Take a photo of a barcode or cover
after 30 minutes, still not interested.
slow-paced
Colorful characters, a near-dystopian future, a reverence of dictionaries—what more could you want?
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've gone heavy on the dystopian reading this year, which increasingly feels like the world we are actually living in. A beautiful tale of two children trying to survive in a world that "others" and re-educates anyone who doesn't conform to the regime. What forms can resistance take, and what pushes people to ever abandon the system that ensnares them? Full of delicious wordplay-peppered dialogue (to the kid named Colin: "is your last name Ization?"), this book is a gem.
Ali Smith does a brave new world, and it is as great as you would expect. This book was published only a few months ago and already elements of the dystopian future she created are happening in the US. She tackles big, terrifying, urgent topics like AI, climate change, and xenophobia (among others), while still infusing the story with hope. All the usual Ali Smith hallmarks are there: love of words/wordplay, art history, precocious children, rebellious elderly, political rage, and hope. I wish it had been longer.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I like Ali Smith's writing. I like the word games in this book. I feel like the book touches on some very relevant themes. But, though I finished, I found it too vague to really stay interested. Sorry Ali!
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Sexual assault, Torture, Excrement
“If only people paid more attention, she said, to what history tells us rather than all this endless congratulating ourselves for finding a new way to read it.”
Once again, an Ali Smith has either gone a bit over my head or … I dunno… I’m so far into the optimistic nihilism of the current world order that this kind of “dystopian” Euro American fiction feels pretentious.
Either way, need to sit with it for a bit.
Once again, an Ali Smith has either gone a bit over my head or … I dunno… I’m so far into the optimistic nihilism of the current world order that this kind of “dystopian” Euro American fiction feels pretentious.
Either way, need to sit with it for a bit.