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muffmacguff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this partly because I so enjoyed the author’s book The Plot. There are some superficial similarities (a mysterious hidden identity, high stakes in the world of academia), but the most striking bit for me is how little the protagonists know about what happens around them. In the case of The Plot, the protagonist is just straight up stupid and misses every clue that leads to etc etc. In this case, Naomi Roth (the college president dealing with a campus protest) is very intelligent and often relatable but by the end of the book, events have sort of happened regardless of her involvement and she is no closer to understanding what happened and why than we the readers are. To an extent I really appreciate this about the book, while finding it annoying in a good way. But I also think it’s strange to center a white person dealing with protests around racial issues where the book intentionally hides the motivations of the protesting characters. The plot ties up in some odd and occasionally weirdly simple ways. Apparently Naomi appears in earlier work by the author, I may check it out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Gun violence
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