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britt_zonnebloempit's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Let's start with the quotation marks. Or lack thereof. They exist for a reason - please use them!
Another issue I have is the lack of world building. There is a lottery, okay! But why? What part of the world is this set in? Is it even in this world or is it somewhere else entirely. Until the cabin I had a hard time imagining anything about Calla'a surroundings.
I just wish there was more to the world. I want more of a background as to why this lottery exists! What happened to put this into the world? What is going on? Where the hell on earth are they?
I was going to give this 1 star, but then they reached the hospital after Nova was born and it turned out Marisol had betrayed her - a plot twist I didn't see coming. The only reason it was worth more than 1 star.
Calla was extremely unlovable. It read like the brain of a fourteen year old misunderstood teenager who feels like the whole world is against them. You're a grown woman, please act like it.
Unfortunately, Calla wasn't the only unlovable character. Marisol, Lila, Therese and Valerie were all equally unlovable, much like Calla's friend in the beginning whose name ove forgotten. The men are especially unlovable, but maybe that's just because they're not even allowed to have full names. Hard to feel anything for someone referred to as "R" or "Doctor A." (See? Quotation marks are helpful!)
She goes through all the trouble of running away so she can have the baby she so desperately wants, but then, when she's close to the border and has a chance, she gets caught. In the hospital Marisol lets her see Nova and Calla decides to GIVE the baby she's done all this for away to a woman who betrayed her? IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE.
The whole book makes no sense, when I really think about it. It was honestly a waste of my time and I'm almost sorry I read it.
Another issue I have is the lack of world building. There is a lottery, okay! But why? What part of the world is this set in? Is it even in this world or is it somewhere else entirely. Until the cabin I had a hard time imagining anything about Calla'a surroundings.
I just wish there was more to the world. I want more of a background as to why this lottery exists! What happened to put this into the world? What is going on? Where the hell on earth are they?
Calla was extremely unlovable. It read like the brain of a fourteen year old misunderstood teenager who feels like the whole world is against them. You're a grown woman, please act like it.
Unfortunately, Calla wasn't the only unlovable character. Marisol, Lila, Therese and Valerie were all equally unlovable, much like Calla's friend in the beginning whose name ove forgotten. The men are especially unlovable, but maybe that's just because they're not even allowed to have full names. Hard to feel anything for someone referred to as "R" or "Doctor A." (See? Quotation marks are helpful!)
She goes through all the trouble of running away so she can have the baby she so desperately wants, but then, when she's close to the border and has a chance, she gets caught. In the hospital Marisol lets her see Nova and Calla decides to GIVE the baby she's done all this for away to a woman who betrayed her? IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE.
The whole book makes no sense, when I really think about it. It was honestly a waste of my time and I'm almost sorry I read it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
annalucy29's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Abortion, Blood, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
sadiedumplingreads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Abortion
tamaraepps's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abortion
eeenou's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Rape, Miscarriage, and Abortion
mheiling's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Pregnancy
Moderate: Drug use, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Abortion
kimschneider's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Abortion
holly_jones's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
hollokim's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Medical trauma
Moderate: Miscarriage
margotnelson's review
dark
emotional
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
2.5
I started this book on a whim, and was a little slow getting into it, mainly because the narrator is not especially likeable as a character. However, as the story went on, I wanted to know what would happen and how it would end. It was a quick and intense read, and a subsection of the dystopian genre that I hadn't yet dived into but had potential to be really interesting. Descriptions of the logic of this world felt glossed over in a way that didn't serve the story (i.e. Is the ticketing system just in this one country? Why was it implemented in the first place?) and made for an unsatisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault