This is a review for The long way to a small, angry planet, written by Becky Chambers.

This is a very interesting book. The overarching plot is not particularly novel or intriguing, but the author does an amazing job describing the different characters and the world they live in. Normally, the lack of an intriguing story arc is something that I very much dislike (e.g. I think that Kim Robinsons' "2312" is just boring), but I absolutely loved this book. It is hard to pin down what makes it special. There are no great visions or fascinating technologies, no threat to the universe/galaxy/humanity, nor tense battles. But there are a number of completely different characters (both alien and human), with captivating back stories and unique views that makes them wonderfully distinct. One of the most memorable parts is when Sissix (a reptilian alien) describes her species way of having and raising children and wonders why humans would ever consider the loss of a child to be more tragic than the loss of an adult (I'm deliberately not saying more here, go read the book!).

Verdict: read it, right now.