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a_cera_t0ps's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In alternating perspectives, our cast grows and shrinks.
The characters are well written. The book shows many of the different arguments/reasoning/stories without drowning out plot A or disrupting the collective pace of the story. The characters feel like real people, with real connections. While there is a crush and romantic connection, it never once cuts into the action. It only presents itself as a motive: a catalyst for an even and consistent amount of the story. The ending is realistic while still having a satisfying conclusion.
The Shusterman authors worked to gether to create a compelling dystopian story much in the same way George Orwell worked time and time to do. They wrote the book with a message. However, instead of creating an atmosphere of hopelessness, the Shustermans help to build a future, to show the fall out of if and when disaster passes. They don't water down (ha) the message, the importance, or the level of disaster, but they leave the reader with an enjoyable story. It's believable, even if extreme in nature.
Graphic: Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Car accident, Child death, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Pedophilia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and War
bisexualchaos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, and Blood
glorytowers05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Car accident
Minor: Cursing, Rape, Alcohol, Drug use, Kidnapping, and Adult/minor relationship
oliverreeds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Blood, Child death, Classism, and Gore
riffmonkey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I think I would have had a different experience reading this if I had read it before our own generation's disaster time. After the pandemic though it feels though it makes some things much more mild or unrealistic. Like waiting a couple of hours to go to the store. I know now for a fact that if there was even a whisper of any shortage the public would make it a million times worse by preemptively buying it all out.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Car accident, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
quills4days's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Police brutality, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Sexual assault, Violence, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Death, Gore, and War
Minor: Vomit
bill369's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
My favourite character is Jacqui. She's the typical outcast cool character and from all the characters she was the most fun and relatable. All the characters are forever changed by the end of the book, the character development is there. Despite all this, I didn't grow to love any of the characters and soon or later I will most likely forget them. They aren't undeveloped, but they aren't strong characters either.
On the other hand, the theme of the book is awesome! I enjoyed all the facts and how fast it all happened. It kept me hydrated throughout the whole book! Also, it was quite fascinating to see how quickly people turn on each other in just a matter of days. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
There isn't any line/scene in particular that caught my attention, but there is a term „water-zombie“, strongly dehydrated human, I liked that one.
I like that the ending was clear. It was known what happened to who, therefore I didn't have to wonder for hours to come.
Lastly, there isn't anything I disliked, but the book isn't emotional/deep enough for me to give it more stars. So overall fascinating, fast and dry read which is great for a reading slump.
Moderate: Abandonment and Death
Minor: Pedophilia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Stalking, and Car accident
kaidoz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Edit: I’ve realized a few things I’ve missed. There were a few points in the book where characters mentioned how bad communism was which I thought was so strange. It seemed forced and like a political statement when no one even asked for it. Also, the reason I stated that the cast of characters being diverse was complicated is because their personalities are diverse, but they really aren’t. The main girl and her brother are of unidentified origin for like half of the book, and they end up being like, a quarter Jamaican and the rest European. Another female character is also very light-skinned but I honestly couldn’t tell you what she is because it was so forgettable. I think Greek? Roman? The rest were completely white. Also I believe there was a singular mention of one of the male characters not liking men, but other than that gay people didn’t exist. No POC or LGBT people in California? This truly is a fiction novel. Anyways, I still thought the story was great, so I’m not changing my review or anything.
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking
I will be giving more detail on some of the warnings while withholding as many spoilers as I can. I’ll label them. Car accident (very minor spoilers):bebidocrimes's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, and Murder