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mmestitches's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
thehawksflight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
For those familiar with the Handmaid's Tale, this title carries similar heft and pathos, and a similarly dystopian America. What makes this read distinct is the voice of the protagonist, Lauren. The framed narrative/diary style is a bit clunky and occasionally Lauren is very long winded, betraying brevity for over-explanation.
A product of the now-called Afrofuturism genre, this is nonetheless important reading even if you can't make it through to the end.
Though society has collapsed, poverty is rampant and extreme looting is the norm, Lauren embarks on a theological quest to re-invent herself in a new religion of her own making, and through the process of proselytising, change the world. She is a hyper-empath: able to feel the physical pain of other living beings, and has a strong desire to form communities wherever she goes, though finds great strain in her personal relationships.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Dysphoria
Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail