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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A really good depiction of the horrors of war set in a wonderfully detailed dystopian future.The kind of plausible fiction that if real life events play out in a certain way, this book could be comparable to 1984 in 2055. I would call it an attempt at prophetic science fiction well executed. The parallels between what present day America does to enemy combatants are unmistakable. It elicits "sympathy for the devil," in the form of a suicide bomber using weapons of mass destruction. It was powerful.
I read this book twice, accidently. I bring this up because I read this twice because it both left little impression on me, combined with wanting to erase the impression.
My Kindle did not track “the percentage” correct and I mistakenly thought it was a book I had not finished. Having been quite a while, and only 20-30% through, I thought it best to restart.
I did.
I remember this… oh yes, more characters I’m only slightly sympathetic to and don’t really like… but maybe this I don’t remember, oh wait, yes, I did not want to remember the prolonged torture sequence… ouch, yes, true, but really… I need a drink.
This is my abridged, mostly un-spoiled explanation of the book but it actually is well written in many ways. The future painted here seems horribly prescient, if not a bit hopeful in happening so far in the future (2070’s). That being said, there is no hope. Characters are purposely given no joy, even when the reader, and the character, and life, need the respite. It’s exhausting. It reminds me of the film Requiem for a Dream, where they lead you down a dark alley, then kicks you, stabs you, asks how you feel before they push you over the bridge? This book is a bit like that.
There are a lot of smart things here, but it is all submerged so deep I felt I needed to come up for air.
I’m writing this now to remind myself why I don’t need to read it a third time.
My Kindle did not track “the percentage” correct and I mistakenly thought it was a book I had not finished. Having been quite a while, and only 20-30% through, I thought it best to restart.
I did.
I remember this… oh yes, more characters I’m only slightly sympathetic to and don’t really like… but maybe this I don’t remember, oh wait, yes, I did not want to remember the prolonged torture sequence… ouch, yes, true, but really… I need a drink.
This is my abridged, mostly un-spoiled explanation of the book but it actually is well written in many ways. The future painted here seems horribly prescient, if not a bit hopeful in happening so far in the future (2070’s). That being said, there is no hope. Characters are purposely given no joy, even when the reader, and the character, and life, need the respite. It’s exhausting. It reminds me of the film Requiem for a Dream, where they lead you down a dark alley, then kicks you, stabs you, asks how you feel before they push you over the bridge? This book is a bit like that.
There are a lot of smart things here, but it is all submerged so deep I felt I needed to come up for air.
I’m writing this now to remind myself why I don’t need to read it a third time.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book, since I'm a lover of dystopian books and it's different from the usual "Hunger Games" comparisons. It could have been more concise; it took me a while to get through, but I raced through the last 100 pages. I wouldn't recommend to a casual reader, but I am glad I read it.
I'm pretty sure that this actually was a good book, but I honestly and truly hated every single page. So disappointing-- I have been eyeing this one for so long and it was torturous for me to get through.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Really excellent writing and ideas. Characters are full and intriguing. At the same time, I found that I hated many of the characters. It was by design but just a little too off putting to adore the book. Last point is that I have been suggesting it to many people, so it is great.
An overall enjoyable read.
Full bias disclosure - I do enjoy dystopian sci-fi novels. Sarat's character ark was incredible. The author did a fantastic job helping the reader relate to her at every major milestone in the book. That being said, A lot of the other supporting characters fell flat and were used as foils to show her growth. The settings were interesting, and at times they seemed inconsequential to the events unfolding in the book.
The political messaging was subtly not subtle at all, but I kind of enjoyed that part. I like to think the author knew exactly what he was trying to say and how we wanted to say it. That, coupled with a strong protagonist and a unique story made me like the book enough to give it 4 stars
Full bias disclosure - I do enjoy dystopian sci-fi novels. Sarat's character ark was incredible. The author did a fantastic job helping the reader relate to her at every major milestone in the book. That being said, A lot of the other supporting characters fell flat and were used as foils to show her growth. The settings were interesting, and at times they seemed inconsequential to the events unfolding in the book.
The political messaging was subtly not subtle at all, but I kind of enjoyed that part. I like to think the author knew exactly what he was trying to say and how we wanted to say it. That, coupled with a strong protagonist and a unique story made me like the book enough to give it 4 stars
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced