Bumpy Oak Books

4 stars

**I received an Audio Review Copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Ruthanna Emrys presents her newest scifi novel, A Half-Built Garden. Readers follow Judy as she accidentally becomes the human who engages in first contact with two alien species. The aliens have said they have come to rescue humans from Earth, which is sure to die. Judy, a member of the Chesapeake Watershed, has different opinions about humans’ ability to ensure their planet’s survival.

I find it incredibly difficult to summarize this book because Emrys covered so many topics over the span of the novel. In that same vein, the plot of this novel wasn’t what struck me as most important. The exchange of culture, of identity, of how one establishes identity, and of family is undeniably what struck me as the most compelling part of this novel. Emrys addresses gender and sexuality as well as various other aspects of identity through human and alien cultural exchange. The topics are handled with such care.

I typically do not enjoy books concerning child bearing, rearing, or other related topics. However, Emrys presented these aspects as so culturally relevant and with so much respect for the trans character involved in the rearing of the children that I found this book did not bother me on that front. I also found that each of the main characters were well developed and that Emrys took the time to establish them as the individuals they were whether they were alien or human, which is something that was imperative to this novel being as solid as it was.

The narrator, Kate Handford, really did contribute to my enjoyment. Her performance gave appropriate emotional weight to Emrys’ words while also keeping the book moving even in parts that might have otherwise been slow.

I really did enjoy my time with this book and can see where this might appeal to fans of Becky Chambers with her slower, character-driven take on scifi. I am eager to explore Emrys’ backlist while I wait for future publications.