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thecrimsoncorsair's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Bullying, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Violence, Xenophobia, Death, Dementia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Body shaming, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, Gore, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Drug use, Racism, War, Alcohol, Excrement, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Body horror, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Cancer
alibrareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
There were moments that were truly horrific and graphic and made me actually start to feel sick, a lot of really depressing imagery, and this was really not a fun or hopeful type of book (not that I expected it to be). It was fascinating at times, but other times there just seemed to be details and details and asides and asides that could have been edited down.
Several of the characters are most certainly meant to be unlikeable, and I’m not sure if Shana was meant to be one of them but I found her to be SO annoying and bratty. I didn’t care much for what was going on with the rock star whose name I’ve already forgotten, Matthew and Benji’s POVs started to get more intense and interesting as the story went on, and while I didn’t like Shana I was interested in the flock.
The human baddies were gun-obsessed, racist, rural Republican caricatures that definitely seem to reflect the author’s own personal political views, in case that’s something that might deter you from reading (or maybe encourage you to).
The ending was pretty ominous and does make me interested in how things ultimately end… But this book was SO long, and I didn’t LOVE it, so I’m not sure if it’s worth putting myself through an even longer sequel.
YouTube review: https://youtu.be/m4HwdMl31rk
Graphic: Torture and Blood
keyofthekey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Body horror, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Cursing, Hate crime, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Death
cclara's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Dementia, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
arel2908's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Rape, Death, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Racism, Animal death, Death of parent, and Dementia
jesticulate's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Rape
I found the beginning of this book excellent and really compelling. In the middle, I was deeply upset because there are no trigger warnings and I ended up hearing (audiobook version) a very graphic rape scene before I was able to turn off the audio. And the end of the book went on too long. Definitely not Chucks best work. But i still really liked the beginning…narzibenoucdel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Rape, Hate crime, Cursing, Mental illness, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, Racism, Confinement, Gore, and Gun violence
cassie7e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
However the politics and desire to seem progressive are stark, and come up in places that just don't flow naturally with the story, like the author needed to jam them in even when they weren't really relevant to the story. Especially when things like climate change are thrown into lines of exposition, all tell and no show, no inherent link to the plot beyond "the world is already doooomed!!" which is just not compelling on its own. This to say that this book is not escapist, and may annoy you even if you agree with its values like I do. If I'd known how despicably polictical the arc would be I might not have picked this up, or at least been better prepared when things got darker fast.
This book also hits closer to home because it describes so so well how people reacted to COVID, before it even happened. In retrospect this isn't surprising; the COVID reactions and White Mask reactions stem from movements and ideologies already stoked in years leading up. But this may make it extra real for readers sensitive to pandemic stories.
Surprise aro/ace mention right at the start! Love seeing this exist in more books. But it doesn't really come up again, and the one other time it's referenced it doesn't really seem to be an accurate understanding of what asexuality is.
One of my least favorite audio narrators, makes every character sound aloof and cocky and judgy or hesitant and whiney.
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Confinement, Grief, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Addiction, Cursing, Dementia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Medical content, Pedophilia, Vomit, and Child death
valjeanval's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Hate crime, Torture, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, Confinement, Death of parent, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide, Violence, Sexual assault, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Dementia, Grief, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Medical content, Drug use, Dementia, and Cursing
evelynleigh's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Cursing, Medical content, Murder, Rape, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Racism
Minor: Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Vomit