Reviews

The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord

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kit_kate's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

readby_rach's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.5

theresaemig's review against another edition

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2.75

Read this b/c it was longlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction. It’s not something I’d have picked up otherwise. It wasn’t for me but true sci fi fans who’ve read this author’s other books set in this world may enjoy it.

finajevans5's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I really didn't want to rate this poorly as I picked it up as part of the Women's Prize 2024, not realising it was the third in a series. However, I could not tell you a single plot point that occurred in this novel. I understand I am behind on information due to not having read the first two novels, and especially because of the nature of the Sci Fi genre, but I have never been so confused when reading a novel.

the ending in particular was so confusing, I felt like it was building to an apocalyptic event, then suddenly it had happened, and I had totally missed this occurring.

. I do feel guilty for leaving a poor review, but I do believe that at least some confusion here may well be due to poor plotting outside of this being part of a series.

claire_p's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Read as longlisted for the Womens Prize for Fiction 2024. Enjoyed this book initially (the first 2 chapters) but as the book progressed i became more confused and frustrated. Multiple storylines and found it difficult to connect to the futuristic world and language used. Unaware the book was apart of a series until half way through. Feel it would have been a more enjoyable reading experience knowing the main characters and universe beforehand.

emilyreadsitall's review against another edition

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I had no idea what was going on

aliceandthegiantbookshelf's review against another edition

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DNF after 86 pages. It’s not doing much for me in terms of plot characters or writing so I’m not sure I want to carry on. Perhaps it would be better if you’ve read Lord’s other two but I think books on prize lists need to be able to stand alone. Might try again if it’s shortlisted.