notbreajones's review
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
3.75
leahhateshardbacks's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the book equivalent of the Can't Help Myself robot... we just keep going and going and going and going. On the surface it's fairly on the nose: a global epidemic called Shen Fever breaks out, causing the fevered to mindlessly continue repeating their daily habits in a zombie-like state; and our main character Candace continues to go into the office and work after most people have left the city in pursuit of safer environments. Despite this heavy-handed parallel this was sort of like an apocalypse book but... quieter, making it all the more insidious and sombre. The biggest statements it has to make are on capitalism, the working world, and identity.
•••
It's honestly quite unbelievable that this was written in 2018 before COVID. The lead up and process of how the world dealt with a pandemic is closely mirrored in here, from the initial disbelief at how strong it was, to the fashionisation (and subsequent redundancy) of surgical masks, to public outcry in reaction to protests. I wonder if I had read this before COVID whether I would feel differently, if I would felt bored with the double-sided monotony and tragedy of it all. Is it fucked up to say that this was sort of comfortingly familiar?
•••
It's honestly quite unbelievable that this was written in 2018 before COVID. The lead up and process of how the world dealt with a pandemic is closely mirrored in here, from the initial disbelief at how strong it was, to the fashionisation (and subsequent redundancy) of surgical masks, to public outcry in reaction to protests. I wonder if I had read this before COVID whether I would feel differently, if I would felt bored with the double-sided monotony and tragedy of it all. Is it fucked up to say that this was sort of comfortingly familiar?
aggbutterfly's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It was just meh. The plot was interesting but other than that it was just ok. I liked Candace and her mother a lot
“You’re maybe under the impression that everyone gets to do what they want for a living”
“You’re maybe under the impression that everyone gets to do what they want for a living”
laurajw's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I liked the plot. It was rather slow in the beginning and I had a hard time getting into it but it did pick up in the second half, especially the last 100 pages.
I found Candace to be quite unemotional and I wish there had been some deeper insight into her feelings.
I found Candace to be quite unemotional and I wish there had been some deeper insight into her feelings.
ellelleen's review
3.0
i like the themes and i get it and the commentary on capitalism, it was just a little boring and candace was a bit of a boring MC. i think the idea of candace is interesting, she just didn't seem to have any emotions, i wanted to know how she felt when big things happened, but she didn't really feel anything, i guess maybe that's part of the motif, hmm not much more to say: i did enjoy this one but it was a little slow and boring and took me ages to get thru although it picked up in the second half
hungeberg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5
heatherdanskin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
4.5