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unboxedjack's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Murder, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Grief, Body horror, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
jhbandcats's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
At first this novel reminded me of China Mieville’s Embassytown but it was lighter - funnier - while at the same time serious. After all, it *is* a murder mystery. I loved the focus on language and the quirks of translation, the drunkenness that comes from too much mental strain.
I loved the relationship between Lydia and Fitz. She keeps claiming they weren’t really friends but it’s obvious he became about as close to a friend as anyone. Lydia talks in a fresh, self-deprecating way while at the same time standing up for herself admirably.
Overall I really liked this book a lot. I didn’t give it five stars because I found the plotting of the actual murder and everything related to it somewhat confusing. That said, it was a really enjoyable story and I’ll recommend it to sci-fi and mystery lovers.
I was really sad when Fitz was killed so I was therefore especially happy when Lydia was able to talk to him again. Then, to discover all of that conversation was false and she was being manipulated was very upsetting.
I loved the relationship between Lydia and Fitz. She keeps claiming they weren’t really friends but it’s obvious he became about as close to a friend as anyone. Lydia talks in a fresh, self-deprecating way while at the same time standing up for herself admirably.
Overall I really liked this book a lot. I didn’t give it five stars because I found the plotting of the actual murder and everything related to it somewhat confusing. That said, it was a really enjoyable story and I’ll recommend it to sci-fi and mystery lovers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit
inirac's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Very much enjoyed this. The audiobook reader was great but yikes to that American accent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Xenophobia
Moderate: Stalking, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Body horror, Suicide, and Vomit
alsoapples's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Murder
nukie19's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Murder, Xenophobia, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
mossgoblins's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read- the world and main characters gripped me from the beginning, and the plot had me hooked the rest of the time. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Murder, Suicide attempt, Grief, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
cainnechwithdrawn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
the premise is fun. the book starts off with a very middling pace, kind of slice of life for the drunken translator job. once it picks up, it starts speeding up, until we figure everything out and are given a good ending.
the dynamics between the main character and her bosses was one of my favorite parts of this book.
don’t read this with the idea that you’ll solve the mystery with the clues given, just follow it as it gives you things and trust it’s words. you will not find the mystery part fun if you are trying to solve it. the twists are gruesome. it gets really fun and exciting towards the later half of the book, and has an emotionally satisfying ending.
I wish they had a dictionary for the new future lingo and how they spell out abbreviations. how was anyone supposed to figure out AI is spelt ayaie?? veearr being VR and most of the other ones were pretty comprehensible to me. I’m okay with having new words to learn in context but the new spellings of old things really threw me off.
there were a few metaphors I liked, but the writing was a bit chatty for me personally. I tend to enjoy more ornate style choices, nothing wrong with some good British humor though. this book is mostly set in Manhattan, but remains very British.
one part of a character’s backstory is used much later in a way that had me enthralled. I also loved how many of the characters were pulled together in the plot.
vague/minor spoiler
the alternate timeline future Earth where aliens met us in the 1980s, and climate change and the surveillance state have continued to grow, is brought to us through the eyes of a translator who is complacent to the dystopia around her, never giving us much more than slight annoyance in the ways society is broken. suddenly she is thrust into the surveillance sphere after a murder occurs, she’s familiar with this as a translator to the alien cultural attaché, but not to this extent. this isn’t a dystopia book, it’s a murder mystery, she doesn’t do anything to fight the problems inherent to the society, she lives her life, works her job, and tries to pull apart a mystery, getting roped into a lot of difficult situations. reading it gives sometimes a feeling of frustration, perhaps familiar to people living and working in our dystopic Earth. at one point it seems like the plot might do something morally bad which almost made me stop reading, but then the big twist hits and I like how this part is resolved. the solution to the mystery is horrific.
the dynamics between the main character and her bosses was one of my favorite parts of this book.
don’t read this with the idea that you’ll solve the mystery with the clues given, just follow it as it gives you things and trust it’s words. you will not find the mystery part fun if you are trying to solve it. the twists are gruesome. it gets really fun and exciting towards the later half of the book, and has an emotionally satisfying ending.
I wish they had a dictionary for the new future lingo and how they spell out abbreviations. how was anyone supposed to figure out AI is spelt ayaie?? veearr being VR and most of the other ones were pretty comprehensible to me. I’m okay with having new words to learn in context but the new spellings of old things really threw me off.
there were a few metaphors I liked, but the writing was a bit chatty for me personally. I tend to enjoy more ornate style choices, nothing wrong with some good British humor though. this book is mostly set in Manhattan, but remains very British.
one part of a character’s backstory is used much later in a way that had me enthralled. I also loved how many of the characters were pulled together in the plot.
vague/minor spoiler
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Medical content and Vomit
there’s lots of discussion around conspiracy theoriescarrotcake's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
- 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
4.0
really good book after part 1 I was sad that it was a murder mystery and not a character study but that changed as I got more interested in the actual story. Lydia is a very interesting character and I really liked her towards the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, and Xenophobia
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