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pam2375's review against another edition
2.0
I feel like this is a typical "dystopian" type novel. Some parts were very engaging and other parts were a bit of a struggle to get through.
I will say that my biggest struggle were the characters. I just didn't care much for any of them.
My thanks to netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this advanced readers copy.
I will say that my biggest struggle were the characters. I just didn't care much for any of them.
My thanks to netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this advanced readers copy.
julesthebookdragon417's review against another edition
3.0
This book tried to do a lot. In one fell swoop the author is trying to tackle dystopian issues of overpopulation, reactions to overpopulation, mismanagement of natural resources, lack of privacy, systemic classism, commodification of female reproductive rights, war, support for veterans, capitalism, technology ruling our lives....and that's just what I can rattle off the tope of my head. As I said, the author tried to do a lot, and it's hard to take on all of those issues and do a good job with each of them.
The premises of the world are interesting, but the story felt short-changed in exchange for the sheer amount of social examination and the reveals at the end weren't all that satisfying. Rather than the full evolution of a story, it felt more like we got a fascinating glimpse at a complicated future where humanity is suffering the effects of ALL our screwed up decision-making. As things closed out at the end, it felt like we were just getting to the part where the real story was going to start. Maybe that was the intent, or maybe this is a set up for a sequel or series (which I would probably read). As a standalone novel, it was a decent way to quench my itch for a dystopian setting but not the most satisfying story.
The premises of the world are interesting, but the story felt short-changed in exchange for the sheer amount of social examination and the reveals at the end weren't all that satisfying. Rather than the full evolution of a story, it felt more like we got a fascinating glimpse at a complicated future where humanity is suffering the effects of ALL our screwed up decision-making. As things closed out at the end, it felt like we were just getting to the part where the real story was going to start. Maybe that was the intent, or maybe this is a set up for a sequel or series (which I would probably read). As a standalone novel, it was a decent way to quench my itch for a dystopian setting but not the most satisfying story.
thebookcoyote's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5/5
This was a good book. A dystopian look into the not-so-distant future, it follows a Marine suffering from PTSD who is searching for his sister who disappeared while working for a quasi-legal clinic helping women get through the draconian motherhood requirements placed on them by a society with declining fertility rates. Bleak, though somehow also uplifting, this book is a well-written and quick read that keeps the reader turning pages until the end. The issues it raises are a bit vague, but it also makes you think, which is something I like in a book.
This was a good book. A dystopian look into the not-so-distant future, it follows a Marine suffering from PTSD who is searching for his sister who disappeared while working for a quasi-legal clinic helping women get through the draconian motherhood requirements placed on them by a society with declining fertility rates. Bleak, though somehow also uplifting, this book is a well-written and quick read that keeps the reader turning pages until the end. The issues it raises are a bit vague, but it also makes you think, which is something I like in a book.
jennybun's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A phenomenal book! All too real as we see women's right continuously chipped away at and few efforts to protect the environment...
abookwormwithwine's review against another edition
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
[b:The Completionist|36373248|The Completionist|Siobhan Adcock|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515193108s/36373248.jpg|58060589] by [a:Siobhan Adcock|123833|Siobhan Adcock|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1518002924p2/123833.jpg] was such a strange book, and I think for that reason alone it will be pretty unforgettable.
The Completionist is about Carter Quinn, a 24-year-old Marine back from an ongoing war against a rebel group. The place he lives is now called New Chicago and the world is a completely different place from what it used to be. There is now a major fertility crisis that has made it hard for women to even have a child, let alone the new standards that make it hard for them to raise them. On top of that water is gone and has been replaced with something called H2.0, but most people use a type of sanitizer because they can't afford to have H2.0 run to their homes. Carter is dealing with unexplained physical symptoms that are basically taking over his life, all while his older sister Fred is pregnant and his other sister Gard has vanished.
