Reviews

Everything You Ever Wanted by Luiza Sauma

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westcdf's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

serainaaaaaa's review

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don’t think that this book is a five star read for everyone but I read the right book at exactly the right time. I absolutely loved the mix between the description of Iris’s life on earth and the sci-fi part of the story.

eggerlee's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

sklewi's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

On one hand I really enjoyed reading this novel, the writing style and reflection on modern life worked for me. On the other hand, the ending makes me question how much of the more out-there aspects of the premise (a wormhole at the bottom of the ocean?) were reality. I was willing to go along without much in the way of explanation for almost the entire book, but now find it difficult not to question Iris's perspective and the entire premise.

_jb_'s review against another edition

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3.0

3.5⭐️

status_woe's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

In the early chapters I found the writing pedestrian, but it quickly picked up and the critique of corporate city life was spot on. I identified with Iris, as I'm sure many professional women in their 20s and 30s will, in feeling trapped in a life that feels pointless, going to work and pretending to care, but ultimately feeling like it is all a performance. The writing in these parts of the book, is excellent.

Although about life on another planet, this book is more driven by the protagonist's inner world than it is her life in space or the logistics of it. For readers looking for pure science fiction, this probably isn't the book for you. There is no neat ending and it's open to interpretation, although overall I felt like the "grass isn't always greener" cautionary tale I expected. The lack of a tidy ending was made up for, for me, by the often really beautiful writing. The author also captures depression and the feeling of not having a true sense of place with your family superbly.