Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

20 reviews

traa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, War, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Classism, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Child death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit

kaitlinnoodles's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Classism, Body horror, Gore, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Colonisation, Sexual content, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Torture, Abandonment, Child abuse, Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, and Drug abuse

kay_brot's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Addiction, Colonisation, Death of parent, Child abuse, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

hngisreading's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Death, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse

Minor: Abandonment, Child death, and Miscarriage

readerette's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

4.75

Aside from a few moments where I really didn't believe/need the actions of certain characters (

Micheal becoming a runner, Adam not killing Cara, Dell bringing the collar to the burial

), this was a great story with relatable characters and a fascinating world with just enough detail. The first twist gave the story depth. Warm and engaging sci fi that also dives into some of the complexities of race/origin and how they impact one's lot in life.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Child death, Classism, Drug use, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, Death, Infidelity, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, and Child abuse

isleoflinds's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Body horror, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

Minor: Chronic illness and Classism

hngoodlett's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-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: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Classism, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: War and Vomit

meggs1005's review

adventurous fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Violence

massivepizzacrust's review

adventurous dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

I love all of the ideas in this book but the writing dragged for me. 

That's basically my whole thought but still, I think the premise, the setting, the relationships between the characters were great. The discussion of racism in this setting was really great, I especially liked the detail about Wileyites appropriating Ashtown fashion without understanding any of the meaning behind it as I don't see that mentioned as much in fantasy.

The plot was good but didn't really surprise me or pull me in and I found it a little hard to get through the writing at times, especially in the long section on a different world. I don't really know what I needed that this book didn't give me, but I just didn't fall in love with any part of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Cultural appropriation, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Death of parent and Gun violence

taliahsbookshelf's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious 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

This. Book. Blew. My. Mind.

The premise, the plot, the characters, all of it fits together in this super intricate way. It's easy to follow but it's not easy to anticipate what's coming next.

I can't pinpoint the exact moment when I was reading that I went "Oh, this is what good writing is," but I can tell you I knew it. The whole time, I was engaged with the plot, I was invested in the characters and their journey, and I was intrigued by all of the challenges. Every time I put it down to take a break or go for a walk or get a snack, I couldn't stop thinking about it. To me, that's a sign of good book. And this? This was definitely a good book.

Although there is some worldbuilding that I felt could have been expanded to make this a duology, Micaiah Johnson crafted a world that feels eerily realistic and having a simple standalone definitely worked out.

While this does contain a romance, it's not the main plot of the book, and only serves to further character development of everyone involved. That being said, though, I was invested in the romance and was rooting for it to work

so I'm glad it did

. Bonus points: the romance is sapphic and the main character is an unlabeled (in the book) queer woman (most likely bisexual). 

I will let you know: This isn't a YA novel. Although it doesn't contain any graphic scenes, the messaging and the divide between good and evil are incredibly subtle, though very power. I think younger readers could pick this up and would absolutely enjoy it, but marketing it as anything other than an adult sci-fi would be disingenuous to Micaiah Johnson's writing.

Favorite quotes:

"Even worthless things can become valuable once they become rare."(5)

"Death can be senseless, but life never is."(191)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Physical abuse