Smooth prose weaves a tale to support humanity’s survival, along with the shades of gray of scientific decisions. Lam’s exciting sf thriller proves intellectual and entertaining for all.

... belongs on the shelf right between The Martian and The Wanderers, the hyper-mechanical and the ultra-psychological novels about deep space. This finds some really good middle ground between the two, but its greatest strength is its ability to reflect on the political realities of the modern world ... Too often, books about exceptional people don’t show them changing or learning, but another of Naomi’s great strengths is her adaptability ... There are several twists I didn’t expect but really loved ... The final confrontations, though, wobble dangerously on the edge of cartoon villainy, and the final decisions are made more for literary reasons...There are lots of moral questions raised, but solutions veer toward the pat, convenient ... I don’t think this book will convince anyone who isn’t already onboard with its political stances, but it’s a good reminder not to put our hope in billionaires or demagogues.

... a stylish science fiction story with all the flair one might expect from the author of False HeartsShattered Minds ... Unfortunately, this tale of five women shut in unavoidably close proximity with each other for weeks and months on end bid fair to activate all my current not-very-latent claustrophobia, and that was before the novel developed an infectious plague ... excels in its character work, in its slow unfolding of people and decisions and consequences ... I was a little while warming up to Goldilocks, because at this point I’m not sure I’m capable of judging stories with small casts trapped in small spaces entirely on their merits. But it is a fascinating, compelling novel, reminiscent of a psychological thriller in space, and in the end I enjoyed it greatly.

... the plot of Goldilocks isn’t what you’d anticipate. Yes, it is about a heist and its repercussions. It’s also a thriller, sort of, and a mother-figure-and-daughter drama. There’s a virus-related part of the plot that eerily echoes what’s going on right now. It’s also very meditative, given all that it is trying to do ... Lam weaves all of these types of stories into a cohesive narrative. At times, the characters feel a little hollow, particularly those around the Naomi-Valerie axis. There are some twists that don’t quite work—but all of these small missteps are forgivable when the writer has taken such a big swing. The narrative of Goldilocks isn’t what you expect it to be, and that is what makes it work.

The author has clearly done plentiful research ... Maybe the research was a little too plentiful: Long passages investigating the practicalities of space travel will fascinate some readers and bore others. Luckily for all of us, though, there’s plenty of interpersonal conflict on board, too ... Given the tautness of the book's setup — with its enclosed space, world-shaking implications and startling reveals — Goldilocks is ultimately disappointing. After bogging the first half down in long Wikipedia-esque passages about Biosphere 2 and astrophysics, Lam kicks the storytelling into overdrive in the second half, making it feel rushed and occasionally vaudevillian. It was hard to get to know the characters during the static exposition of the first half, and once the story started moving they — and especially the tale’s villain — were made almost cartoonish to serve the frantic plot ... All the same, through the novel’s fascinating premise, Lam gives us plenty of food for thought about gender dynamics in our own world. The image of five women taking back what’s rightfully theirs from five less-qualified men, and literally freezing them in time to do so, is a symbol that will stick with me for some time. The viral pandemic that plays out off-page also feels eerily prescient. These elements are just enough for Goldilocks to overcome the occasional wobbles in its story structure.

... incredibly suspenseful. I loved the science and I loved the interpersonal stuff ... a good example of a dystopian future that creeps up on people, and in a manner that is easy to recognize ... The protagonist, Naomi, is believable and sympathetic ... the villain’s dastardly plans become so dastardly that I stopped believing in them...I believed various twists up to a point and no further – although the last twist was so lovely (and unconnected to the villian) that it brought tears to my eyes. This is a book that keeps one guessing for sure, you just might not believe all of the answers ... Despite my few reservations, I otherwise loved reading this book. The language was lovely ... if you are in the mood for a female-centric political and scientific and familial thriller/drama set in a space, here you go. Don’t skip the Acknowledgements, which includes a fabulous reading list for more reading.

The dynamic between Valerie and Naomi drives a lot of the narrative, and their characterizations stand out above the rest. Ultimately hopeful, the majority of the story is grim and thriller-tense, with plenty of twists and turns.

Although the novel's earliest tensions involve mechanical failures and miscalculations, the drama shifts quickly to interpersonal conflicts that threaten the integrity of the Atalanta's mission. Each member of the crew has a well-developed voice and her own drives and ambitions, which makes the novel increasingly difficult to put down as betrayals and double-crossings play out aboard the claustrophobic ship. The unexpected ending will leave satisfied readers searching for read-alikes in its wake ... A slow-burning fire of a novel that begs the reader to keep turning the page.

Though the exodus plan presents plot holes aplenty, Lam expertly evokes the claustrophobia of both tight spaces and taut relationships in the evolving struggle between Naomi and Valerie for the soul of the mission. This deeply felt space opera will please those who like their sci-fi to focus more on the characters than the science.