exiled bastard prince of Erensed- a handsome charmer with his own plans for the new goddess. Everyone has secrets and their own agenda, and there is a lot to learn.

The world-building here is top notch. The author imagines what society might look like far in the future when English vernacular has shifted and technology is no longer well-understood and is instead viewed as magic with religious mythologies built up around it. And then you drop a teen girl from our not-so-distant future into that world. The people Andra encounters speak a slightly different dialect of English, but it's not hard to follow and get used to.

When I say there are a lot of twists, I'm not kidding! There were a couple things that I was able to guess before they were revealed, but there were others that were completely unexpected. And I would say the first major revelation happens about halfway through the book. This will keep you guessing and leave you wishing book 2 was already available.

Do be aware that this book gets quite violent with people being killed, depictions of blood, and discussions of ritualistic killing. Andra is apparently supposed to be somewhat curvy and is uncomfortable with her body, although it's unclear how much of that is just her internal dialogue. I had mixed feelings about how that was handled. But overall, I would definitely recommend this one. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

As much as I wanted to enjoy this book due to the amazing cover and premise, it just didn't seem to work for me. I typically do not enjoy sci-fi books, so it really just enthrall me. If you're a reader who likes sci-fi tropes and conventions, this book would be awesome for you! The characters are great and the worldbuilding seemed really intriguing. It just did not click for me personally

I don't often read sci-fi. But when I pick up a sci-fi like Goddess in the Machine, I wonder why I don't read the genre more often! I was absolutely enthralled with this book. It starts out tense: Andra wakes up from a cryonic sleep after her journey across the galaxy, but she's a thousand years too late and everyone on the planet keeps calling her "Goddess." Andra has to figure out what went wrong on the spaceship, where her family is, and why everyone thinks she's deity.

I think the plot is this book's strength. There's so many plot twists and so much tension. Andra is also a great character, and I LOVED how she was described as "chubby." We need more explicit body diversity in YA lit. Also, Johnson creates her own language in this book: an evolved version of English. The slang is hard to get used to at first, but by the end of the book, you feel like you've learned a second version of English. It's incredibly clever. All in all, this book surprised me, and I'll definitely be reading its sequel.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4.5
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Razorbill and NetGalley, for the review copy!

Are you looking for a new sci-fi fantasy book? Do you want incredible world building? Do you want well developed characters? Do you want to have some amazing plot twists? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should definitely read Goddess in the Machine.

When I first started reading this, I didn’t know what to think I’m not that big into sci-fi and the author creates a whole new dialect and it’s quite confusing what is happening. After a few chapters I was starting to understand what was going on, and after that I could not put it down. Once you start to understand this fantastic world, you don’t even realize that they speak a different dialect. This isn’t your typical YA fantasy book, there were so many twists that had me completely shocked. I loved our two main characters and the entire plot. You can tell the author spent so much time developing this world, which when I’m reading any sort of fantasy, I want the world building to be secure. Not to mention instead of magic, it’s technology that is so far advanced that in this new world the people think it is a “magic” of some sort.

When Andromeda wakes up from her “sleep”, because she and a whole ship of people were traveling through space to start a new life on a new planet, she is astounded at what she sees. She doesn’t recognize anyone and everyone is calling her Goddess. She has to figure out what went wrong and where she really is, because 1000 years have passed not just 100. Our other main character, Zhade, was annoying, quirky, and full of sarcasm but you can’t help loving him. He has a lot of secrets that we slowly find out about that are jaw dropping. Zhade and Andra are superb main characters that you can’t help but root for throughout this spectacular book.

I can’t stress how much I loved this book. While the beginning was a little slow the second half makes up for it. I mean it is plot twist after plot twist and full of action. I really appreciated how well developed the characters were, but in general just how much thought was put into this storyline. I can’t wait for the next book in this series, especially with that jaw dropping ending.

I recieved an early e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wild and pleasant ride! 4.5 solid stars!!!!!

"Fishes and wishes," "Meaning, You might as well wish for the ocean."

I am so beyond happy with this book. Everything about this book sounded phenomenal, and it did not disappoint. We follow our main character, Andra, as she discovers a new world, 1000 years after when it should be. The language has changed, the people, and technology as well. The people have proclaimed her a Goddess and she must learn how to live with the shock of what has happened and also her future. The characters are lovable and relatable in ways, the plot hits every point I could want, and the world is.... BOOM!!!! The author explores something I personally have no seen elsewhere, and that is the English language slightly changing so far in the future. She has made it so easy for follow as it is still similar, but it keeps you on your toes. This is an amazing accomplishment!

