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kingsteph's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Slavery, Gun violence, Violence, Physical abuse, and Death
friendlypoet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Terminal illness, Colonisation, Slavery, and Murder
Minor: Gore
kaylamoran's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Genocide, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Slavery, and Terminal illness
Minor: Lesbophobia
sofia_marie's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Cancer, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Slavery, and Violence
vaguely_pink's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Colonisation, and Slavery
Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicide, and Vomit
kelsylee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Moderate: Slavery and Violence
Minor: Cancer and Domestic abuse
katiehicks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Violence, Death, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Animal death and Cancer
Minor: Car accident and Confinement
noreadingdegree'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Slavery, Murder, Infidelity, Grief, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual content and Car accident
competencefantasy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Genocide, Cancer, Slavery, Suicide, Death, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, and Car accident
ohlhauc'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
The separation of the novel into these three acts was an effective structure to write a first contact novel. Usually we see what happens in the immediate aftermath but by choosing to choose these time frames, we get to see how big events change us in large and small ways, and how quickly we can adjust to such change.
What made the book remarkable was its ending and the themes it covered. Drawing parallels to colonial invasions and slavery (and there were some flashbacks to this time), this was a devastating, poignant reflection on the devastation that can happen when an invading culture clashes with native inhabitants and the social trauma that results when
What didn't work for me was that I didn't care about the characters. As a society and on the whole, I cared and got emotional during the dramatic scenes but individually, we spent so little time with the characters, that I found it hard to fully connect and understand the characters. The story was told from multiple perspectives by main characters, as well as quite a few secondary and even tertiary characters. It felt like a collection of short stories of different people reflecting on the same event, but each story felt incomplete and I would've liked to see more background.
Overall, I do recommend this book if you're interested in science fiction, literature reflecting on colonialism, and vivid writing with multiple characters.
Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal death