Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - World Running Down

Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

World Running Down by Al Hess

11 reviews

shottel's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

World Running Down isn’t innovating, but that’s okay. It’s solid fiction, set a couple generations after rich people jump ship to a new planet after deciding that earth is a lost cause. A few large cities remain the last bastions of prosperity, while outside their borders things somewhat resemble Mad Max. In this environment Valentine, a trans guy trying to scrape together enough money to buy a visa to one of the cities, takes a job that sends him down a path that involves a lot of reflection about what it means to be sentient and our duty to others and the environment. Less high-falutin, there’s also a lot of gay emotions and some sex. It’s a genuinely enjoyable novel, especially if you like more reflective fiction or trans or gay main characters.

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rory_o_rama's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

I love trans representation. It fills my heart with so much joy.

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prosenheim's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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quinnyquinnquinn's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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mar's review

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

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

4.25

At times dramatic but ultimately feel-good story about a trans scavenger on the Mad Max-y salt planes of near-future Utah, taking on a big job from the utopian Salt Lake City in the hopes of finally earning his admission into it - with the help of a temporarily-trapped-in-an-android-body AI. (Who is very hot... and smart... and cute... and- well. you get the picture 👀). I particularly enjoyed the worldbuilding around AIs and androids - the two usually get lumped together, and it was interesting seeing a world in which they were very distinct groups treated and perceived completely differently. If anything, some of the concepts/subplots in this book were so compelling I was disappointed not to see them expanded on even further (such as the test for determining sentience - for such an important part of the story it felt a little surface-level - or the animal-robot hybrids roaming the planes). I think just how easily everything got wrapped up into a neat happy ending was a bit unrealistic, but it's definitely a book to read for comfort rather than realism. Equal parts fun character-driven adventure and a sweet gay romance, it's a great read for a rainy day <3

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

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discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-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

4.75

This book came out of left field and absolutely blew me away. I knew within the first 30 pages that I was going to love it, and after that I just couldn’t put it down.

I have such a soft spot for A.I. characters, and Osric is so precious and gentle it makes my heart ache. The relationship between him and Valentine is so damn sweet. I would never have expected a Mad Max-style dystopian desert road trip story to be so charming, compassionate, and hopeful.

Not to mention it’s so well-written! And the author’s illustrations of the characters at the front of the book are phenomenal!

My ONLY criticisms are that it could’ve benefitted from some diversity, and the positive representation of the Mormon church made me slightly uncomfortable, especially given that in the afterword, the author states that he wishes for each of his books to be a “safe space for queer readers”—an enormous percentage of which suffer from religious trauma.

But who knows? Maybe that was intentional, like writing a supportive and inclusive religious experience into the story was meant to be a form of healing. I could understand that. All in all, it’s not like I think it severely detracted from the quality of the book. I still rated it 4.75⭐️!

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lettuce_read's review

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Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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brittni_in_ink's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

A hopeful take on the post-apocalyptic wasteland, this queer road trip is a wild ride that tugs at the heartstrings.

In the salt flats of near-future Utah, salvager Valentine and his van partner Ace take on jobs to save up for a visa to Salt Lake City. Valentine dreams of the benefits of a visa, which include access to testosterone and transition surgery. When Osric, a handsome A.I. trapped in an android body, shows up with a job offer, Valentine's dream is within reach - until it turns out that the job involves tracking down androids who may becoming self-aware...

There's so much to love about this book. From the dual POV format (alternating between Valentine and Osric) to the salt pirates, androids, and wastelanders who inhabit the book, there's a unique flavour to Hess's post-apocalyptic world. The book involves themes of personal autonomy and identity, which characters explore in different ways, giving the book a well-crafted sense of cohesion. The relationship between Valentine and Osric is the clear core of the story and the attention to the relationship dynamics gives the book a cosy tone.

However, there are some heavier instances in this sometimes harsh world. Relationships and friendships get messy and, as in real relationships, some problems get worked out, and some don't. That's what gives Hess's writing an edge - there's a vulnerability and authenticity in the characters' personalities, frustrations, and hard-won joy.

There were a couple of elements that could've used a bit more filling out, but by keeping the story focused on Valentine and Osric, there's room for suspension of disbelief. I mostly wanted to get to know more of the androids outside of their identity as a group earlier on.