Goddess in the Machine is out on June 30th, I highly recommend pre-ordering if you are able to (the cover is out of this world,) or requesting it from your library! It is quick, easy, fun, and thought-provoking all at the same time. What an excellent debut novel.

GODDESS IN THE MACHINE is a compelling YA sci-fi that follows Andra after she is woken up from cryo'sleep. Andra grew up in an era of technology, where people have 'implants that help them to control nano'bots around them. The nano'bots can be purposed to heal, build, or whatever is needed. However, the Earth is dying, and a million colonists have been chosen to set out for a new planet far away. They will be cryogenically frozen for a hundred years, while the ship transports them to Holymyth, the new planet.

However, when Andra wakes up, nothing seems to be as she expected. She soon learns that instead of a hundred years passing, a thousand have passed. Humanity is barely surviving, and she is worshiped as a goddess- the Third Goddess. The boy who woke her, Zhade, had been exiled from a relatively safe city, Eerensed, four years ago, and he will be using her to barter his way back in. Once she arrives, she learns that the city is failing, and she is supposed to save it. However, Andra does not know how to work with the new technology different than her own or all the politics at play.

What I loved: The premise of this is really intriguing, and the world is beautifully crafted. We get an interesting feel for the world in the future, including the evolution of language and humanity that is quite well-developed. Andra is a highly sympathetic character, and I loved the way she evolved in the impossible situation in which she found herself. There are quite a lot of mysteries in the book, such as why she was never woken from cryo'sleep until then, and we get most of the answers in this first book. There was a major reveal later in the book that completely shocked me, and I loved the surprise.

What left me wanting more: The book moves slowly in places, and like Andra, it is hard to learn this new future language that evolved from our own with its own slang and changed terms. However, I do think this adds to the experience, as we can view the difficulties she faces first-hand.

Final verdict: Overall, this is a compelling and intricately crafted YA sci-fi that takes us into the far future. Highly recommend for fans of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, DEFY THE STARS, THESE BROKEN STARS, and UNDER THE NEVER SKY. This is a series that I would definitely love to see more from.

“They blame the planet for not wanting us, but what’s the planet going to do, marah? […] We’re the monsters, we’re the ones with the power to destroy.”

The 100 meets Cinder—with a dash of Planet of the Apes—Goddess in the Machine will be the latest YA sci-fi hit and definitely one of the strongest releases of 2020. No one would think that this is Lora Beth Johnson’s debut novel, but it is, and it is outstanding. 

A witty, refreshing take on the cryogenics trope on science fiction, Andra, the main character, wakes up a thousand years later than she was supposed to, just to find that her destination planet is on the brink of devastation. Oh, and she is also considered a goddess, isn’t that a lovely scenario for a person to wake up to? That is as far as we can read, because, undoubtedly, the withdrawals and rationed revelations of information are the stars of the novel.

Goddess in the Machine is an absolute ride and Lora Beth Johnson is a master of plot-twists. By revealing small but crucial pieces of information in the least expected moments, the author is able to create an exquisite pace. Not only does she methodically spread key information out to maintain the maximum shock value throughout the novel, but she also manages to hook you up so tightly that you won’t be able to put the book down until you unravel of all its secrets. Be prepared because Johnson has not only one, but five plot twists up her sleeve that will leave you staring blankly at a wall in admiration for a good half an hour.

In addition to the brilliant planning plot-wise, the author also develops an entire futuristic dialect for the society Andra encounters in Eerensend when she awakens. Based on natural word formation and pronunciation changes that could be totally plausible in the future, the dialect manages to be both easy to read and alien to our current understanding of English. It is just a delight to read: the dialect is so seamlessly natural that almost adds such a sense of credibility to the story that it clashes with the strong suspension of disbelief that goes hand in hand with the genre of science fiction.

The novel also offers a remarkably interesting exploration of how technology could become so advanced in the future that people will stop being able to understand it, to such a point where they treat it as magic and build an entire religion around it. The inhabitants of this dystopian future do have the resources to save the planet, but they have long ago lost the ability to use them. For that reason, they put all of their faith in the three goddesses that are meant to restore the forests and oceans, long gone due to global warming and human destruction. Thus, there is also a constant, yet subtle underlying message for ecology and the importance of saving our planet ourselves, instead of relying on a future form of technology that will magically make everything better.

In terms of the set of characters, Goddess in the Machine counts on a gorgeously strong main character whose curves are not the centre of attention or an impediment for anything. This apparently small detail is very much appreciated, as it is still hard to find a non-normative main character who is not brought down by their body. Even if a bit insecure at first, Andra becomes more and more powerful as the plot develops, making the most of her intelligence and kindness. Also, even though she has to be protected during most of the physical fights, Andra is never portrayed as weak or overlooked by other characters. Nobody is perfect, and yet, all of these characteristics make Andra perfect because they make her human.

