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opplecopter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is one of those books that left me speechless. I had to sit and think on it for a minute after finishing. At barely over 100 pages this little dystopian novella packs a punch with its mixture of thriller/sci-fi/psychological flavors going on. It gave me strong Black Mirror vibes and although I think the story wrapped up perfectly in those short pages, I’m honestly so sad it wasn’t longer because I wanted more! This was incredible and really makes you reflect on topics like the numerous and sometimes ridiculous requirements involved in immigration, how we determine the value of human lives, what choices we would make in situations when the options presented seem impossible, and how our choices ripple out and impact the lives of others. If you’re looking for something to really get into your head and make you ask “what would I do?” then this is for you. I can’t say much without spoiling the plot, but this is truly worth reading. My first 5 star book of the new year and one of the best I’ve read hands down.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Racism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Deportation
Minor: Child abuse
cosmicpanda's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Murder, Racism, Violence, Grief, Islamophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Blood, Body shaming, Deportation, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Drug use, Medical content, Sexism, Misogyny, and Rape
cheyrohm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Child abuse
xwritingstoriesx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Child abuse, Violence, Body shaming, Deportation, Fatphobia, Murder, Gun violence, Racism, and Xenophobia
blackcatkai's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
UPDATE! i never did quite get my thoughts in order then i forgot to come back. overall, this one started strong but i didnt quite care for the middle or ending of this one. it wasnt bad, just bits here and there that threw me out of the story.
CW: Gun violence, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Child abuse, Fatphobia/body shaming, grief, murder, casual ableism
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Child abuse, Death, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Grief, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Minor: Ableism
nannahnannah's review against another edition
2.0
Representation:
- the main protagonist is Muslim and an immigrant from Iran
- the other PoV character is a first-generation Indian-British citizen
In a near-future “dystopian” UK, Idir Jalil takes the British Citizenship Test. But he’s barely begun when a shooter bursts in and takes him and the other test takers hostage. And when Idir draws attention to himself, he finds himself forced to choose which people die when the shooter decides to take lives.
I love the beginning. The first few chapters have such a compelling and distinct voice. But then the shooter comes into play -- and worse, the “twist” happens (I’m not sure if I can really call it a twist, because it comes so early in the story! I didn’t actually know it was supposed to be one, either, until I went back to the book’s goodreads page). In the end, another goodreads review sums it up best:
The author also bashes me over the head with one lesson in morality (and psychology) after another. It’s exhausting, even if I mostly agree with what he says (how did reverse racism and pro-cop sentiments get in there, though? No, please!). The shooter is obnoxiously childish, too, his dialogue almost laughable at times. And at one point, the prose was filled with so much telling, I forgot this was an actual published piece of work (the typo was there in the text, too):
“Deep is upset. He’s not thinking about himself at this point. [...] What Deep is experiencing is just narcissistic identification and a very strong case of narrative transportation. At this point, Deep is incapable of separating Idir’s success of failure from his own. He’s so caught up in the simulation that his feelings and opinions are filtered through the rules of the game.”
I’m being extremely critical, I’m sorry. I just didn’t see the mind-bending, mind-blowing critique of immigration I was hoping for.
Moderate: Transphobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Islamophobia
Minor: Fatphobia, Sexism, and Domestic abuse
also: being druggeddealingwithdragons's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Body shaming, Death of parent, Police brutality, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Bullying
Minor: Abortion, Sexual assault, Dementia, Child death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Torture
horizonous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Blood, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Transphobia, and Xenophobia
◦ Death = Death of a loved onejuliezantopoulos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
It does a good job of packing a punch in a short novella. There's a deeper meaning and diversity of character, but I didn't love this one the way I hoped I would.
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical content, and Sexual assault
absinthe's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia