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third_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There's a review on the back of the hardcover copy of this book saying something like "Too Like the Lightning will stay in your head for a long time." and man. It sure will.
This book tries to do a lot, and I'm not sure it fully delivers on a lot of it. Super interesting concepts are introduced, but I think it will depend on the rest of the series whether this are really followed through on.
This book tries to do a lot, and I'm not sure it fully delivers on a lot of it. Super interesting concepts are introduced, but I think it will depend on the rest of the series whether this are really followed through on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Murder, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Incest, Car accident, Death of parent, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child death, Misogyny, and Rape
batesbarb's review against another edition
I don’t think I’ve hated a book more than this in a LONG time. Our exclusive point of view character is a racist, misogynistic, homophobic asshole who fancies himself a great philosopher. I don’t like Jordan Peterson in real life, and I sure as hell don’t want to spend my fictional time with his 25th century version either. The world building in this story reads like a collection of Fox News scare stories strung together into a novel. They’ll outlaw religion! They’ll outlaw being cisgender (or even using gendered pronouns)! Globalization has hit a point where nations are basically irrelevant and everyone sorts into philosophical/identity affinity groups (which all just happen to be named in English except one that’s named in Japanese, and is a brand/family name, rather than having any philosophical identity). The world is completely intertwined, except that characters all have racial backgrounds that are perfectly apparent to our narrator in some of the most disgustingly racist and fetishistic descriptions I’ve read in years. Sections of the society are heavily invested in philosophy, yet somehow no philosophical or religious traditions other than “Western Civilization” exist in any relevant way (other than one off handed mention of reincarnation).
It’s such a profoundly shallow and colonialist concept of what the future of earth would look like, I just couldn’t take any more and noped out at 23%.
It’s such a profoundly shallow and colonialist concept of what the future of earth would look like, I just couldn’t take any more and noped out at 23%.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Transphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny
commander_zander's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book made me more conservative and more genderqueer. It will either repulse you or change your life. Either way, it won't be boring. Read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Misogyny, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Car accident, Transphobia, and Slavery
Graphic murder. Multiple sinister sadistic characters.
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