Sadly, all the effort that the author puts on building the main character, leaves Zhade—the rogue who helps her survive the future—and the rest of the line-up feeling a bit flat. Nonetheless, both Zhade and the villain do show a lot of potential. Maret, the gov of Eerensend is a fascinatingly complex antagonist, strongly manipulated by his mother and advisor. Throughout the development of Andra’s story, he helps her a couple of times and demonstrates that he truly wants to protect his brother. That is why you are constantly wondering whether he is truly bad or pretending to be just to keep his mother from the throne. Hopefully, the sequel will delve more in these two characters, because they are both truly promising!

All in all, Goddess in the Machine is a truly outstanding first work for a debut. Exhilarating and gripping, the novel reinvents one of the most beloved genres of fiction and leaves you wanting more. You will need to take a thousand-year nap like Andra to absorb all of the surprises Lora Beth Johnson has in store to leave you with your mouth wide open. We for certz reck that you will love Goddess in the Machine, marah. So, evens, decide your fate.

First of all, thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC of this book!

I'm always seriously lacking in sci-fi reads, so of course when I read the synopsis for Goddess in ht Machine, I knew I wanted to read it!

Andra (Andromeda) wakes from cryo sleep It's apparently been 1000 years, and as far as she can tell, there are none of the other colonists survived but 2 other "goddesses". Zhade, an exiled bastard prince who woke her, kps calling her the "third" and calling her "Goddess". Zhade is using Andra as his ticket back home. And together, they work together to unseat the current king.

Anything that is comped to Aurora Rising automatically makes me curious and skeptical at the same time. It did mean that I had really high expectations going into this book. There's this slang-English that they use throughout the book, and it took me probably about 100 pages to really get into the book because it was so hard to read. I think in general, this book would make a better audiobook, because it was a bit difficult to read.

I honestly wasn't super invested until the last 100-150 pages. I think there was too much going on, and Zhade as a character was kind of all over the place. I'm definitely curious to see what will happen next, but so far I don't like any of the characters~~~ Welp, I said it. I didn't care about any of them. I think there was so much focus on world building and the language and tech, that there wasn't enough time put into the character development. Curious to see where they go, but it is something I think this book was really lacking, and I usually prefer character development over world building if I have to choose between the 2.

Days after finishing Goddess in the Machine I have no words for how fantastic it is. Not only is there absolutely fantastic world building, I loved the main characters. The story is told from dual POV which not only helps the readers get to know the world or Erensed, but also to witness the differences in perspectives. Can you imagine waking up from your sleep one day to find a thousand years had passed and the world you woke up to is utterly alien?

Why did I love Goddess in the Machine so much? First and foremost, it's got to be the unique world building and the amount of twists and turns in the plot. To me, both of these characteristics are sure to win my approval and love. Andra is a biracial fat MC who not only has to be quick on her feet, but also examine her own past of privilege, but also the ethics of technology. All while Zhade has all these layers of motivations, past grievances, and mystery.

DNF at 20%

The story is a fun idea, but I just cannot get past the dialog. It's making it nearly impossible to connect with the story. And I honestly am just so annoyed every time Andra talks to someone that I just cannot finish this book.

I adore this book (and the author - who is the absolute sweetest)! It's everything a YA sci fi should be - fun, twisty, and unique. Even better, the setting isn't limited to a dark spaceship. We see vast landscapes, both gritty and beautiful (the beginning reminds me a bit of Star Wars). In fact, part of this takes place in a castle of sorts. It's a bit fantasy-esque actually, considering the religion and ruling system.

Andra is a heroine to root for. We are dumped into her story right along with her, when she wakes up (drowning in her tank, mind you). Her friends and family are supposed to be there, but she somehow slept too long in a cryogenic tank, so when she wakes, she's not with anyone she recognizes - and they're referring to her as "Goddess'. So yeah. She's in the dark as much as the reader is, and piece by piece, we put it together with her. It makes for a compelling read. I was turning pages fast! The twists were so fun, especially one somewhere around the half way mark.

My favorite, though, was Zhade. He's suuuuper interesting right from the start. We have no idea what he's up to or his real motives (I don't want to spoil much, but suffice it to say, it has to do with a bid for power. Everyone wants her for that). Anyway, I loved the banter between him and Andra.

So yeeees. Definitely pick up this gem of a book!

2 1/2 stars. I wanted to love this book. The idea is cool, I love teen sci-fi. The twists along the way I saw coming but were still entertaining. My major problem was the weird dialect most of the characters spoke. It drove me crazy and kept taking me out of the story.