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sarahmackenziey's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Cannibalism, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Death, Hate crime, and War
Minor: Domestic abuse
thatokiebird's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The author is so imaginative, processing what different realities would look like. From a virtual realty theme park where people go to murder virtually and come back again and again, to an infinite time loop Groundhog day-esque world, where no rules exist anymore because why not. There were only three connected stories of the 12, which follows a two people working retail, one story detailing an alternate Black Friday where deaths add up casually as just a matter-of-fact.
I do want to read the author's full-length novel, Chain-Gang All-Stars, to get a feel of how they write characters over the course of a novel, instead of just in these short 10-15 page vignettes. Also the cover art of this book is stunning.
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Violence, Death, Abortion, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, and Racism
jenny_d's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Racism, Death, and Gun violence
shainabriley's review
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Gore, Death, and Torture
Minor: Cannibalism
thesupremequeen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Some of the stories land harder than others but even the ones you don’t think of first stick with you. Through the Flash is far and away my favorite of the bunch. It’s something that I will always end up referring back to when I think of time loop fiction. Zimmer Land is one that especially spoke to me as a huge fan of theme parks and themed entertainment. Finkelstein 5 is a superb story that is a hell of an opener to the collection. But the thing that I remember most often is the phrase shoelookers.
Graphic: Racism and Violence
catsbreadbikes'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Gore, Cursing, Violence, Torture, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Mass/school shootings, Genocide, Racial slurs, Body horror, Xenophobia, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime
Moderate: Abortion, Homophobia, and War
e11en's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Gore, and Violence
cheazcakeguy's review
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Some stories were more interesting than others. A couple were a bit dull, but my favorites were the ones that really leaned in to the ridiculousness. I especially liked The Finkelstein 5, Friday Black, Zimmer Land, and Through the Flash. Nothing really blew me away, but this book was certainly unique and unexpected. Overall, this is a pretty thought-provoking, well-written collection of stories.
Graphic: Racial slurs and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Torture, Cannibalism, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Police brutality, Suicide, and Domestic abuse
buer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The stories range widely, exploring topics like abortion, white supremacist violence, school shootings, over-consumerism, and more. Adjei-Brenyah is a visceral, visual writer exploring violent themes, so his writing is often stomach-churning. If you can handle a hefty amount of gore, though, these stories are sure to inspire a lot of interesting (maybe even productive) conversations.
The only thing keeping me from a full five star rating is that several of the stories are all center around the same retail environment. If all of those had to be included, I think grouping them together would have been more effective.
I recommend this for people who are politically minded, thoughtful, and a little twisted.
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Abortion
e_tully4's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence