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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
The idea was there. The execution was not - the ending makes NO sense. It kinda felt like there was a word limit, and it just....stopped?
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I mean at least it’s short. At just 54 pages I feel like I had to really slog my way through it.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the writing and the premise, I just thought the reveal and what followed could have used a little more depth
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book lost its way for me in the second half. I found the first half intriguing but I felt the second half of the story could have unfolded in a way that made a bit more sense. Still enjoyable but a but confusing.
fast-paced
The writing style in this short story kept me on the edge of my seat, convinced something horrible was going to happen at any moment. I liked the ideas and the vaguely futuristic settings. Unfortunately I felt the MC was so flat, all the (two) women who appear in the story are immediately objectified, and the defense = genetic engineering idea was a little on the nose. I wish there had been a more satisfying conclusion, like the MC coming to terms with not actually wanting a child…
dark
This is one of those stories that I can tell that the author is a good writer, but something about it didn't go with me. The main character goes to a fertility clinic that not only lets you pick the sex and looks of your child (and get rid of any genetic diseases, of course), but can also seemingly pick out their strengths and traits. The main character, Sam, is shown three examples of who his son could be, picked out by his wife previously, but he doesn't like any of them. They're all set up in a cliche three act way, with the son always stumbling in the second act before triumphing in the third. When the clinic owner points out that Sam is in his third act while his wife is in her second, he has a meltdown and leaves.
Then the story veers off and has Sam go to a bar rather than go home to his wife. Honestly, this is where it kind of loses me. I'd rather have read about him talking to his wife than arguing with strangers in a bar. I like the premise and the first part, but the story choices in, well, the second act leave me feeling like the story is incomplete.
Then the story veers off and has Sam go to a bar rather than go home to his wife. Honestly, this is where it kind of loses me. I'd rather have read about him talking to his wife than arguing with strangers in a bar. I like the premise and the first part, but the story choices in, well, the second act leave me feeling like the story is incomplete.