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meshell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
I loved the premise of the alternative history seeking to answer to that occasionally repeated question of "what if Gore had won?" - would we be in a vastly different circumstance, or would some of the fundamental problems in society linger?
The protagonist of this tale is at times painfully awkward, vacillating between leaning into privilege or the "well intentioned" good white person archetype out in full force, and we know this person or perhaps we've been (or are) this person, and I know it was intentional, but that is not the perspective I generally want to read from.
That said, I still thought the story was extremely compelling in the first half or so of the book and I couldn't put it down. At least in part because I think Sim Kern really captured some of the chaotic and collaborative and complicated energy that can happen while living in communal punkish activistish housing, with shows happening in your living room, because I've been there. At some point I felt somewhat let down by the book, or more accurately dropped off a cliff by the book, along with some themes that I'd probably have preferred some kind of content warning for.
Thank you to NetGallley, Levine Querido, and Sim Kern for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The protagonist of this tale is at times painfully awkward, vacillating between leaning into privilege or the "well intentioned" good white person archetype out in full force, and we know this person or perhaps we've been (or are) this person, and I know it was intentional, but that is not the perspective I generally want to read from.
That said, I still thought the story was extremely compelling in the first half or so of the book and I couldn't put it down. At least in part because I think Sim Kern really captured some of the chaotic and collaborative and complicated energy that can happen while living in communal punkish activistish housing, with shows happening in your living room, because I've been there. At some point I felt somewhat let down by the book, or more accurately dropped off a cliff by the book, along with some themes that I'd probably have preferred some kind of content warning for.
Thank you to NetGallley, Levine Querido, and Sim Kern for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Classism, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault
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