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aklovekorn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Pregnancy, Death, Toxic relationship, Child death, and Terminal illness
crimsonreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I...did not...expect this...
Something about the way the first paragraphs of the synopsis are written made me think this would have sarcastic, dark, millennial humor in is plot... But instead it truly makes you feel and think.
Obviously this whole adventure hits WAY different in a post covid-19 world and I think that's to it's benefit. While I'm certain the story still gripped and engrossed in 2018, having actually lived the fear of people and air and jobs and future and closures and emptiness really makes the book's feeling real.
More real, even then the reality. I felt more loneliness reading Candace's experience in her NY office than I did going to and from my own city job on empty El cars in 2020. It's surreal and I couldn't stop reading.
As a note, Ma doesn't utilize quotation marks for any of her dialogue. I think I would have going this a problem in another person's writing but there was a sense of memory in the way Severance is written that made the lack of quotes feel right. Like nothing Candace is saying is correct enough to be quoted. It's paraphrased or untrustworthy because it's only how she recalls it and not for sure how it happened. It really does fit the vibe of the story and only caught me up about 4 or 5 times in total. But I know this might be a deal breaker for others, so I'm letting you know.
But I do highly recommend this. I had been interested in it for a while and it lived up to expectations and then some!
Only reason this doesn't have 5 stars is because of that ending! I flipped pages wondering if I somehow skipped something or had some stuck together! I have to know more!
Graphic: Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, Bullying, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
dr_kat's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Confinement, Gun violence, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
mirandyli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abandonment, Body horror, Death of parent, Death, and Drug use
kather_doc'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: Suicide attempt and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, Drug use, Death, Body horror, and Gaslighting
josi1911's review
- 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
3.5
The ending was such a letdown and the themes the book tried to tackle weren't fleshed out enough. How did the Fever transmit? It can't only be fungal, or at least it seemed to have to do with routine, nostalgia and remembering. But I can only say those keywords, because the story lacked fulfillment/tying up the loose ends and like I already said delving deeper into the social criticism it started.
The Author has sometimes beautiful prose with a minimalist but hard hitting tendency and some of the scenes (especially the gruesome ones) felt all too real. So it's sad that that wasn't utilized more to really make strong points regarding the mentioned themes.
Graphic: Murder, Medical content, Gaslighting, Drug use, Gun violence, Gore, Violence, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide and Vomit
bluebrooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief
Minor: Abortion, Vomit, and Alcohol
aandromeda's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
maziodynes's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Grief, Gaslighting, and Drug use
booksandmo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit