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quinnt123's review against another edition
4.0
Such a unique & poignant story about a father and a son and the way their interact with the world (and OTHER worlds too). I honestly enjoyed the science-y bits and thought it was fascinating to imagine how lifeforms in the Universe would exist… contrasted to how our human life form is currently existing on Earth. He did a masterful job weaving these things into a powerful, human story. Made me want to watch Interstellar - which was a fun complement the day I finished reading this!
afroditi86's review against another edition
2.0
This book should be used as an example of how not to treat your neurodivergent child. I do not know if Theo's character was writen in this way on purpose and I have no reason to think that it was.
In short a very disappointing read.
Spoiler
As a teacher this was an extremely frustrating book for me to read. Theo was mostly afraid of his son's meltdowns and instead of trying to teach him how to handle them, he worked tirelessly in order to avoid them. The part that infuriated me beyond belief was Theo's attempt to downplay the injuries his son caused on his classmate and only friend. All this on top of the Big Pharma prejudice and absolute refusal to put his son on PsyChOactIve DrUgS that would cause mysterious changes to his son's brain. Training on Currier's machine and the changes that would incur was, however, ok. As long as Robin is not forced to consume harmful chemicals. And all this from a person who is supposedly a scientist and should be used to exercising critical thinking.In short a very disappointing read.
lukests's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lotje84's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
enoemo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
so. many. emotions.
The main character is really flawed and makes a lot of mistakes, and also definitely doesn't always see things for how they are but I think that is what makes his dilemma so deeply emotional and relatable in a way? Also I finished reading this on election day and that just hits different, ahhhh.
The main character is really flawed and makes a lot of mistakes, and also definitely doesn't always see things for how they are but I think that is what makes his dilemma so deeply emotional and relatable in a way? Also I finished reading this on election day and that just hits different, ahhhh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Animal death, Child death, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, and Xenophobia
jencunn2024's review against another edition
4.0
Really about a 4.5. What a beautifully written book! It was an emotional roller coaster, and I mean full emotional spectrum. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, sad, disappointed, and felt so much love too. That being said I’veRead other mixed reviews and I may have appreciated this book more because I haven’t read much else like it, including the referenced Flowers of Algernon. I enjoyed the science, the fiction, the plot, the characters, the relationships, the nature, and the universal reflections. I loved the feelings of hope, skepticism, apathy, optimism, and cynicism all achieved in one book. I felt that this is practical and real. My only criticism was that I felt the politics and social criticisms put forth by the author lacked creativity and substance, and were thinly veiled as part of the story rather than his own agenda. Despite that I still loved the story, the characters, and the reflections on grief, loss, and love.
tylerdoucet's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jvk14's review against another edition
3.0
I feel so bad giving this book a 3 star review and maybe I wasn't focused while reading this book but I often found myself getting bored or distracted while reading it. I think the concept is amazing but I wish the writing was deeper. I really wanted to like this book more but it just didn't do what I hoped it would.