Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - The Ministry of Time

Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

14 reviews

nebulous_tide's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective slow-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

4.0

The time travel in this book makes little sense. But that's okay, because it's simply a device to reach the point, which is less about time travel and more about people.

There are some very well-presented insights into culture and cultural transition. Some of my favourite parts of this book were when past and present attitudes were compared.

The pace was a bit off in the middle - lots of rehashing the same ground. But the end made up for it. A solid 4/5.

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kelly_e's review

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adventurous informative medium-paced

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

2.5

Title: The Ministry of Time
Author: Kaliane Bradley
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 2.50
Pub Date: May 7, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Creative • Clunky • Predictable

📖 S Y N O P S I S

A civil servant starts working as a 'bridge' - a liaison, helpmeet and housemate - in an experimental project that brings expatriates from the past into the twenty-first century. This is a science-fiction story.

In a London safehouse in the 2020s, a disorientated Victorian polar explorer chain-smokes while listening to Spotify and learning about political correctness. This is a comedy.

During a long, sultry summer - as the shadows around them grow long and dangerous - two people fall in love, against all odds. This is a romance.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The Ministry of Time was one of my most anticipated 2024 releases. The premise sounded fantastic, unlike anything I'd read before. I certainly had high hopes when I was gifted an ARC, and even more so after it was announced as a GMA bookclub selection. I definitely couldn't avoid all of the hype surrounding this one.

Unlike some other reviews, I thought it started really strongly. I was interested and the concept was fascinating. However, the tone and direction completely shifted several times, especially in the final third, making it feel like a completely different book and story each time. I believe I'd have liked it more if it had kept the same trajectory as the beginning and if I'd gotten to spend more time with each of the characters rather than focusing primarily on one.

Equal parts time travel, romance, and spy thriller, this novel tries to do a lot and really ended up not doing anything at all. It needed more character development, more editing, and more cohesiveness. The lack of character depth, made it hard to believe the romance. With very little direction in the writing, from one page to the next, I often felt like pieces of the story were missing.

There is a lot of social commentary sprinkled into this story. From colonialism and racism to power and sexuality to climate change and corruption, the author probably should have picked a couple areas to focus on rather than trying to do it all. It convolutes the actual story and maybe that was the author's intent. It just didn't work for me.

A criticism I have seen is that the middle is bogged down with historical details. I, however, liked learning about the expedition and Graham's life. Given his character is based on a real person, I think it was necessary to include these details in order to give the reader context. It was also interesting take on seeing this early explorer in the present day.

The Ministry of Time had all of the right ingredients, yet they didn't come together in a way that worked. I have to commend the marketing team as they have done their jobs in promoting this book and I have no doubts many people will love it. The execution just wasn't there to make this book a stand out for me. My opinion is definitely the unpopular one, so I would say give it a shot if it's something that interests you. I'd definitely be curious to read something else written by Kaliane Bradley in the future.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• fancy language
• stories that don't fit into a box

⚠️ CW: death, grief, violence, gun violence, war, murder, blood, injury/injury detail, cannibalism, colonization, genocide, racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism, misogyny, sexual content, drug use, alcohol, cursing

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"If you ever fall in love, you’ll be a person who was in love for the rest of your life."

"It can get better, but you must allow yourself to imagine a world in which you are better."

"Forgiveness and hope are miracles. They let you change your life. They are time travel."

Content Warnings

alexrobinsonsupergenius's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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littlelizzieborden's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.75

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emma_sky's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

mmccombs's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

Such a clever idea deftly executed. When I first started the book (on audio, which I don’t think I’d recommend), I was a little nervous things would get cheesy or maybe kind of weird/icky, but I quickly found this kind of bonkers concept to be handled with nuance. Like it’s a book about time travel, which can get sticky conceptually, but that’s just the beginning. It’s a story about intergenerational trauma, survivor’s guilt, climate (and just generally the future) anxiety, about how we can change the future by changing the present. I loved the characterization of each character, they felt lived in and real (if sometimes a bit goofy). The writing was so beautiful and precise, there was humor and romance and poignant lines, making this absolutely a page turner. Reading it physically definitely was the way to go, I felt I missed too much by listening to it (especially when things got time-travelly-twisty). This was so fun to read while also remaining very thoughtful, a gem of the year for sure!

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