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mitone_winona's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book absolutely destroyed me in the most welcoming way and I adore it for that. To break it down real quick, this book is about two sisters trying to find one another while trying to understand themselves and observing the world and environment surrounding them in a very self-aware manner.
Both sisters are captivating in their own way. Cee is a charmer, resilient, lively, sweet, and loyal to her sister Kasey. Kasey is observant, cool, mind quick as a whip, determined, and self-aware of the city and the type of people and lifestyle that are within it.
While they both are very different, you find yourself cheering them on and hoping for the best. Kasey is very much allowed her grief and she expresses it in a way I think a lot of us would criticize her for, yet it's her way to grieve. Joan He does Kasey justice by not having Kasey completely transform into this person whose upbeat, the life of the party, or turn into Cee who she looked up to for being life personified. Kasey remained the same but did grow and understand herself and the world better. She is realistic in her hope, always logical but she is logical about her heart as well in knowing what it really wants.
This book essentially is grim in a way that you realize that Kasey and Cee have had to struggle continuously with their mind and emotions while trying to figure out the situations that they both are in; Kasey with her grief over her sister and tracing her last steps and Cee whose on a abandoned island while trying to keep Kasey alive in her mind and trying to remember more memories of her sister. Outside of the sisters, humanity itself is still struggling with climate change/environmental disasters/Class differences/etc. and still trying to find a solution to saving the environment as well as themselves.
If you want a book that leaves nothing unsolved, futurism that addresses environmental issues, two sisters that very much love one another trying to find each other, mystery, and tension? This book is for you and Joan He does a beautiful job writing the story and the book is truly worth it.
Both sisters are captivating in their own way. Cee is a charmer, resilient, lively, sweet, and loyal to her sister Kasey. Kasey is observant, cool, mind quick as a whip, determined, and self-aware of the city and the type of people and lifestyle that are within it.
While they both are very different, you find yourself cheering them on and hoping for the best. Kasey is very much allowed her grief and she expresses it in a way I think a lot of us would criticize her for, yet it's her way to grieve. Joan He does Kasey justice by not having Kasey completely transform into this person whose upbeat, the life of the party, or turn into Cee who she looked up to for being life personified. Kasey remained the same but did grow and understand herself and the world better. She is realistic in her hope, always logical but she is logical about her heart as well in knowing what it really wants.
This book essentially is grim in a way that you realize that Kasey and Cee have had to struggle continuously with their mind and emotions while trying to figure out the situations that they both are in; Kasey with her grief over her sister and tracing her last steps and Cee whose on a abandoned island while trying to keep Kasey alive in her mind and trying to remember more memories of her sister. Outside of the sisters, humanity itself is still struggling with climate change/environmental disasters/Class differences/etc. and still trying to find a solution to saving the environment as well as themselves.
If you want a book that leaves nothing unsolved, futurism that addresses environmental issues, two sisters that very much love one another trying to find each other, mystery, and tension? This book is for you and Joan He does a beautiful job writing the story and the book is truly worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcohol and Panic attacks/disorders
escapinginpaper's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this one. I wanted to like it, but it was difficult to read.
This is a very futuristic world, where the Earth is ravaged from climate change, making the backdrop for two sisters with a close bond – one of whom is stuck on a desert island, and the other is trying to cope with the the idea her sister is missing, presumed dead. There is a really killer twist at around the 60% mark – I enjoyed that. I had difficulty with the writing style, mostly. Throughout it I kept finding myself thinking "what the heck is going on???" and had to read several passages multiple times to fully understand. A lot of the plot is revealed as you go – very little is "told" to you, you have to glean as you read.
Overall I'm glad I read it. Despite being difficult, it was interesting and had a very Black Mirror vibe – in fact I think it would translate over really well to film.
This is a very futuristic world, where the Earth is ravaged from climate change, making the backdrop for two sisters with a close bond – one of whom is stuck on a desert island, and the other is trying to cope with the the idea her sister is missing, presumed dead. There is a really killer twist at around the 60% mark – I enjoyed that. I had difficulty with the writing style, mostly. Throughout it I kept finding myself thinking "what the heck is going on???" and had to read several passages multiple times to fully understand. A lot of the plot is revealed as you go – very little is "told" to you, you have to glean as you read.
Overall I'm glad I read it. Despite being difficult, it was interesting and had a very Black Mirror vibe – in fact I think it would translate over really well to film.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Medical content, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
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