Star Trek Nemesis

I've given this 4🌟 because of my affection for the characters, though objectively it's probably a solid 3🌟.

I think I could have done without yet another storyline where Deanna Troi is subjected to a psychic sexual assault. There is an important story to be told about the effects of sexual violence, and the strength and courage of survivors. It just feels like repeatedly using her empathic abilities to cast her as a vulnerable victim does a disservice to her character through one of her greatest strengths. That quibble aside, the plot is pretty solid, and the novel form allows a peek into the characters' inner worlds which complements the emotional nuances of the actors' portrayals, assuming you've seen the film.

There is an emotionality about it, a big chunk of which I guess I bring as a fan, this being the last outing of the full Next Generation crew, but how could [spoiler, like, really massive spoiler] Data's heroic sacrifice and death to save Captain Picard fail to move you if you have even a passing feeling for these characters.

I do think the film franchise could have borne a sequel to "Nemesis" with the TNG crew, maybe going on something like "The Search for Data", but perhaps that would have been too corny an idea. It does sound more like a sitcom set in an IT department, come to think of it but we're obviously past that possibility now.

Anyway, definitely worth a read if you want a quick fix of interstellar action, with extra emotional depth if you know the Enterprise crew and their back stories. ( )

So much better than the movie. It delves deeper into the characters and you see more of what is going on. I liked the novel better than the movie, and recommend people read the novel. Even after you've seen the movie. It will fill in those lost details that the movie just could not give you. ( )