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katekatiekait's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Abandonment
erebus53's review against another edition
- 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? No
2.25
I felt like the dialogue was middling to bad. There was a lot of exposition to the ignorant characters in the room that could have been done better. Perhaps I'm a stylistic snob, but the one line about Americans being a dichotomy of tech leaders whose people are also anti-academic, really rang throughout the entire book. An expert commenting that they found something interesting is invariably followed by the room asking for a translation for those who don't have a degree.
A major theme that is wallowed in, is tech being used for military purposes. This is specifically applied to genetics research (a loaded topic in Christian America), while deftly dodging the point that most of USAs technological advances have been made due to military funding. The idea that genetically heritable illnesses could be treated with gene therapy is not a new one to me, nor is the idea that similar techniques could be used for eugenics.
Poverty and addiction also seem to be a stereotype in this. It's all a bit of a lumbering shambles. If someone tells you their alias is Wilma, isn't anyone over the age of 30 going to guess their real name is Betty? This book feels like it's trying to be smart, but isn't very.
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Violence, Islamophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Murder, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
badmom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Drug use and Terminal illness
Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism
eleasereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and War
mnatale100's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Vomit, Islamophobia, Dementia, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Car accident, Death of parent, and Classism
waterwolves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Murder
kcarney86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, and Classism
_belty_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Murder, and Alcohol
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
When Supreme Court Justice Howard Wynn falls into a coma, the world is shocked to learn he has left his power of attorney in the hands of his law clerk, Avery Keene. Avery herself has no idea why Wynn would have done such a thing…and in her quest to find out uncovers a conspiracy that will threaten her life and the lives of everyone around her.
Oof. I need to preface this by saying I absolutely adore Stacey Abrams the person/politician and none of the following changes that. Unfortunately, I’m not nearly as big a fan of this novel as I am of Abrams personally. The entire thing felt contrived and impossible to believe—even factoring in the suspension of disbelief inherently necessary for most politico-legal thrillers. The characters were unlikable and the stakes felt shockingly low (they were not) because no one seemed particularly invested in uncovering the mystery until the end. Worst of all, one recurring riddle, discussed several times by the characters and presented as key to the entire story, was never adequately solved and instead was entirely forgotten by the end. It’s possible I would have enjoyed this more if I was a bigger fan of this type of thriller (I’m really not) but as it was it still fell significantly short of my expectations.
Recommended if you are already a fan of politico-legal thrillers.
CW: Medical experimentation; government oppression; death/violence/blood; drug abuse/addiction.
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent