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uniskorn's review
dark
slow-paced
3.0
The idea is brilliant but the execution left me wanting more heavy lifting of prose and tone.
mishasbooknook's review
5.0
I am probably a bit biased when it comes to this book. My mom was a student of the author at university, and she introduced me to this book very early on with enthusiasm, so I came to it with enthusiasm. That said, I love the very concept of this book. It's extremely creative and I found myself flying through the book to see who was the next subject and what would happen to them next. It's macabre and a bit comedic, but also an interesting meditation on the things you might think in those last moments as synapses fire rapidly and die out. I greatly enjoyed this, but it's probably not a book every single person will have a great time with.
jessicachicago's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
Moderate: War, Animal death, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
leanbean's review
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
dhaydon95's review
3.0
I appreciate Butler’s project and the craft necessary to complete it. However, my current reading wasn’t a highly enjoyable experience. I hope to revisit the collection in the future.
upthescene's review
2.0
This is a pretty cool concept - people's brains work for 1.5 minutes or so after they're beheaded and in a heightened state can talk 90 words per minute so all the stories are 120 words. (Not sure of exact numbers).
Not many of the stories really did it for me. They are all pretty similar, almost identical in style and voice. I liked the ones with figures I knew the history of (like Marie Antoinette) but others were vague and didn't mean much to me.
Not many of the stories really did it for me. They are all pretty similar, almost identical in style and voice. I liked the ones with figures I knew the history of (like Marie Antoinette) but others were vague and didn't mean much to me.
jasminenoack's review
5.0
this is a bit like a roller coaster I mean it is a fun book in the end, but it is tough to get into and even harder to figure out exactly what the point of the book is. The point being do not give up, the book is fast and perhaps it will fall on your head. Just about the fourth time I thought it did for me I finally got it.
alycia_calvert's review
5.0
So keep in mind that I am a complete prude, I love most of this book, and I skip a few stories because of before mentioned conservative inclinations. I will tell you what I love about this book though. I love the idea that there are some things that everyone thinks before they die. I love the deeply explorative nature of this book. It's like a look into psyche, with very specific constraints. I love the first story. Spoiler warning:: but the ability to convey feelings as deep as longing for home, and love of family as instinctively as he does, using only cave-phrases if you will is brilliant. From that moment on I was hooked.