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dancefaery's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Colonisation, Abandonment, Misogyny, Sexism, Death, Gaslighting, and War
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Blood, Cursing, Classism, Infidelity, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Colonisation, Murder, Sexual content, Death, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Incest
noodlebooknook's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
There are some really strong parts of this novel. But overall the narrative felt a bit flat and not as memorable as I was hoping for.
First of all the premise itself is interesting, the idea that oil is essentially no longer bountiful is a very real reality for future gens. As well as the idea of a female commune that also are kind of vigilantes/kill men to survive, pretty fascinating.
I think the convergence of multiple POVs is also such a great narrative device where we can see so many different sides of the story.
I think in general the writing style was very strong, especially for a debut novel.
Some critiques:
- the middle of the novel is sort of a blur for me, it was just kind of meh and because of that nothing stood out as important to remember.
- the pacing was a bit weird (I understand this may be a series so that could be why) but the first half of the book felt a lot slower paced than the last half
- some of the POVs were much stronger than the other ones and I found myself not as enthralled by each POV
Overall it was a pretty decent dystopian story that had a lot of potential for future books set in this world that could be even better, I would recommend it if you can get over the issues I mentioned above.
Graphic: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Murder, Classism, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Death, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
oriana095's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Death, Classism, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol, Child death, Car accident, and Death of parent
avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Violence, Death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Animal death
oceanwriter's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Racism, and Pregnancy
mandi_lea's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Blood, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Death, Confinement, Sexual violence, Murder, and Misogyny
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Car accident, Child death, Alcohol, and Pregnancy
tigger89's review
- 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
4.0
After much deliberation, I choose to interpret the book as undermining those apparent themes, for a number of reasons that are are too spoilery to discuss here. But I understand how many readers might, and have, come to a different conclusion. For that reason, I'd recommend this book to people who like their plot themes to be a little messy rather than straightforward, and caution those who are particularly sensitive to depictions of gender-essentialist feminism.
The things I liked the most about this book were getting to know the characters, the speculation on future technology with the Flick devices, and the empowering depiction of sex work, both in Camp Zero and in the Floating City. I also appreciated how the White Alice narrative was separate from the main narrative until near the end, leaving the reader uncertain of whether it was set in the future, the past, or concurrently with the rest of the plot.
The most important question: does the bear die, does the snake die, and do the dogs die?
Graphic: Classism, Death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Violence, Alcohol, Rape, Dementia, and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
torturedreadersdept's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Murder, Violence, Colonisation, Child death, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Body horror, Classism, Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Sexual content, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, and Blood
micaelamariem's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Colonisation, Cursing, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Violence, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment