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amyreh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Gun violence and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse
tedhekman's review against another edition
5.0
Fuck me, I love reading this author's books so much! The ending... kinda sucked. But that didn't stop me from thoroughly absorbing myself into every page. The suspense is real. You can almost feel the damp southern heat as you read. It's pretty fucking dark. If you're looking for a relaxing, cozy read full of puppy dogs and ice cream, look elsewhere. But the pacing is fierce, and the prose is magical. I have been reading this author in backwards order chronologically, and it appears she has been a master of words long before she got uber famous.
laila4343's review against another edition
4.0
Emily St. John Mandel is the queen of the multi-layered plot; her novels are like puzzles you have to keep turning pages to solve. This one was a bit of a slow start but after about 60 pages or so I couldn't put it down. Utterly compelling and propulsive. I especially loved the character of Sasha, Anna's half-sister, and her struggles with gambling and wanting a new life. All of these characters were kind of sad and in search of something, but not in a depressing way.
I've now read all of her books aside from the one that comes out next month (April 2022.) Here's how I rank them from fave to least fave - but they're all worth reading:
1. Station Eleven
2. The Glass Hotel
3. The Singer's Gun
4. The Lola Quartet
5. Last Night in Montreal
I've now read all of her books aside from the one that comes out next month (April 2022.) Here's how I rank them from fave to least fave - but they're all worth reading:
1. Station Eleven
2. The Glass Hotel
3. The Singer's Gun
4. The Lola Quartet
5. Last Night in Montreal
savorsophia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
mackellis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A book that could have been a paragraph if people would just be honest and talk to each other. Alas, that’s not the human condition.
mickmoonmohan's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ebrichardson55's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
5.0
ESJM is simply a genius. I can’t believe that more people don’t talk about this book which was written before Station 11. The way she weaves these characters together is balletic- I found it so satisfying even when I wished they made different choices. I wish this was made into a series and we could get even further stories on all these characters. I love that it was a story about a very normal group of teenagers then flashed 10 years forward. There are lots of normal problems and even desperate circumstances but I never found it depressing. I’m sad I can never read it again for the first time.
kristin_o's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
3.5
bookysue's review against another edition
1.0
Couldn't finish it. Made it to page 63 before quitting. So cringey and embarrassing and hashtag not like the other girls, yuck