The book switches between present and Carter's time as a Marine, both pretty disturbing to read about but especially the war parts. There are also messages to Carter from his sisters while he was gone interspersed throughout the book that go backwards in time. This was a very interesting way to read the book, and I enjoyed that part of it. The major mystery in the book is what happened to Gard, but I found it hard to really focus on that with all the symptoms that Carter is experiencing. I felt like a lot of the book was overshadowed by Carter's symptoms when we are in his POV which made it hard to focus on what was going on.
I was also pretty bored with the start of the book and didn't get into it until I was around the 80-something page mark. The ending was left pretty open-ended as well, but that didn't bother me as much as it will some people. I just think that this book wasn't executed in a way that really had me invested in the characters and I wish there would have been more world-building not seen through the eyes of a drunk/struggling Carter.
Final Thought: I really want to read more dystopian novels, and while this book gave me that, it wasn't in quite the format I would have preferred. I'm not really sure who to recommend this book to, but I think if the synopsis grabs your attention you should give it a shot. It was also a fast read despite starting out slow for me, and I didn't find myself wanting to skim anything. I really want to know what more people think about it so check it out and let me know!
The Completionist in 3-ish words: Complex, Dangerous, Unexpected
[b:The Completionist|36373248|The Completionist|Siobhan Adcock|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515193108s/36373248.jpg|58060589] by [a:Siobhan Adcock|123833|Siobhan Adcock|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1518002924p2/123833.jpg] was such a strange book, and I think for that reason alone it will be pretty unforgettable.
The Completionist is about Carter Quinn, a 24-year-old Marine back from an ongoing war against a rebel group. The place he lives is now called New Chicago and the world is a completely different place from what it used to be. There is now a major fertility crisis that has made it hard for women to even have a child, let alone the new standards that make it hard for them to raise them. On top of that water is gone and has been replaced with something called H2.0, but most people use a type of sanitizer because they can't afford to have H2.0 run to their homes. Carter is dealing with unexplained physical symptoms that are basically taking over his life, all while his older sister Fred is pregnant and his other sister Gard has vanished.
The book switches between present and Carter's time as a Marine, both pretty disturbing to read about but especially the war parts. There are also messages to Carter from his sisters while he was gone interspersed throughout the book that go backwards in time. This was a very interesting way to read the book, and I enjoyed that part of it. The major mystery in the book is what happened to Gard, but I found it hard to really focus on that with all the symptoms that Carter is experiencing. I felt like a lot of the book was overshadowed by Carter's symptoms when we are in his POV which made it hard to focus on what was going on.
I was also pretty bored with the start of the book and didn't get into it until I was around the 80-something page mark. The ending was left pretty open-ended as well, but that didn't bother me as much as it will some people. I just think that this book wasn't executed in a way that really had me invested in the characters and I wish there would have been more world-building not seen through the eyes of a drunk/struggling Carter.
Final Thought: I really want to read more dystopian novels, and while this book gave me that, it wasn't in quite the format I would have preferred. I'm not really sure who to recommend this book to, but I think if the synopsis grabs your attention you should give it a shot. It was also a fast read despite starting out slow for me, and I didn't find myself wanting to skim anything. I really want to know what more people think about it so check it out and let me know!
The Completionist in 3-ish words: Complex, Dangerous, Unexpected
jessgeekmom's review against another edition
5.0
Rather than a story about a dystopia, this is the story of a family that happens to be living in a dystopia. I believed that these characters could be real, and the world building was believable.
bbtatertot's review against another edition
4.0
This story felt SO similar to a Margaret Atwood story. Infertility tied with overbearing governments run by misogynistic men felt oddly familiar and yet, with Adcock's writing, a story was created that could stand on its own two feet. I really enjoyed this story. Definitely would recommend for fans of Atwood.
dreesreads's review against another edition
3.0
The Completionist takes place in 22nd century New Chicago--a city reclaimed after climate change has shrunken the lake. The west coast has been largely abandoned for residents, but water is engineered there and shipped east. Twenty-plus years of war have been fight by men like Carter Quinn and his father, defending the trains of water heading east. The last western inhabitabts--the "terrorists", need that water too. And that engineered water is what is causing the infertility epidemic.
