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erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The tension in this book is interesting because, unlike the characters, we know that the DeathCast system (that warns people on their last day, that they are about to die), is real and works. Nobody can predict that there will be a hiccup on its first day of use and that some of the people who are going to die that day have not been told, and even that is only revealed to the populace half way through the day.
For those who have read the other book first, there are revelations that are very obvious (we know what the creative app programming endeavours of one character are likely to culminate in), and some things that are much less obvious, such as a character making a phonecall from a pay phone, which are going to be phased out and trashed shortly.
My absolute favourite thing about Silvera's imagined world is that he has replaced a leading popular fantasy franchise with something I can really totally get behind. The major popular magical fiction series in his world is called Scorpius Hawthorn; and it's a magical story with prophecies and wizards and things. There are major movie spinoffs and the child actors are treated wonderfully, getting to play and have fun around film-shooting in Brazil, while their special dietary needs and health are supported by caring handlers. The author of the original book series is Poppy Iglesias and she's a lovely caring person who is also a Queer Latina Trans-woman. I would love to live in this fantasy where the most popular magic franchise is also ethical.
This book is a serious tear jerker. It has homophobia in it. It has sex in it; there are condoms, explicit consent, and not a lot of other detail. It's there as a celebration of love rather than to be titillating. There is also domestic violence, and gun violence, grief about losing parents in the 9/11 destruction, and apocalypse cults, and scary dudes in skull masks. The intended audience is probably 14+ but mature readers younger or older than that will probably enjoy it. Some of the coincidences seem ridiculously contrived and unlikely, but that's just the style of story, and is similar to the other book as well. I was caught in frisson several times when reminded of things like 9/11 or when I realised that throw away details experienced by one character were more relevant to the story of another character.
Fans of the original book will likely enjoy this one as much.
Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Grief, Murder, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Blood
liih's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Mass/school shootings, Terminal illness, and Car accident
lem0nbalm_'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Car accident
allisoncc'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
the tale of Valentino and Orion also reminded me how far we've come in the 13 years since 2010 when this book is set (and how far we have yet to go). the ensemble was really flushed out this time and wow as much as i loved Val & Orion, gosh i HATED some of the other characters (as i'm supposed to)
also these books are the *only* time i'm going to love instalove given the time frame and the unprecedented circumstances the characters dealing with Death Cast have in their fictional lives.
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Medical content and Grief
hzcyr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
There are points I also personally thought repetitive or would take a lot of disbelief. It definitely begins to explore some interesting questions but I don't think it goes hsrd enough. The love story itself is adequately good. I do think there are better LGBTQIA+, last-day death-love stories.
• Supposedly, ~8,000 USA citizens die each day [lazy Googling] and yet everyone complains that Death-Cast could be a fialure on launch, despite holding a 100% correction rate of people not dying that don't die and a 0.15% error rate (12/8,000) of people supposed to die but were not contacted. Like, it seems wild that everyone just assumed this system was supposed to be perfect or a complete wreck if anything less.
• On the topic of numbers, Death-Cast is staffed by (I believe) 20 therapists to make calls and an 'optimal' call should last 5 minutes. Assuming a 7.5hr work shift, that's only 90 calls at most or 1,800 if the entire staff worked all shift.
• Adding on that, it feels really cult-like that everyone just welcomes Death-Cast so openly. Some minor characters do question it and there appear to be some terrorist rebels but, even if people don't know how it's so accurate, they all just assume day 1 that one is a doomed individual.
• The CEO, Joaquin, and his wife, Naya, are just so...ignorant and apathetic to this very revolutionary technology. They keep saying it'll help improve lives and it spins as this technology being for the positive but, after the Valentino's call, Joaquin is more worried about press and how his technology looks. Meanwhile Naya is offering water fountains to therapists telling in 5 minute intervals to 90 people that they'll die in 24hrs and if they're not keeping to this optimum, they'll be at risk of poor job performance because 'it'll save many lives'. I would've been more interested if Joaquin, Naya, or their son was one of the people to get the call for launch day.
• Valentino and Orion's meeting, love, and death (for one of them) is all within 21hrs. It's very Romeo & Juliet energy. Like, in suspension of disbeleif, sure, they're in love. And they do have some cute moments. But there's also bits that just do not feel they match for the time they have.
• In a book of very many ethical questions, it feels very unfulfilling because it generally just assumes DeathCast to be good for all. At the end, Joaquin wants to expand and "make sure the military don't weaponise it etc." but it feels very "...and they all lived happily ever after" saccharine for DeathCast. It somewhat explores this, e.g., Doctors won't treat Deckers, flights won't take off if they contain a Decker, they'll be looters and rebellions in response to predictive death technology. But, I think it just misses a lot of nuance. Will the medical industry start an organ harvest system for deckers? Can I prove this system isn't perfect? For the 21hrs of expected death, Valentino is really restrcited and ostracised in many ways for being forced to be a decker and we just accept that as okay because "it'd save more lives if...".
• I don't like that, halfway through, the story decides to adjunct on this plot of "who ELSE will die?". Much as the side characters help add nuance or alternate perspective, it just felt that this added mystery of who else will die took away from the already mystery of when and how Valentino would die, or if he even would at all. I honestly think this story would've just been fine or better focusing in on Valentino & Orion without this B-plot.
I have more issues but on the positives:
• The potrayal of domestic abuse was well done. This was terrifyingly written that I was quite uncomfortable.
• The relationships between characters was generally well done. I like that Scarlett & Orion's sister and their relationships with Valentino & Orion aren't cast aside. The minor characters had some fun dynamics too. Rolando was a bae throughout.
• The potrayal of the message it presents at the end regarding embracing every moment pre-death is decent.
• About 55% way through, I felt like their was genuine connection between Valentino & Orion that felt reasonably believable.
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Gun violence, Grief, Homophobia, and Violence
Minor: Cursing and Religious bigotry
emmajh91'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Cursing, Chronic illness, Car accident, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Murder, and Blood
dani_boi98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Death, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Blood and Homophobia
foreverxbookish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Grief, Cursing, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Violence
graciffer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, Toxic relationship, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infertility and Infidelity
confused_14's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Cursing