Reviews

Op de rand van het niets by Corinne Duyvis

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition

DNF

Anxiety got in the way

marieintheraw's review against another edition

4.0

I think the biggest deterrent for this book and me is that I'm not a big dystopian person anymore.

barnesm31's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I enjoyed it, I am a fan of science fiction generally but what I gain from books like this is a view point other than my own. I was so grateful for the protagonist who is neuro divergent and it gives me another perspective to understand and hopefully empathize with others. I know a few people who have explained that they are autistic and everyone one of them is different and I no doubt its different for everyone but having the protagonist struggle through a planetary comet strike and still manage to help and explain how much harder that was for them.

Loved the ending which was a wonderful refutation to the sort of "The Cold Equations" thinking I see too often in science fiction.  Great work Corinne Duyvis I will need to find more of your work.   

kerrythefire's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful tense medium-paced

4.25

I really liked this different flavor of post apocalypse story (a genre I love). The shorter time frame of the story made it less actiony than some, but it still felt really full because half the story was the plot and half was the experience of the plot through Denise. In some ways, Denise being autistic made the story feel like a really different take on a post apocalypse story and in some ways, the story felt the same as any other post apocalypse story with neurotypical characters... All the characters felt real and believable, which is what makes for the best stories in this genre. And, it makes you think about what it means to be human and what you want it to mean.

mythicaltunes's review against another edition

5.0

Never in my life have I read a book with a main character that thought and acted like me. I'm an autistic adult, and have never related to a character more. Denise was so likable to me because I understood her struggles. I've seen some people say the plot or conflicts dragged throughout the book, but there was a lot of internal conflict in there that made sense to me as a fellow autistic person. I read the second half of this book in one night. I can't recommend it more. This book was so intimately and achingly human, and that's what drew me into it. The plot definitely doesn't drag, and this was a heart-wrenching, wonderful, thrilling read.

SPOILERS AND WARNINGS IN THE NEXT SECTION
The mother is a drug addict and there's a scene with euthanasia of cats. That made me tear up. Being an apocalyptic sci-fi book, it does touch on a lot of hard topics, so just know what you're getting into before you read.

thegreatlesley's review against another edition

5.0

I read this for a YA for Adults book club I'm in and it was a wonderful read. Post-apocalyptic settings are some of my favorite for books, video games and TV shows. In this book, it is 2035 and humans learn about an impending meteor strike in 6 months. We follow Denise, a teenager in the Netherlands with Autism, in the immediate aftermath of impact as she struggles to survive and make some really difficult moral decisions.

languagedemon's review against another edition

Not in the mood - it’s probably good, but I’m not looking to this topic/style for the character exploration it seems heavy on 

emmybe's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

benniebee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

mischief_in_the_library's review against another edition

5.0

What a beautiful book. A realistic dystopia, a location I've never read about before (the Netherlands), and a diverse cast of characters who just happen to be autistic, trans, Jewish, bi-racial, Muslim, in a wheelchair - and just get on with their lives (well, get on with trying to save their lives). Could not recommend more.