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coymeld's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Xenophobia, Classism, Cursing, Excrement, Alcohol, Self harm, Grief, Animal death, Gun violence, Abandonment, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Transphobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Vomit
lezreadalot's review against another edition
3.0
I finished this book this morning and completely forgot about writing a review, which never happens. I guess that says something about the book itself. Nothing too damning! I enjoyed this, a near future dystopia in a world wracked by climate change, about what happens when a huge hurricane barrels through New York.
We follow three perspectives: a woman from a poor neighbourhood who loses everything, a rich heiress who finds solace in art, and a genderqueer anarchist searching for their friend. The stories are separate for a while, but they do end up converging. It's an interesting and sobering look at what climate change could bring, and how it would affect different people. The most adverse effects fall on people already marginalised and disadvantaged, which is depressingly true to life. The book itself was kinda bleak, which seems appropriate. Not that there wasn't any hope or lightness, because there was. I just felt kinda run down by the book on a whole, and while I appreciated the writing and the themes, there was nothing in particular that struck me favourably. I liked all the characters, though I can't say I was super satisfied with how their stories progressed and ended up. Which is definitely a me thing.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Eboni Flowers, Eileen Stevens, Jayme Mattler and Timothy Andrés Pabon. I always appreciate when books have different actors for different characters. I especially loved Makayla and Jesse's voices. Good book! I did like it, but it wasn't totally for me.
Content warnings:
We follow three perspectives: a woman from a poor neighbourhood who loses everything, a rich heiress who finds solace in art, and a genderqueer anarchist searching for their friend. The stories are separate for a while, but they do end up converging. It's an interesting and sobering look at what climate change could bring, and how it would affect different people. The most adverse effects fall on people already marginalised and disadvantaged, which is depressingly true to life. The book itself was kinda bleak, which seems appropriate. Not that there wasn't any hope or lightness, because there was. I just felt kinda run down by the book on a whole, and while I appreciated the writing and the themes, there was nothing in particular that struck me favourably. I liked all the characters, though I can't say I was super satisfied with how their stories progressed and ended up. Which is definitely a me thing.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Eboni Flowers, Eileen Stevens, Jayme Mattler and Timothy Andrés Pabon. I always appreciate when books have different actors for different characters. I especially loved Makayla and Jesse's voices. Good book! I did like it, but it wasn't totally for me.
Content warnings:
Spoiler
rape, self harm, death, transphobia, homophobia, hate crimesmxmiche's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
ratgrrrl's review against another edition
5.0
CW: Self Harm, Sexual Assault, Police Brutality and Murder, Queer and Transphobia (Slurs and Violence)
I am left absolutely rocked by the book. I went from enjoying it to loving it to having some sketchy feelings about one aspect back to loving it. This book is a lot, both in the content, though none of it is sensationalised or gratuitous, the nihilistic presence, embers of hope, and the bleak, soul crushing reflection of what is happening now and will be exacerbated in the near future.
All City follows the perspective of a handful of people who come together to squat in a block of luxury apartments during the fallout and abandonment of their neighbourhood in New York. They are all very different people with disperate experiences before the storm and in their respective journeys to the apartments. Each character feels whole and human with a level of human imperfection that lead them in very different directions, some of which are truly uncomfortable and heartbreaking to witness. I've seen reviews talk about how awful at least one of the characters are, and, like, they do become awful, but it is a tragedy of their situation, events on their journey, and how everything comes together to traumatise them to the point their pain creates a vicious downward spiral. But it feels very real and genuinely tragic.
This isn't your feckless 'live, laugh, love' of 'hopepunk'. It's the near future dystopia we're all but living in already. Grimdark with glisters of hope. Like how 'The Fire Fades' is the good ending of every Dark Souls game. In the nightmare world we find ourselves in joy and unity are fleeting, but immensely beautiful and important things that seem ultimately doomed, yet in this ephemerality and the conscious effort we need to grasp them only adds to their wonder... That's this book. (I want to be clear that I'm not romanticising moments of light in the dark and more light and less awfulness in the real world would obviously be better than bespoke good)
I need fiction like this. I'm Queer, trans, disabled, neurodivergent, and other intersections of all sorts of being destroyed by the way the world is and feels about folx like me. As bleak as this book is in many ways, being fiction and not just being the constant news of how awful everything is (despite by a mirror of this), it gives me a way to feel a little something without getting further washed away into depressive abyss. There are also many aspects of this book that are positive that I need equally as much, if not more. Positive, real portrayal of trans and Genderqueer characters, non-caricature anarchist crust punks, and the transitory hope and harmony that occurs when people come together in solidarity.
The one issue I did have was regarding a romance in the book that seemed to skim over some complicated issues, initially with someone declaring their feelings at what seems to me as a wholly inappropriate and scary time, and a sexual assault survivor being interested in and able to have sex no more than a few days later. The first point becomes a non issue as it is not necessarily unwelcome, but not having a nod to how the situation is nine times out of ten going to be scary and very bad. The second I feel conflicted about. This is not something I have experienced and have no real grounds to speak on, especially with the knowledge that the author is a sexual assault survivor themself. All I can say is that comments about other media with similar situations by other survivors have been very critical. Of course survivors aren't a monolith and people's experiences after a trauma are very different. I will just say that I was seriously taken aback and had to take a pause before I carried on.
