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adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a ride this book was! Just for the world-building alone (the extrapolation of today’s problems to how they will look in the next 25 years) was incredibly done. The thriller mystery part was also so engaging and exciting, it’s what I wish all thrillers could be. Definitely reminds me a bit of Blake Crouch’s thrillers, but with better writing. My one complaint is that the ending (the last few chapters) felt a bit rushed, but it wasn’t enough to ruin it for me (and I saw the author say he will write a book 2). It’s a story I’ll think about a lot and I’m excited to see what else he puts out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Drug use, Pregnancy
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
For a debut novel, this was amazing. It was part Sci-Fi, part murder mystery, part political intrigue, and part literary fiction. So many times did I have to put the book down and think. The grim reality it painted for a possible future 25 years down-the-line had me tearing up. The conversations about AI, climate change, issues with social media, and politics were all plants grown from the seeds of what is happening right now. It was a very frightening painting of the future.
I was able to see where the book was going pretty early on. I wasn't surprised by the twist. It upset me because I thought it was going for the normal AI storyline, and then it confused me at the end.
The chapter with Solomon and October. I wasn't sure if that was him faking her out, or a possibility, or if that was Solomon setting up for a war against the caliphate. Or was the caliphate actually overtaking Solomon? It actually made the ending of the book. I like that the reader can choose which version you wanted to believe in. Was Solomon manipulating the situation, or was there more going on.
I was able to see where the book was going pretty early on. I wasn't surprised by the twist. It upset me because I thought it was going for the normal AI storyline, and then it confused me at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcohol
Moderate: Confinement, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Drug abuse