Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

45 reviews

tinyjude's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

martinatan's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So so excellently crafted from the narrator voice to the build up of MULTIPLE worlds and the mechanics of traversing and the interactions between natives of different Earths, to the character development of the protagonist and the not quite expected ending. This story gave me so much and I’m in awe of the careful weaving that went into every reveal of circumstance and dialogue. Maybe it’s because I’m queer but the ending made me so very happy. I felt like everything was fought for through the plot and the characters’ very active scheming against one another. I can’t believe I actually read through this so slowly at first, but then got more intrigued about the conflict with each Part after I got used to the setting. That shows me how much I value good endings. Incredible story :)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Deportation

Minor: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

turrean's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Here is the multiverse, and the door to every world is a mirror that reflects the worst parts of the one you originally came from. Cara has to fight her way toward some kind of redemption against the twin backdrops of the safe, manicured city of a privileged, wealthy society that feeds like a tick on the poor, who dwell in a Mad Max-style wasteland. Most of the speaking roles are played by troubled, fit, 20-something badasses. 

I read about two-thirds of the book before switching to skim mode. 

The fictional science and the fictional mythology of the passage of multiverse travelers is fascinating. The focus, though, is very much on the emotional and social implications of a power structure completely and absolutely grounded in systemic classism and racism. The main character carries a monstrous burden of abuse and twisted guilt, and must always struggle against the pull of a toxic relationship that offered cruelty and evil, but also power and safety.

Every time Cara mulled over the differences between THAT Nik Nik and THIS Nik Nik, I was terrified she'd give in to the pull of that connection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Classism, and Deportation

salicer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racism, Torture, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Homophobia

brynalexa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This is my second read through in preparation for the authors next book. I loved it even more, even though I knew all the twists and turns it would make. A truly believable and horrible world with truly beautiful people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, War, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, and Sexual content

squibney's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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

4.75

The ending was slightly lackluster for how profound the rest of the book was, but it didn’t ruin it for me and I would definitely read this again. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Murder

spicycronereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

On the surface this is a SciFi thriller about multiverse travel. But at heart it is about fate, found family, and the violence of classism, racism, colonialism, and homophobia. The writing is quite fluid and sometimes beautifully poetic.

The first ten percent or so takes patience as you get oriented to the world and the mechanics of how multiverse travel works, but after that it is engrossing, with dynamically flawed characters and twists galore. 

The book has rich secondary characters whose development is rounded out by meeting the same characters in different worlds.

There is a bit of romance between the main character Cara and her colleague Dell. There is plentiful pining, punctuated with occasional moments of potential. I give it one swoony heart 💖 

This book has quite a lot of diverse representation. Not only are Cara and Dell in a sapphic romance, but they are both women of color: Cara and other characters are Black, while Dell is Asian. The book deals with attitudes toward queer relationships as well as with the intersection of class, race, and sexuality. 

Overall I found this to be a beautiful read. I was excited to see that Johnson’s next book is set in the same world, centered on a tertiary character from this book. I will definitely read it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 💖

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

deetabz's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Classism

Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and War

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, and War

apocellipse's review

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Racism