It's also worth mentioning that the book also discusses big social problems - the excess of resources in the city and the scarcity in the wasteland communities, or the mistreatment of androids, as examples. It felt pretty relevant to our world today, along with the Teegardeners, who act as a metaphor as well as a worldbuilding note. World Running Down definitely feels of our time and asks some tough questions that the characters don't have solutions for.

I loved the little nods to Shakespeare throughout, and the importance of the arts throughout the story. I'd love to hear what a Gunman Gee record sounds like!

Overall, World Running Down was a read I'll be thinking about for a long while. Besides including a lot of my favourite sci-fi elements - androids becoming self-aware, robots (or A.I.) in love, and a hopeful future - the book is a reminder that kindness and generousity can make a real difference in a world running down.

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ambers's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is SUCH a delight, wow. It's a book about queer and trans joy, found family, the euphoria of being at home in your skin, and the quest it can take to get there. It's set against a sci fi desert that reminded me personally of Tales from the Borderlands, and like all good sci fi, it ties itself intimately to modern day concerns - income inequality, inaccessible healthcare (especially gender affirming care), transphobia, and the necessity of community bonds. It also feels like a deeply personal novel, and I'm grateful Al Hess put it out in the world for us.

With a 5 star review, there's obviously not much I didn't love about this book. The villain dialogue was at times a bit cookie cutter, and I wish we'd learned more about the plotline of animal/android hybrids, but those are minor gripes. Overall, I tore through this read from start to finish, and left with a huge grin on my face. I honestly wish I'd taken my time with this one, so that I could spend more time in the world, but I couldn't help myself.

World Running down features philosophical questions about the meaning of life while traveling through a post apocalyptic desert, ADHD rep, a joyful romance between a gay AI and a trans man (with parallels between their dual journeys from dysphoria to euphoria), motorcycle riding Mormon pirates, and more. If any of that even remotely interests you, please do yourself a favor and read this book. Thank you to Angry Robot book and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review; this is definitely one I'll be recommending and revisiting.

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chippyreads's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

World Running Down

5 stars

-Dual POV

-ADHD rep

-Trans FTM MC

-Queer Romance

-Speculative SciFi/Post apocalyptic

-Found Family

-AI, Robots

-Character driven

‘Wasteland Road Trip’

What a wonderful read!

Valentine, a trans man, dreams of raising enough money to afford citizenship for Salt Lake City in order to gain free gender affirming health care (and lots of food). In this wasteland of a world Valentine and his new bestie (Ace) run errands in their old van, all while avoiding Mormon ‘Pirates’ in the desert.

Osric is a powerful AI of Salt Lake City who has been forced into an android body and tasked with tracking down Valentine and Ace with an offer they can't resist. Recover the merchandise and they BOTH gain citizenship. Yet the merchandise are android escorts who are becoming self aware, and don’t want to return to their abusive patrons.

As Valentine wrestles between his morals and dreams, a beautiful relationship grows between him and Osric. The way they bond over shared feelings to do with their own bodies is really beautiful to see on page.

I really loved the way Osric at first saw the world as an AI. He would look at colours as their HTML code and notice the musical pitch of someone's voice. As time goes by he appreciates touch and the use of facial expressions.

It wasn’t enough to bring the rating down, but I feel like the author left out a whole plot line to do with animals. So we’re presented with this interesting fact: Valentine is shown the problem by another character, but we don’t ever get any answers as to how or why.

Even though I loved that this book read so quickly, I wish it were longer, just so we could explore the world more and see more interactions between Osric and the sentient androids.

Considering its a speculative SciFi it was very easy to picture the world and characters. In such an ugly world that Valentine lives in, he finds so much beauty in friendship and community. If you want a queer book with empathy, found family and adventure, then I highly recommend picking up this book.

Thank you to Angry Robot book and NetGalley for a eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings (from author’s website)

Language, M/M open door sex and sexual elements, brief violence, brief misgendering, body dysphoria

User added

Kidnapping/Trafficking, off page SA, Emotional abuse

How I rate books

1- I disliked this book very much. Highly unlikely to read this author again

2- Eh. I didn't hate it. Might give the author another go

3- It was fun

4- Amazing and would read again

5- I'm in love. Give me more right now!

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