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halfpastsix's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Soft and brutal and quaint and tragic. Loved it. I didn't expect it to speak to my experience as a minority, but it did.
"There are people out there [...], who don't hate you or wish you any harm, but who nevertheless shudder at the very thought of you--of how you were brought into this world and why--and who dread the idea of your hand brushing against theirs."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Terminal illness, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
librarymouse's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this book once before, as a child, but I forgot how much it hurts. Beautifully written, heartbreaking, and begging the reader to confront and understand a horrifying ethical dilemma within the view of a pastoral childhood, this book is one that I will never be able to forget and one which will never stop hurting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Sexual content, Death, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Classism and Cancer
frannyrdclark's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Infertility
cmcrockford's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Death
Moderate: Cursing, Medical content, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Sexual content
samchase112's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It’s hard to say how I feel about this book. After just finishing, I really feel at peace with the ending and the characters’ fates — and didn’t come close to crying, the way so many people seem to. What I’m most impressed with is the slow yet compulsive writing style, and the way the woven nature of the narrator’s memory not only mirrors real life so well, but also makes you want to keep turning the pages, even if not much substantial is going. Definitely an interesting book, and one I’m glad I read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Medical content and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer and War
kelsey22's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Infertility, Death, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Medical content
phantomgecko's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
First off, it was kinda funny to me how much this mirrors Remains of the Day. Narrator driving across the country and reminiscing. Otherwise, it was more interesting, but also didn't affect me as much emotionally. It totally should have; it just didn't.
This book really takes a very sci-fi idea and delivers an entirely un-sci-fi book. It's a novel about humans and relationships and emotions and only marginally breaches the ethics of things.
The dynamics and feelings captured between Cathy and Ruth resonated a lot with my personal experiences in adolescence. Cathy was a lot more kindhearted than I would be though. I couldn't stand Ruth as a character. Wanting so badly to be liked and important, lying about dumb things, purposely manipulating those around her. I know those people and dislike them, so it was kinda hard to see Cathy giving in over and over.
Perhaps the lack of emotional response stems from the closure offered. Yes, for real, the doomed lives of these children was sad. It's a depressing setting. But by the end of things, things had basically gone as well as they could have. There wasn't a heavy "if only" looming over them. So kinda a happy ending, tbh.
This book really takes a very sci-fi idea and delivers an entirely un-sci-fi book. It's a novel about humans and relationships and emotions and only marginally breaches the ethics of things.
The dynamics and feelings captured between Cathy and Ruth resonated a lot with my personal experiences in adolescence. Cathy was a lot more kindhearted than I would be though. I couldn't stand Ruth as a character. Wanting so badly to be liked and important, lying about dumb things, purposely manipulating those around her. I know those people and dislike them, so it was kinda hard to see Cathy giving in over and over.
Perhaps the lack of emotional response stems from the closure offered. Yes, for real, the doomed lives of these children was sad. It's a depressing setting. But by the end of things, things had basically gone as well as they could have. There wasn't a heavy "if only" looming over them. So kinda a happy ending, tbh.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Medical content
lilifane's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book centers around a really interesting topic with lots of possible discussions... in the most boring and unimpactful way possible.
I usually like literary fiction with speculative elements, but I was really bored here. I liked the school setting at the beginning, and I was intrigued by the premise (never surprised, though. I think this was all obvious and predictable) and some details and questions. But I really didn't like the characters, their toxic friendships and relationships, their boring everyday problems when there was such a huge thing looming over everything. The writing style was fitting but didn't contribute much to my enjoyment of the book, same as the bleak and depressing atmosphere.
I'm really glad I read it, though, and I'm still interested in the author's other works.
I usually like literary fiction with speculative elements, but I was really bored here. I liked the school setting at the beginning, and I was intrigued by the premise (never surprised, though. I think this was all obvious and predictable) and some details and questions. But I really didn't like the characters, their toxic friendships and relationships, their boring everyday problems when there was such a huge thing looming over everything. The writing style was fitting but didn't contribute much to my enjoyment of the book, same as the bleak and depressing atmosphere.
I'm really glad I read it, though, and I'm still interested in the author's other works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Medical content, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Infertility and Grief
jestro's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual content
guyreadsstuff's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content