Ultimately, I adore this bleak tale of people broken by the system, marbled with the glory of solidarity. Sad Genderqueer recognises sad Genderqueer and I am so happy I read and stuck with this. I really needed it.
The various narrators are phenomenal and create such a perfect tone for their characters.
I am left absolutely rocked by the book. I went from enjoying it to loving it to having some sketchy feelings about one aspect back to loving it. This book is a lot, both in the content, though none of it is sensationalised or gratuitous, the nihilistic presence, embers of hope, and the bleak, soul crushing reflection of what is happening now and will be exacerbated in the near future.
All City follows the perspective of a handful of people who come together to squat in a block of luxury apartments during the fallout and abandonment of their neighbourhood in New York. They are all very different people with disperate experiences before the storm and in their respective journeys to the apartments. Each character feels whole and human with a level of human imperfection that lead them in very different directions, some of which are truly uncomfortable and heartbreaking to witness. I've seen reviews talk about how awful at least one of the characters are, and, like, they do become awful, but it is a tragedy of their situation, events on their journey, and how everything comes together to traumatise them to the point their pain creates a vicious downward spiral. But it feels very real and genuinely tragic.
This isn't your feckless 'live, laugh, love' of 'hopepunk'. It's the near future dystopia we're all but living in already. Grimdark with glisters of hope. Like how 'The Fire Fades' is the good ending of every Dark Souls game. In the nightmare world we find ourselves in joy and unity are fleeting, but immensely beautiful and important things that seem ultimately doomed, yet in this ephemerality and the conscious effort we need to grasp them only adds to their wonder... That's this book. (I want to be clear that I'm not romanticising moments of light in the dark and more light and less awfulness in the real world would obviously be better than bespoke good)
I need fiction like this. I'm Queer, trans, disabled, neurodivergent, and other intersections of all sorts of being destroyed by the way the world is and feels about folx like me. As bleak as this book is in many ways, being fiction and not just being the constant news of how awful everything is (despite by a mirror of this), it gives me a way to feel a little something without getting further washed away into depressive abyss. There are also many aspects of this book that are positive that I need equally as much, if not more. Positive, real portrayal of trans and Genderqueer characters, non-caricature anarchist crust punks, and the transitory hope and harmony that occurs when people come together in solidarity.
The one issue I did have was regarding a romance in the book that seemed to skim over some complicated issues, initially with someone declaring their feelings at what seems to me as a wholly inappropriate and scary time, and a sexual assault survivor being interested in and able to have sex no more than a few days later. The first point becomes a non issue as it is not necessarily unwelcome, but not having a nod to how the situation is nine times out of ten going to be scary and very bad. The second I feel conflicted about. This is not something I have experienced and have no real grounds to speak on, especially with the knowledge that the author is a sexual assault survivor themself. All I can say is that comments about other media with similar situations by other survivors have been very critical. Of course survivors aren't a monolith and people's experiences after a trauma are very different. I will just say that I was seriously taken aback and had to take a pause before I carried on.
Ultimately, I adore this bleak tale of people broken by the system, marbled with the glory of solidarity. Sad Genderqueer recognises sad Genderqueer and I am so happy I read and stuck with this. I really needed it.
The various narrators are phenomenal and create such a perfect tone for their characters.
caedocyon's review against another edition
4.0
Huh! I did finish it. I wasn't sure I would, around the 40% mark, but then I had a conversation with my dad about why he likes apocalyptic sci fi (which I generally avoid) and he said "because people always find a way to go on, no matter how awful things are" and I've been thinking about it a lot. It was still a drag to read til the last 5-10% though, when I could hardly bear to put it down because I had to know what would happen next.
"People find a way to go on" is a pretty good summary of the arc of the book. You make something beautiful (a relationship, a community, guerilla art) but the weight of circumstances brings it down. Something else is always being built and always falling. Down, down, down.
I was impressed with it artistically when I finished, though I don't know if I can justify even to myself why that would be. Maybe because of the end, which really was sweeping.
"People find a way to go on" is a pretty good summary of the arc of the book. You make something beautiful (a relationship, a community, guerilla art) but the weight of circumstances brings it down. Something else is always being built and always falling. Down, down, down.
I was impressed with it artistically when I finished, though I don't know if I can justify even to myself why that would be. Maybe because of the end, which really was sweeping.
vaguehope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
ugh i LOVED this it did something to me.
i think listening as an audiobook actually really added to the experience since the narrators were amazing and just added to the contrasting realities of the main characters and the upper echelons of society, they all reflected their characters so perfectly.
the contrast between hope and the cruel reality was devastating and i don't know to describe it in a way that actually puts it into fitting words.
i think listening as an audiobook actually really added to the experience since the narrators were amazing and just added to the contrasting realities of the main characters and the upper echelons of society, they all reflected their characters so perfectly.
the contrast between hope and the cruel reality was devastating and i don't know to describe it in a way that actually puts it into fitting words.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Self harm
readbyantonia's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.0
I respect this book for the hard topics it tackled, and the levels of diversity woven throughout. But I will say that it wasn’t really for me overall. Reading about trying to live in a world after major natural disasters feels too close to home due to the current state of the world, but I also acknowledge that looming reality we all face.
mollyboots's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
A little depressing ending. Didn’t love it. Was too realistic. People got treated as stereotypes would indicate. Without giving it away. So it’s a sad reflection of reality and depressing