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karlybug's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How can I be the only person to mention the absolutely insane choice of the publishers to give the narrator the name “Alice” on the back cover when the author is very careful to NEVER mention her name in the entirety of the novel??? it entirely upends that writing choice! this drove me crazier than is probably normal.
overall, i really enjoyed this. it took a while to take off, but when it did… hoo boy. i saw another review that said the plot snakes its way slow and twisty like a vine, so before you even realize it’s growing, bam, it smacks you in the face. i think that’s a really great way to explain this. the narrator is written so well, bc she’s certainly unlikeable and heavily problematic, but McDougall writes her in a way that’s very hard to dislike, and even (unfortunately) a tad relatable at times. unlikeable narrators are tricky to get right, but i think McDougall has got it down.
the audiobook was also delightful, especially when it came to the native language. Seymour gives a lovely performance and all characters are easy to tell apart even without labels.
there are parts of the eco-warrior, “wealthugee”, class divide commentary that i’m not entirely sure i understood, but i can’t tell if that’s due to my own gaps in knowledge or the writing itself.
all in all, i thoroughly enjoyed this and i will be looking for more from this author!
overall, i really enjoyed this. it took a while to take off, but when it did… hoo boy. i saw another review that said the plot snakes its way slow and twisty like a vine, so before you even realize it’s growing, bam, it smacks you in the face. i think that’s a really great way to explain this. the narrator is written so well, bc she’s certainly unlikeable and heavily problematic, but McDougall writes her in a way that’s very hard to dislike, and even (unfortunately) a tad relatable at times. unlikeable narrators are tricky to get right, but i think McDougall has got it down.
the audiobook was also delightful, especially when it came to the native language. Seymour gives a lovely performance and all characters are easy to tell apart even without labels.
there are parts of the eco-warrior, “wealthugee”, class divide commentary that i’m not entirely sure i understood, but i can’t tell if that’s due to my own gaps in knowledge or the writing itself.
all in all, i thoroughly enjoyed this and i will be looking for more from this author!
megankolb's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
nathanielcrossinggum's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
Here's the thing about this book - as a novel, a character story and a piece of fiction it was wildly enjoyable. 10/10. Lots of fun. As political commentary and a portrayal of how activism and modern anarchist activists work - not very accurate and I think not very useful. ALMOST got things kind of right. I always find that some people, in portraying activists, lean more into the espionage and therefore "agent" hierarchy rather than how a lot of activists work. Which is to say, they work on a much more anti-hierarchical foundation, even when they practice violence rather than non-violence. Direct Action is something that I do love to see being portrayed in fiction though, and I think Climate Fiction should be portraying a lot more of it. I really liked this book and I will be recommending it to all my friends though, if only as the starting point of a good conversation.
aminaspages's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
nancyalligood's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
indoorg1rl's review against another edition
4.0
Alice was a 30-something woman with an IQ of 159 (almost a genius) who communicated with her mother in Morse code. With the climate crisis ending the world, wealthy immigrants were flocking to New Zealand for shelter, stealing land, driving up food prices and taking over. But Alice was more worried about hating her best friend’s husband, quitting her dull day job and dealing with the return of her imaginary friend. Then she met Erika, a 15-year-old genius who was the daughter of a hot ‘wealthugee’ she was dating, and she was suddenly drawn into a dangerous new world.
I was sold as soon I saw the word ‘bizarre’. Bonus points that this was set in a near-future dystopian NZ. It somehow made sense to me that NZ would be the ‘last paradise’ standing when the rest of the world went under. I was fully immersed in the setting, and Alice’s ‘head’.
Alice’s struggle to deal with trivial things while the world around her was falling apart was so interesting to follow! And scarily enough, I could imagine this happening in real life! With the slow demise of climate crisis, people would do whatever required to survive till the end.
I’m so glad I jumped into this blind, as I did not expect where this story was going at all, and I had a blast! It was unexpectedly funny and action-packed. The audiobook was performed well, and it was so easy to follow. I never knew there was a sub-genre called satirical dystopian cli-fi thriller, and now I want more!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
jess_bee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
harrahdf's review against another edition
5.0
My Year of Rest and Relaxation - 9/11 + climate crisis*(cathartic vengeance/the ultimate powerlessness of the middle to lower classes in the face of entitled wealth)
jpi's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Strange little book but I loved the author’s voice and writing and will be seeking out more from her. If you like a hard to love, but still somehow do anti-hero—this one is for you.
katy_f's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5