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crimsoncor's review
4.0
Couldn't stick the ending, which is really sad because it is a fantastic book. . I'd still recommend it. This is the high-brow version of Idiocracy, with satire much more pointed than just "people dumb"
Spoiler
I understand the decision to go for the mystical happy ending, but somehow it didn't fit with the rest of the tone of the bookkyledhebert's review
2.0
A very light satire that is often as preachy as the religious zealots it tries to mock. Slow to build to an unsatisfying resolution.
stacyd's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
fictionalnicole's review
4.0
This is a great book for a quick read that also makes you think. It's inventive and fictional yet enough rings true that you can actually picture this future America as out potential future. I will definitely recommend this to friends.
mollies's review
2.0
Decent, if a bit uninventive. As it goes on, the book seems to lean further and further away from reality, but more in a YA novel way than going deeper into satire (which would have been more interesting imo). Also not a huge fan of how this book, which is purportedly about how people can band together to aid one another in the face of an oppressive society & how people helping others can kickstart a meaningful revolution, had to feature an obvious Jesus figure at the helm leading the revolution. It would have been much more rewarding if Sargam (aka Jesus) was given the same depth of character that (some of) the other characters had. It really makes the central conflict of the book feel like make-believe, detracting from the fascinating realness that the first 2.5 chapters entice you with. Sargam was very clearly just a mouthpiece for the author's beliefs instead of her own character, and I mean that literally: a lot of scenes about life in Valence—the community of subprimes living peacefully in an abandoned suburb in Nevada—open up with exposition along the lines of "Darren thought they should do x thing, but Sargam said y, because of z reasons." In case you forgot—I did—Darren is Sargam's boytoy, who the novel occasionally mentions is upset by Sargam being better than him. Bro, you're literally dating the Second Coming, idk what you expected.
Speaking of Sargam, most of the female characters in this book are very obviously Written By A Man. I don't think there's a single POV female character who doesn't give needless and unwarranted exposition on her sex appeal to men and how much of a threat other women perceive her as. Not to mention the (thankfully, blessedly brief) sex scenes, which had me rolling my eyes the whole time. They are, like, physically painful to read. And then there's also Vanessa, a 15 year old girl who has sex with a guy and then instantly ~becomes a woman~ and is eager to have a baby. At fifteen. If this was treated with any nuance that would be fine, but it's just lowkey (highkey) viscerally uncomfortable.
On the positive side, there's some good humor in here, and interesting worldbuilding as well. Gemma's storyline was pretty great, though I feel like the whole sideplot about what her husband is up to ended up inconsequential to the overall plot and could've been reduced greatly. Richie was also pretty great, and the way their stories intertwined was without a doubt the highlight of the novel. The final act was a really fun way of bringing together all the different stories, but was also kinda bullshit. I can't say why because of spoilers, but like, if you read it you'll get it.
I know I just ripped into it throughout the whole review, but The Subprimes is pretty short and genuinely quite entertaining. I can't say its pros make up for its cons, but they do enough of a good job at distracting you from them that I hesitate to call it a bad book. Just don't think about it too hard.
Speaking of Sargam, most of the female characters in this book are very obviously Written By A Man. I don't think there's a single POV female character who doesn't give needless and unwarranted exposition on her sex appeal to men and how much of a threat other women perceive her as. Not to mention the (thankfully, blessedly brief) sex scenes, which had me rolling my eyes the whole time. They are, like, physically painful to read. And then there's also Vanessa, a 15 year old girl who has sex with a guy and then instantly ~becomes a woman~ and is eager to have a baby. At fifteen. If this was treated with any nuance that would be fine, but it's just lowkey (highkey) viscerally uncomfortable.
On the positive side, there's some good humor in here, and interesting worldbuilding as well. Gemma's storyline was pretty great, though I feel like the whole sideplot about what her husband is up to ended up inconsequential to the overall plot and could've been reduced greatly. Richie was also pretty great, and the way their stories intertwined was without a doubt the highlight of the novel. The final act was a really fun way of bringing together all the different stories, but was also kinda bullshit. I can't say why because of spoilers, but like, if you read it you'll get it.
I know I just ripped into it throughout the whole review, but The Subprimes is pretty short and genuinely quite entertaining. I can't say its pros make up for its cons, but they do enough of a good job at distracting you from them that I hesitate to call it a bad book. Just don't think about it too hard.
alixgb's review
2.0
I got through this book pretty quicky, but almost the whole time I felt like I was mad at it. I found the premise a little too on-the-nose. Deregulation and pull yourself up by your bootstraps to the extreme felt too now - maybe it was hitting too close to home paired with all the Republican debates. The writing itself was good, but the characters just all felt shallowly rendered - it was difficult for me to feel invested in what was going on. The last 10% started feeling better and then the ending was just silly. I wasn't feeling it.
norrin2's review
4.0
A great satire of what happens when capitalism is allowed to run amok. Equal parts humorous and horrifying. I would have given it five stars if not for some weird unexplained deus ex machina at the end.
timbooksin's review against another edition
3.0
There were a lot of things here that I enjoyed. I got some Parable of the Sower vibes. I really liked the redemptive parenting and some of the social commentary around wealth.
Ultimately, however, I think the narrative succumbed to its attempts to do too much or cover a bit too much ground. It felt like socioeconomic stratification got lost sometimes amid environmental destruction, religious zeal, and hegemonic masculinity. Still, worth the read.
Ultimately, however, I think the narrative succumbed to its attempts to do too much or cover a bit too much ground. It felt like socioeconomic stratification got lost sometimes amid environmental destruction, religious zeal, and hegemonic masculinity. Still, worth the read.
mjatuw's review
4.0
seeing social inequities and environmental disaster play out, along with human, struggling relationships was compelling. nice hopeful ending.
rincewind's review against another edition
1.0
SPOILER ALERT
This book features a not-all-that-unlikely American dystopia based on far right policies. It is an engaging look into a grim future where the working poor are exploited up to the point where they face starvation and drastic climatic upheavals..until the second coming of Christ comes along to save the day. For me, this (rather heavy handed) plot twist turns the book into christian fan fic.
This book features a not-all-that-unlikely American dystopia based on far right policies. It is an engaging look into a grim future where the working poor are exploited up to the point where they face starvation and drastic climatic upheavals..until the second coming of Christ comes along to save the day. For me, this (rather heavy handed) plot twist turns the book into christian fan fic.