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beltari's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Trafficking, and Slavery
Minor: Child abuse and Adult/minor relationship
saint_eleanor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This made me feel so many different emotions but ultimately was super unsettling and also so human, is the only way I can describe it. It asks lots of important questions, like about your consciousness and what is an ‘extension of u’ and what is not. Super close and intimate (sometimes too intimate) look at the human condition if it was ruled by little portals. Also, this book is translated beautifully.
Content Warnings
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, and Excrement
whimsicalish's review
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I did enjoy this book, perhaps not as much as Samanta's Fever Dream. It was an eerie and extremely creepy premise. It left me worried for the characters more than horror books have attempted.
I only wish it wasn't so depressing. Every character had hope or humility ripped from them.
I only wish it wasn't so depressing. Every character had hope or humility ripped from them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Minor: Toxic relationship and Child abuse
marshamudpuddle's review against another edition
4.5
This took me by surprise. Very readable and engaging, but also thought-provoking and morally serious. It is about a world in which a new technology craze has taken hold globally: kentukis, which are essentially remote-controlled cuddly toys with webcams in them, allowing people to spy on, or be spied on, by strangers. The whole thing is brilliantly, vividly imagined: sometimes I genuinely had to remind myself that the kentukis aren't real! What really struck me though was how effective they were as a way of exploring ideas about technology, globalisation, interconnectivity, moral responsibility, privacy, commercialism, law and regulations, ensoulment, death, and much else besides. There is a lot to chew on here. It is that rare thing: an easy-to-read book that cuts deep.
The book is also formally interesting: somewhere between a novel and a book of short stories. There are essentially five main stories we follow, which remain separate in terms of plot, but are connected by the presence of the kentukis. Then scattered throughout (including the very opening chapter) are one-off stories as well, that further build out this imagined world. I genuinely loved all five stories, and never minded switching between them.
I would recommend this to anyone, with the only caveat being that there are some pretty unpleasant things that happen and things do get very dark towards the end.
Side-note: my copy has the tagline "Trusting strangers can lead to unexpected love..." which is a terrible tagline that makes this brilliant book sound like a crappy romance novel, and more to the point, isn't what the book is about at all. So whoever wrote that should be fired!
Second side-note: This was the second novel I've read this year translated by Megan McDowell (following The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, by Mariana Enríquez) and once again, the translation was impeccable, totally disappearing as a great translation should.
The book is also formally interesting: somewhere between a novel and a book of short stories. There are essentially five main stories we follow, which remain separate in terms of plot, but are connected by the presence of the kentukis. Then scattered throughout (including the very opening chapter) are one-off stories as well, that further build out this imagined world. I genuinely loved all five stories, and never minded switching between them.
I would recommend this to anyone, with the only caveat being that there are some pretty unpleasant things that happen and things do get very dark towards the end.
Side-note: my copy has the tagline "Trusting strangers can lead to unexpected love..." which is a terrible tagline that makes this brilliant book sound like a crappy romance novel, and more to the point, isn't what the book is about at all. So whoever wrote that should be fired!
Second side-note: This was the second novel I've read this year translated by Megan McDowell (following The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, by Mariana Enríquez) and once again, the translation was impeccable, totally disappearing as a great translation should.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Kidnapping
allyjshand's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The concept behind the novel is brilliant. I was so intrigued by kentukis and their depicted global popularity. Whilst some argue that kentukis are unrealistic, I would disagree. Given the rate at which we have absorbed technologies into our homes that utilise voice recognition and cameras, I'd argue that the us machines like kentukis is not unlikely. The whole novel was reminiscent of the dystopian TV show Black Mirror which, like Little Eyes, uses futuristic technologies to reflect human nature. To top it off, the writing was extremely fluid and engaging - making it easy to fall into Schweblin's world. However, I found the novel quite dark and graphic at times (although, this is a matter of reader preference). Also, whilst the use of multiple perspectives was seamless, I felt that less POVs could have been included to allow for the remaining narratives to be developed more. Regardless, Little Eyes is a though-provoking novel that will definitely stay with me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.75
This was super well written and very tense, i loved the short chapters and the building of tension but i just wish there had been slightly more horror that it built too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, and Trafficking
carolinalopes's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Pedophilia
militeratura's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Kidnapping
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