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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
A very good story! Not for everyone I'd imagine but I really did enjoy it... Some of that enjoyment came in the form of anguish at the characters but evoking that anguish suggests much about the authors ability to get you invested in their world.
Loved the diary chapters when they were students. Would have loved more worldbuilding and history, it was tantalising but slightly vague for my taste
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is so much about this book that I loved. It felt like having stumbled over an unknown dark academia book, and I adored so many things about it. The grand jeu seems like the perfect symbolism for so much of what draws people to *learning*, and the characters' connection around it made me ache (in a good way).
The book's treatment of fatness/fat characters really did dampen my enthusiasm, though. It's one thing to have a book with a fatphobic character. It's another to have a book where several/all POV characters seem disgusted by a large body, and also see it as an extension of a vile *character*/personality. And a third thing to have not only the characters themselves use such descriptions, but also the text itself, in the way even seemingly-neutral passages and choices still have a point of view.
This book is the third kind, and it rather broke my heart, since I thought I'd found a new top-five-of-all-times book. Hearing bodies like my own described in such ways, though, takes away much of the joy the book sparked in me, no matter how vibrant that joy was at first.
The book's treatment of fatness/fat characters really did dampen my enthusiasm, though. It's one thing to have a book with a fatphobic character. It's another to have a book where several/all POV characters seem disgusted by a large body, and also see it as an extension of a vile *character*/personality. And a third thing to have not only the characters themselves use such descriptions, but also the text itself, in the way even seemingly-neutral passages and choices still have a point of view.
This book is the third kind, and it rather broke my heart, since I thought I'd found a new top-five-of-all-times book. Hearing bodies like my own described in such ways, though, takes away much of the joy the book sparked in me, no matter how vibrant that joy was at first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Alcohol, Deportation
Minor: Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic
Melancholic, enchanting and absorbing; The Betrayals is set in a parallel 1930s(?) Europe, where an unnamed party has water tight control of the population, where religion has been denounced and the only equivalent is the Grand Jeu.
Taking obvious inspiration from The Glass Bead Game, Collins brings a modern perspective to familiar themes. As in the Glass Bead Game, the Grand Jeu, seemingly a mix of music, maths and dreams, is revered and studied zealously in Montverre, an exclusive alpine academy.
The story follows a disgraced politician, forced into exile in Montverre where he gradually uncovers hidden truths from his past.
Easily one of my favourite books from the last year this is a definite recommend.
Taking obvious inspiration from The Glass Bead Game, Collins brings a modern perspective to familiar themes. As in the Glass Bead Game, the Grand Jeu, seemingly a mix of music, maths and dreams, is revered and studied zealously in Montverre, an exclusive alpine academy.
The story follows a disgraced politician, forced into exile in Montverre where he gradually uncovers hidden truths from his past.
Easily one of my favourite books from the last year this is a definite recommend.
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Collins has mainly written for young people and I think that shows in this novel. I was reminded of 'His Dark Materials' and even Harry Potter. With some pruning to pick up the pace,this would have been a good YP book.
2.5. The last little bit was good but the rest really wasn't worth it.
I’m in two minds about this book. It’s well written and I wasn’t bored reading it. Having said that, I would have liked more information about the game, recent history and politics. There are also many small things that are not explained at all and some things that are explained eventually. And again with the child abuse. Different kind than in The Binding but still pretty bone chilling.
The menstruation scene was weird. Why was it even in there? It seems unusual to lose that much blood in the first couple of hours of a period especially lying down. It usually takes a day to really get going. Maybe the author’s menstrual experiences are different. I actually paused reading to check if I had been mistaken and the author was a man. Especially because there was also a line about the character’s body usually holding in the blood until she got to a toilet… ?!
After finishing the book I read that the author has TERF inclinations. The period scene might have been her laying the groundwork to emphasise that this woman has a uterus. It still doesn’t explain the unusual way she writes about periods though.
I didn’t like the plot twist towards the end but the ending made it more bearable. This is not a happily ever after story.
The menstruation scene was weird. Why was it even in there? It seems unusual to lose that much blood in the first couple of hours of a period especially lying down. It usually takes a day to really get going. Maybe the author’s menstrual experiences are different. I actually paused reading to check if I had been mistaken and the author was a man. Especially because there was also a line about the character’s body usually holding in the blood until she got to a toilet… ?!
After finishing the book I read that the author has TERF inclinations. The period scene might have been her laying the groundwork to emphasise that this woman has a uterus. It still doesn’t explain the unusual way she writes about periods though.
I didn’t like the plot twist towards the end but the ending made it more bearable. This is not a happily ever after story.
Een veelbelovend verhaal dat me meezoog, helaas heeft ze aan het eind echt wat laten liggen. Een open einde is prima, maar dit was iets te makkelijk.
Rather simple but an interesting read. Disappointing to learn that key concepts are based on another author's work.