Carter is back from the wars, his oldest sister is miraculously pregnant and his other sister has disappeared. Gardner worked as a nurse completionist, and it is only through Fred's pregnancy do Fred and Carter learn what that means. Given the fertility issues, Care Hours and penalties have been mandated, making them virtually impossible to meet for most women--and mathematically impossible for many. Where has Garnder gone? Was it by choice? And what does it have to do with her work as a completionist?
I found the world building to be promising and interesting, but there were so many holes--or, at least, questions I wanted answered--that it didn't quite come together for me. Who is mandating these Care Hours? What/where is the government? What are the jobs women are working in? If pregnancy is so rare, how are there so many pregnant women? Where is the engineered food made? How do people purchase it? What are the jobs? Since there is no piped-in water, are there outhouses? Reading the book felt strange, as the world is very different (and very interesting)--yet the people seem to live, by and large, as we do today. Which also seems impossible.
Carter is back from the wars, his oldest sister is miraculously pregnant and his other sister has disappeared. Gardner worked as a nurse completionist, and it is only through Fred's pregnancy do Fred and Carter learn what that means. Given the fertility issues, Care Hours and penalties have been mandated, making them virtually impossible to meet for most women--and mathematically impossible for many. Where has Garnder gone? Was it by choice? And what does it have to do with her work as a completionist?
I found the world building to be promising and interesting, but there were so many holes--or, at least, questions I wanted answered--that it didn't quite come together for me. Who is mandating these Care Hours? What/where is the government? What are the jobs women are working in? If pregnancy is so rare, how are there so many pregnant women? Where is the engineered food made? How do people purchase it? What are the jobs? Since there is no piped-in water, are there outhouses? Reading the book felt strange, as the world is very different (and very interesting)--yet the people seem to live, by and large, as we do today. Which also seems impossible.
readingbetweenthewines's review
2.0
Heralded as speculative fiction and perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale, of course I had my reservations that it could possibly be that good, but I was cautiously optimistic about this one! I think I need a good dystopian story right about now.
Unfortunately, this one just fell flat for me.
Told from a future where fertility rates are scary low and resources scarce, female rights and their choices have waned and completely surround their fertility and choices in child rearing are practically nonexistent this one definitely does give off a Handmaid's Tale vibe. However, about 1/3 of the way through this book I still had very little idea of what this future looked like and what events had transpired to get us there. I found it very frustrating to have a story surrounding a mystery (Gard's disappearance) and still have so many questions about everything else that was going on. I also found Carter, our narrator (*fresh to have a male narrator in this sub-genre), to be somewhat unlikeable, very unreliable and overall a little puzzling in what his end goal was and how little actual motivation or bond to his family he seemed to have.
Overall I found this to be a little slow, hard to follow and ultimately a story I didn't find myself to be very invested in. The premise and future that Adcock has created was still somewhat interesting and intriguing to ponder, but I just never fully bought in to this one. I'd recommend it to lovers of this genre craving a new dystopian future to consider.
Unfortunately, this one just fell flat for me.
Told from a future where fertility rates are scary low and resources scarce, female rights and their choices have waned and completely surround their fertility and choices in child rearing are practically nonexistent this one definitely does give off a Handmaid's Tale vibe. However, about 1/3 of the way through this book I still had very little idea of what this future looked like and what events had transpired to get us there. I found it very frustrating to have a story surrounding a mystery (Gard's disappearance) and still have so many questions about everything else that was going on. I also found Carter, our narrator (*fresh to have a male narrator in this sub-genre), to be somewhat unlikeable, very unreliable and overall a little puzzling in what his end goal was and how little actual motivation or bond to his family he seemed to have.
Overall I found this to be a little slow, hard to follow and ultimately a story I didn't find myself to be very invested in. The premise and future that Adcock has created was still somewhat interesting and intriguing to ponder, but I just never fully bought in to this one. I'd recommend it to lovers of this genre craving a new dystopian future to consider.