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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Sexism
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was very off putting at first with the intense descriptions of living inside an animal and interacting with its body systems. But the intricate, robust world building and engaging characters fascinated me! By the halfway point, I was completely invested in the story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror
Minor: Sexism, Vomit
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow! This book was a trip. I loved the unique premise and all of the details about the people's life in outer space beasts. I think the plot and setting were bogged down by the characters, though.
I will be happy to read more books by the author.
I will be happy to read more books by the author.
This is a good book with which to test your judgments of cultures and customs of other people. Unconventional, for sure.
My biggest issues with reading were the uneven pace, inconsistency of characters (abrupt alterations rather than development), and reliance on spectacle to further the plot. A goal would built until a dramatic moment and then be forgotten. It just wasn’t organized or connected as well as I’d like. I also found every character unlikable, lacking inner life, or both. I prefer less melodrama.
coolest content:
- the heart
- kinship structures
- braided hairstyles and gold face tattoos as lineage
- beginnings of socialism
- interspecies communication
- black matriarchal world-building
most horrific or gross content:
- crawling around in an animal’s anus
- genocide
- acid burns
- exploitation of labour
- vivisection
- bodily fluids everywhere
must frustrating developments:
- shock value PDA
- lack of consent
- immature superiority complex in the main character
- someone tricked into having sex with a dummy (??)
- trans content/characters were throwaway
- idea that illegitimate children don’t deserve rights
My biggest issues with reading were the uneven pace, inconsistency of characters (abrupt alterations rather than development), and reliance on spectacle to further the plot. A goal would built until a dramatic moment and then be forgotten. It just wasn’t organized or connected as well as I’d like. I also found every character unlikable, lacking inner life, or both. I prefer less melodrama.
coolest content:
- the heart
- kinship structures
- braided hairstyles and gold face tattoos as lineage
- beginnings of socialism
- interspecies communication
- black matriarchal world-building
most horrific or gross content:
- crawling around in an animal’s anus
- genocide
- acid burns
- exploitation of labour
- vivisection
- bodily fluids everywhere
must frustrating developments:
- shock value PDA
- lack of consent
- immature superiority complex in the main character
- someone tricked into having sex with a dummy (??)
- trans content/characters were throwaway
- idea that illegitimate children don’t deserve rights
(2.5/5)
This book had such a good premise and compelling world-building, but it ultimately failed in every other aspect of execution for me. I was super hooked and invested for about the first 40%, but the numerous dropped plots and wonky characterization kind of ruined it for me in the end. I think this book definitely would have benefited from another 100-200 pages just to flesh out the characters and the plot more, because as it stands you're kind of just... whisked along at lightning speed without emotional moments and revelations given the proper breathing room.
This book had such a good premise and compelling world-building, but it ultimately failed in every other aspect of execution for me. I was super hooked and invested for about the first 40%, but the numerous dropped plots and wonky characterization kind of ruined it for me in the end. I think this book definitely would have benefited from another 100-200 pages just to flesh out the characters and the plot more, because as it stands you're kind of just... whisked along at lightning speed without emotional moments and revelations given the proper breathing room.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I won this book from a GoodReads giveaway. It was a weird but enjoyable sci-fi read. Looking forward to reading the sequel.