Scan barcode
diana_sousa's review against another edition
5.0
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m sure most people have wondered how they’d fare if the world “ended”. I know I have – I’m not a particularly courageous person, nor am I made of heroine material. I wouldn’t lead people, or inspire them, or even be particularly good at surviving. Those stories always seem too epic and grandiose to get a sense of what’s happening at a smaller scale, at a personal level – I mean, how many of us would really be a Katniss Everdeen?
But not this book. “Over the Edge of Gone” gives us such a good look at this small corner of the world, at the story of just one girl and those around her. It’s the story of how Denise reacts to a comet hitting Earth and what happens afterwards – her own personal perspective, opinions, reactions. It takes a worldwide catastrophe and explores what makes us human, the gritty details, our own sense of worth, how we relate to each other, what is right and wrong, if there’s even a way to measure that in times of extreme crisis.
The plot, pacing, and conflict are great. There were times I was clutching at my Kindle and felt my heart racing as I worried about the characters, how the urgency of it all made me be there with them, running, hiding, fearing for their lives. Even when there’s no actual action, just the situation the characters are in, the decisions they need to take, make you anxious on their behalf. The way the story is told, from Denise’s perspective, makes everything so much more relatable and immediate. I couldn’t put the book down, I had to know what happened, I was so immersed in the story. The world-building, the way you are given glances of how society has changed in these 20 years, and specially how the world has transformed after the comet hits makes it all so real and raw. So chilling, and yet so tangible.
But this book specially thrives on the relationships between the characters, how their fears and wishes affect those around them. How people come together – or not – when crisis hits so close to home. How they react and how everyone has their reasons and is their own person despite what is happening around them. There’s a cast of such diverse, complex, and distinct characters, and they all have their own stories, their own reasoning. I never once felt they were hollow or under-developed, and there were always several layers to who they were, what they did.
I also want to point out that the main character is autistic. Neurodiversity is so rare in SFF these days, and this felt so well done. I can’t speak for everyone, of course, but for me it felt immensely authentic and genuine. After all, this is a #OwnVoices book, a term the author herself coined (go check it out if you don’t know what it is!).
This is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time, and that I’ll throw at everyone who listens to me. Besides being a great example of diversity, it is also an amazing addition to a quieter type of science-fiction, one more focused on the characters and their struggles. I can’t wait what Corinne Duyvis will give us next.
I’m sure most people have wondered how they’d fare if the world “ended”. I know I have – I’m not a particularly courageous person, nor am I made of heroine material. I wouldn’t lead people, or inspire them, or even be particularly good at surviving. Those stories always seem too epic and grandiose to get a sense of what’s happening at a smaller scale, at a personal level – I mean, how many of us would really be a Katniss Everdeen?
But not this book. “Over the Edge of Gone” gives us such a good look at this small corner of the world, at the story of just one girl and those around her. It’s the story of how Denise reacts to a comet hitting Earth and what happens afterwards – her own personal perspective, opinions, reactions. It takes a worldwide catastrophe and explores what makes us human, the gritty details, our own sense of worth, how we relate to each other, what is right and wrong, if there’s even a way to measure that in times of extreme crisis.
The plot, pacing, and conflict are great. There were times I was clutching at my Kindle and felt my heart racing as I worried about the characters, how the urgency of it all made me be there with them, running, hiding, fearing for their lives. Even when there’s no actual action, just the situation the characters are in, the decisions they need to take, make you anxious on their behalf. The way the story is told, from Denise’s perspective, makes everything so much more relatable and immediate. I couldn’t put the book down, I had to know what happened, I was so immersed in the story. The world-building, the way you are given glances of how society has changed in these 20 years, and specially how the world has transformed after the comet hits makes it all so real and raw. So chilling, and yet so tangible.
But this book specially thrives on the relationships between the characters, how their fears and wishes affect those around them. How people come together – or not – when crisis hits so close to home. How they react and how everyone has their reasons and is their own person despite what is happening around them. There’s a cast of such diverse, complex, and distinct characters, and they all have their own stories, their own reasoning. I never once felt they were hollow or under-developed, and there were always several layers to who they were, what they did.
I also want to point out that the main character is autistic. Neurodiversity is so rare in SFF these days, and this felt so well done. I can’t speak for everyone, of course, but for me it felt immensely authentic and genuine. After all, this is a #OwnVoices book, a term the author herself coined (go check it out if you don’t know what it is!).
This is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time, and that I’ll throw at everyone who listens to me. Besides being a great example of diversity, it is also an amazing addition to a quieter type of science-fiction, one more focused on the characters and their struggles. I can’t wait what Corinne Duyvis will give us next.
emzie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
1stfallenangel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.5
curiosityp's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pissrat's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I’m autistic so that’s why I picked up this book. I related to the main character a lot and I like that Iris was trans. But I felt like these things were just thrown out there and not integrated well into the story. I wish they had more personality instead of just being autistic and trans. I also felt like the world needed more depth. And Denise did interact with people and have friends but the ship felt so empty.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
2.0
I'm really torn on this one. It was good - I like that it had varied characters. There is not one single character that I can actually say..I liked. They were all both good and bad - very true to real people. I also liked the struggle of who to save and who could/should/would be left behind. I liked the uniqueness of both Denise and Iris and both representations made my heart so happy.
But this book deals with a tough topic - When faced with the end of the world, Who do you save? Who gets to ride off on your super fantastic spaceship and who stays behind to slowly starve and die on Earth? And your opinion and view will be different if you are the doctor, the lead engineer, the teenager who helps cook or the captain. Everyone is going to have a different idea on how to answer the question.
What I didn't like was how idealistic it got near the end. All the back and forth of yes or no was frustrating and I found myself frustrated with others selfish ideas and how they forced others to accept them.
But this book deals with a tough topic - When faced with the end of the world, Who do you save? Who gets to ride off on your super fantastic spaceship and who stays behind to slowly starve and die on Earth? And your opinion and view will be different if you are the doctor, the lead engineer, the teenager who helps cook or the captain. Everyone is going to have a different idea on how to answer the question.
What I didn't like was how idealistic it got near the end. All the back and forth of yes or no was frustrating and I found myself frustrated with others selfish ideas and how they forced others to accept them.
booksandladders's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Full review will come closer to release date in March 2016!
I started out really liking this one: there was an autistic main character, the end of the world, and cats. But it seemed like it took too much time to DO anything and that the novel could have been cut down by a good 100-150 pages and still told me the same story. It was too much and too long for me and I started to get bored in between the exciting parts. It seemed like there was a bit of inclusion for the sake of inclusion and I just wanted something a little more out of this one than what we got. But I do like that it is a standalone because there isn't enough of that in YA science fiction.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
Full review will come closer to release date in March 2016!
I started out really liking this one: there was an autistic main character, the end of the world, and cats. But it seemed like it took too much time to DO anything and that the novel could have been cut down by a good 100-150 pages and still told me the same story. It was too much and too long for me and I started to get bored in between the exciting parts. It seemed like there was a bit of inclusion for the sake of inclusion and I just wanted something a little more out of this one than what we got. But I do like that it is a standalone because there isn't enough of that in YA science fiction.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
watermelonwombat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
denisepx's review against another edition
When I started this book it was very hard for me to get into, also because I couldn't imagine a world so destroyed so close to where I live. But when I got into it I really likes it :)
myfaqiswtf's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0