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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
challenging
funny
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
this was a fun romp! impressed with how deftly the author balanced the cast of characters. felt like the male characters were better fleshed out and i feel like making the one nonbinary person the person part of aunty tim’s volunteer squadron was a little exotifying/techno-oriental but i did largely enjoy this. it picked up speed as it went on and there are some good one-liners in here. i think this was a pretty ambitious premise held by high ambitions for characters that faltered at some points but largely held true. i liked the trojan horse idea; margaret/aunty tim remind me a lot of evelyn/(non-romantic) waymond in eeaao
personally the rabbi/nuns/margaret/the reader were most compelling to me, which is perhaps a) a credit to the author’s writing of side characters and b) a slight knock on the central friendship of the story. that said that could just be my character preferences
personally the rabbi/nuns/margaret/the reader were most compelling to me, which is perhaps a) a credit to the author’s writing of side characters and b) a slight knock on the central friendship of the story. that said that could just be my character preferences
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had to bump it down at least half a star for having the rabbi refer to God by a pronunciation of the tetragrammaton. I'm not sure how to handle the portrayal in general; it feels like maybe the reader was using Seinfeld reruns to create this character, but he did feel almost authentically East Coast Jewish.
When We Were Real is a sci-fi novel about a bus full of people going on a cross-country road trip a few years after it is announced that humanity has been living in a simulation.
This novel features a diverse cast of characters who all have their own motivations for being on the bus trip, Canterbury Trails, which explores various “Impossibles”, anomalies that are placed throughout the U.S. by the Simmers to show everyone that it truly is a simulation.
Gregory employs multiple POVs from just about all the characters and he does a fantastic job at tying each character to a role and introducing them in a way that they are super memorable. I was never once confused by who is who.
The main characters we follow include JP (the Engineer who is battling brain cancer) and his friend Dulin (a comic book writer known for his witty banter). In addition, there is a pregnant social media influencer, two nuns, a rabbi, a “realist”, a reader, a scientist, a nurse, a few old folks, and more.
The plot is propulsive while allowing for plenty of time for introspection and philosophizing and science talk that never bogs down the plot in any way. This book moves quickly for being over 400 pages.
When We Were Real poses several questions of what it means to be human, how we grapple with the world around us and its many anomalies, our relationships with others, and our faith (presence or lack thereof) in a higher being. It’s a fascinating novel that will entertain you and keep you thinking long after you turn the last page.
This was my second book by Daryl Gregory that I’ve read (Revelator is the other) and so far he is two-for-two with bangers for me (both being so different makes it even more impressive). Check it out! It’s out today.
Huge thank you to Saga Press for providing with a free ARC. I also read a portion of this as an eARC on NetGalley.
This novel features a diverse cast of characters who all have their own motivations for being on the bus trip, Canterbury Trails, which explores various “Impossibles”, anomalies that are placed throughout the U.S. by the Simmers to show everyone that it truly is a simulation.
Gregory employs multiple POVs from just about all the characters and he does a fantastic job at tying each character to a role and introducing them in a way that they are super memorable. I was never once confused by who is who.
The main characters we follow include JP (the Engineer who is battling brain cancer) and his friend Dulin (a comic book writer known for his witty banter). In addition, there is a pregnant social media influencer, two nuns, a rabbi, a “realist”, a reader, a scientist, a nurse, a few old folks, and more.
The plot is propulsive while allowing for plenty of time for introspection and philosophizing and science talk that never bogs down the plot in any way. This book moves quickly for being over 400 pages.
When We Were Real poses several questions of what it means to be human, how we grapple with the world around us and its many anomalies, our relationships with others, and our faith (presence or lack thereof) in a higher being. It’s a fascinating novel that will entertain you and keep you thinking long after you turn the last page.
This was my second book by Daryl Gregory that I’ve read (Revelator is the other) and so far he is two-for-two with bangers for me (both being so different makes it even more impressive). Check it out! It’s out today.
Huge thank you to Saga Press for providing with a free ARC. I also read a portion of this as an eARC on NetGalley.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated