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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Un worldbuilding molto interessante per il primo capitolo di questa trilogia a firma di Jay Kristoff. Molto interessante e molto curato, fin nei minimi particolari, come la lingua parlata, infarcita di neologismi futuristici ma non per questo non compensibili ad una prima lettura. Moltissime le citazioni ed i rimandi alla cultura, alla storia (confesso che ho capito il parallelo con la famiglia Romanov solo alla fine, e dire che avevo avuto sotto gli occhi per tutto il tempo nomi ed eventi!) e alla letturatura, Pinocchio in primis. Interessante, e fa riflettere molto, la dinamica tra umani e cyborg, il desiderio di questi ultimi di essere considerati alla stregua di esseri umani e di non burattini di legno, la necessità di non essere schiavi e la volontà di ribellarsi ed uccidere i propri padroni.
***
It's a very interesting worldbuilding the one describied in this first novel from a trilogy signed by Jay Kristoff. Very interesting and very accurate, down to the smallest details, such as the spoken language, peppered with futuristic neologisms but not for this reason not incomprehensible at a first reading. Many quotations and references to culture, history (I must confess that I understood the parallel with the russian Romanov family only at the end, and I have had names and events under my eyes all the time!) and to literature, “Pinocchio's adventure” in the first place. Interesting, and sobering, the dynamic between humans and cyborgs, the desire of the latter to be considered as human beings and not wooden puppets, the need not to be slaves and the will to rebel and kill their masters.
***
It's a very interesting worldbuilding the one describied in this first novel from a trilogy signed by Jay Kristoff. Very interesting and very accurate, down to the smallest details, such as the spoken language, peppered with futuristic neologisms but not for this reason not incomprehensible at a first reading. Many quotations and references to culture, history (I must confess that I understood the parallel with the russian Romanov family only at the end, and I have had names and events under my eyes all the time!) and to literature, “Pinocchio's adventure” in the first place. Interesting, and sobering, the dynamic between humans and cyborgs, the desire of the latter to be considered as human beings and not wooden puppets, the need not to be slaves and the will to rebel and kill their masters.
4.5 stars. I really liked this! Started right off ... reminded me a bit of "Real Steel" with two bots battling it out in an arena. But that not what the book is really about. At the very beginning, we are given definitions of the different types of robots in this futuristic sci-fi world. Automata, Machina and Logika. The three rules (and some thoughts on those) ... and a memory. We aren't sure whose memory or what it is all about. Those memories continue to surface throughout the book. They are written in italics, so they are easily identified. I was listening to audio, and still the different distinctions were quite clear. Also (I was glad I was able to download the Kindle copy in addition to the audio, as I like to have a visual of some of the story) Cricket's "voice" was in a different typeface, which I liked, it added a distinctive note to the Kindle copy, the narrator did a good job with the different voices on audio.
Speaking of voices ... the book/characters had a distinctive tone. In their slang ... such as "no way a bot this beautiful is getting bricked by some fritzer" ... fizzy, smoked, true cert, and ALL the nick names and ways characters were referred to... LemonFresh (that's not even a nickname really), bestest, Riotgrrl, Freckles, Dimples, BrainTrauma, "the lifelife", almost-boy, dead girl, the Preacher. I liked it, although sometimes it got a little overdone (the "her bestest" and "the lifelike" ... a LOT of that).
The storyline itself kept my interest. I wanted to come back as soon as possible when I'd had to put the book down. The time shift to the "memories" were a little confusing, but everything came together in the end. Even the title, with the numbers in there. The author did a good job and making the characters (and us) care about some of these machines ... like Cricket and the little robot dog.
I really liked the audio version, and thought the narrator did a good job, but as mentioned above, I was glad I had the Kindle copy as well, as some of the things came across a little differently in print. Especially in the end, when there were so many random thoughts coming across ... although the narrator did a really good job with it all. I liked being able to go back and skim and make sure I'd picked up everything.
When I'm reading multiple books at a time (or back to back) I TRY to shift the focus (vampires, dystopian, ghosts, zombies, WW2, etc) ... but I happened to be watching the TV series "Humans" which also has a very life-like robot/android theme (and consciousness and not wanting to be slaves).
Speaking of voices ... the book/characters had a distinctive tone. In their slang ... such as "no way a bot this beautiful is getting bricked by some fritzer" ... fizzy, smoked, true cert, and ALL the nick names and ways characters were referred to... LemonFresh (that's not even a nickname really), bestest, Riotgrrl, Freckles, Dimples, BrainTrauma, "the lifelife", almost-boy, dead girl, the Preacher. I liked it, although sometimes it got a little overdone (the "her bestest" and "the lifelike" ... a LOT of that).
The storyline itself kept my interest. I wanted to come back as soon as possible when I'd had to put the book down. The time shift to the "memories" were a little confusing, but everything came together in the end. Even the title, with the numbers in there. The author did a good job and making the characters (and us) care about some of these machines ... like Cricket and the little robot dog.
I really liked the audio version, and thought the narrator did a good job, but as mentioned above, I was glad I had the Kindle copy as well, as some of the things came across a little differently in print. Especially in the end, when there were so many random thoughts coming across ... although the narrator did a really good job with it all. I liked being able to go back and skim and make sure I'd picked up everything.
When I'm reading multiple books at a time (or back to back) I TRY to shift the focus (vampires, dystopian, ghosts, zombies, WW2, etc) ... but I happened to be watching the TV series "Humans" which also has a very life-like robot/android theme (and consciousness and not wanting to be slaves).
I truly cannot fault this book. A striking, spectacular, fist-clenching narrative from start to finish. I’m exhausted.
adventurous
dark
tense
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
What the fuck?! Uhhhh I am definitely not panicking amd dying and wanting to scream of confusion and what the fuckness at 2 am. I loved the beginning, it was so nice and- agh dammit I underestimated the pain Jay could make us go through. Please don’t, or at least I recommend you don’t. This book is definitely mind-blowing. If I hd to describe it with one word or one emoji it would be that:
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So this book was a ridddeeeee! It's actually the very first stand alone Jay Kristoff book I've read. The setting, style, and characters were incredibly vibrant, and I just loved the story that was created. I was thrown off at the beginning by the slang the characters use, but eventually I got used to it, and I recognized it as a world building technique. And the best part is that it wasn't done in a tacky way. Sometimes slang can really take me out of a story or it kinda fades halfway through, but that didn't happen here, luckily! I thought it fit very well with the world.
Speaking of, again, I loved the world! It was dystopian, but the kind I love--so post civilization that it's almost like a fantasy world. The story gave me MEGA Mad Max vibes, which I LOVED. I would say my favorites were ABSOLUTELY Ezekiel and Lemon Fresh--they were both such lovely and pure characters. <3 I enjoyed our main character too, but she was a bit too tumultuous for my taste...
The only reason this has 4 stars is kinda ironic: I predicted what was going to happen throughout most of the book, but then the ending kinda rocked me a little bit, and not in a good way. So the star was docked for both predictability and the weird plot twist! I'm not going to give anything away, but everything really got turned on it's head. Like, not in a way that I HATED, but not in a way I'm totally loving, either. I just hope the next book goes in a good direction because I have a baaadddd feeling about some things. o-o
Speaking of, again, I loved the world! It was dystopian, but the kind I love--so post civilization that it's almost like a fantasy world. The story gave me MEGA Mad Max vibes, which I LOVED. I would say my favorites were ABSOLUTELY Ezekiel and Lemon Fresh--they were both such lovely and pure characters. <3 I enjoyed our main character too, but she was a bit too tumultuous for my taste...
The only reason this has 4 stars is kinda ironic: I predicted what was going to happen throughout most of the book, but then the ending kinda rocked me a little bit, and not in a good way. So the star was docked for both predictability and the weird plot twist! I'm not going to give anything away, but everything really got turned on it's head. Like, not in a way that I HATED, but not in a way I'm totally loving, either. I just hope the next book goes in a good direction because I have a baaadddd feeling about some things. o-o
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes