Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Haunting of Tram Car 015

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark

16 reviews

emily_mh's review

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

This was another fantastic novella from Clark set in his alt-history steampunk 1910s Cairo! I’m truly in love with the setting of this world, and in this book it was really brought to the forefront, the plot being focussed on this Cairo’s network of aerial trams!!

The plot further expands the world-building in how it ties in the religious and political diversity and tensions of the setting. There’s a particular focus on women (and how AMAZING they are), as Egypt’s women are fighting for suffrage, and womanhood is otherwise tied into the story. Ironically, our MC and his investigative partner are men, though they are very endearing ones at that. Furthermore, the pacing of the plot was once again well-executed.

I was really intrigued by the brief commentary on this Cairo’s thinking machines. The narrative poses the question: if they can think, are they beings in their own right, and thus is our use of them enslavement? The parallels were AI are striking.

Overall, this was thoroughly enjoyable and well-done.

Rep: Muslim Egyptian MC, Egyptian SCs

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warlocksarecool21's review

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

This was such a fun short story! I was already intrigued by the world from A Dead Djinn in Cairo and I thought the author expanded on the world-building and storyline really well. I love the setting of early 20th century Egypt with magical futuristic elements. The inclusion of magic and futuristic tech while referencing the history and culture of the time was super cool! It had a lot of things I really like: historical setting, steampunk vibes, folklore, and disgruntled government agents (and a gov’t agency dedicated to magic stuff at that!). The story was just evenly paced for this short format and I thought the writing was funny and immersive. I’m really glad I picked this up before starting A Master of Djinn and I highly recommend reading this!

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novella42's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Excellent worldbuilding!

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raptorq's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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fox_at_the_circus's review

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adventurous mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Really like the setting of this story and how the discovery of Djinn changed society and world history. Loved seeing the suffragete movement here and all the powerful working women in this book.
I also liked the characters. I especially loved Onsi and his loved/need for philosophical debate, so entertaining and interesting! And also a great way to show more of the world within this shorter story. Also the genderfluid Djinn, amazing!

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alliemikennareads's review

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4.0

This novella was a great read for fall. It’s not as eerie as I was expecting, but it definitely has great ghost vibes with a really interesting theme and storyline that’s unlike other books I’ve read in the horror genre in a really great way. I enjoyed it and read it in one sitting since it’s a short read. I’d definitely recommend this one!

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thereaderfriend's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-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

3.5

Had higher expectations for this :/ the potential was there but not executed well. Did like the wacky mysterious vibes. Didn't like the women's suffrage subplot to the main plot. That wasn't good. Didn't like the MC but the rest of it was decent. Definitely a starting novella for the author. Liked the monster action and world building. Looking forward to Fatma's book.

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bookishpriest's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

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_forestofpages's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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its_kievan's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

There's really not much to The Haunting of Tram Car 015, given that it's already so short, but what there is is a fun little story set in one of the most original and interesting fantasy worlds I've seen in a long time.

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