A young adult entry in the Old Man's War universe. It revisits the events in The Last Colony from the perspective of John and Jane Perry's adopted daughter Zoë. I've not read The Last Colony. While it felt like maybe I was missing some background info, it was no more so than is typical in SF. I believe the book works as a standalone.

It's an engaging read, hampered by speeches that go on too long -- including a climactic speech that really need to be cut in half -- and a protagonist who is too much the classic Heinlein super-teen. That said, there are plenty of good moments mixed in with all the talking.

Recommended. ( )

7/10
Scalzi has the voice of 16 year old Zoe down pat, and it is an enjoyable read because of that. But this was, for the most part, an unnecessary book, retelling the events from the previous 2 books in the Old Man’s War series from a different perspective.

In the Acknowledgments, the author kind of admits that he wrote this book to fix or clarify a couple things from [b:The Last Colony|88071|The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3)|John Scalzi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1437660786l/88071._SY75_.jpg|18279847], and the additional information does strengthen the overall story. I would have preferred inserting that information into The Last Colony rather than taking another whole book to elaborate on those 2 plot points. ( )

Husband recommends it to me. He's read the whole series; I dnf'd the first. We'll see.
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Well, it does stand alone. And is definitely worth reading. It does not make me want to go back and read the rest of the series, though. Fortunately it went fairly light on the political intrigue, the military stuff, and the teen romances. It was more about loyalty, family, the pioneering spirit... so I quite liked it.

3.5 stars rounded up because I'm smiling after I close the the book... I really do like Zoe's methods of diplomacy and how she managed to get fewer people killed than would have been in any other case.

But if you are tired of the trope of Chosen One, skip this. ;) ( )

Zoe's Tale is a parallel retelling of Scalzi's third Old Man's War novel, The Last Colony, written as a first-person narrative from the viewpoint of Zoë Boutin Perry (John Perry's daughter). It was fun to get the events of The Last Colony from Zoe's perspective, which makes sense. Zoe's Tale fleshed out some bits of the Last Colony that weren't very clear, like why the werewolves stopped attacking the colony and where the sapper field came from. The society of the Obin and their relationship to the Consu was expanded. It also gave us an insight to the lives of Zoe and her friends. Also, this reminded me of Heinlein Juveniles, so there's that. This is basically Scazli's attempt at YA. Zoe's a believable teenage girl, who is dealing with extraordinary circumstances of attempting to settle a new planet while having the burden of a alien race worshiping her. I enjoyed her spunk.

Zoe's Tale is not hard SF or space opera--it's a character-driven first-person description of the first year of a new colony's establishment, which Scalzi juxtaposes with some pretty nasty interplanetary politics. It's a quick, fun yarn with a few thought provoking moments.

All and all, it is a nice complement to "The Last Colony". It's not my favorite Scalzi but I still really enjoyed it. It's got a great central character, funny moments, some interplanetary politics, and witty dialogue and believable teenagers. Perfect for fans of Orson Scott Card Ender series and Heinlein's juveniles. ( )

I am glad i waited a long time to read this book. If I had read it right after The Last Colony I don't think I would have liked it as much. Fun read but still a little to familiar for me to just gush about. ( )