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dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know what will stop me loving this book. Fair warning it may cause anxiety symptoms as it deals with topics of being alone, death, global apocalypse, cults and the harmful effects of organized religion. But I love its commentary on humanity and the prospect of something good coming out of chaos.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't think I've ever seen a book pull off the balance of character-driven and plot-driven the way this does. Mandel manages to plunge us into fully breathing people, with their own complex histories and you get to feel like your understand every single one of them. Which, is a stunning feat considering the massive cast of characters here. But at the same time, the plot keeps moving with no lulls. Because of this pacing and because of the expansive detail of Mandel's prose, the worldbuilding here comes off so incredibly natural. And that is the highest compliment I can give a book. Because I hate world building, seriously, look at any of my reviews. But somehow, here, every new way the world after the Georgia Flu worked felt so naturally constructed, I never felt like I was being dragged through it. My only gripe is the timeline can be a little bit confusing at times and I wish there was more to anchor us in certain places and times.
I feel like, obviously, I have to mention I am reading this during a pandemic. And it really was rough in the start, because of the things that felt familiar. The themes of isolation, of a shifting world and trying to rearrange the things that you value in a new world...there is really no better time to read about these things. And, it makes me reflect on the art I miss seeing because of Covid and the art that has really bolstered me in the last 18 months.
This one is a real heartbreaker with hope baked into it. I thoroughly recommend it.
[2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge #39 - A book everyone seems to have read but you]
I feel like, obviously, I have to mention I am reading this during a pandemic. And it really was rough in the start, because of the things that felt familiar. The themes of isolation, of a shifting world and trying to rearrange the things that you value in a new world...there is really no better time to read about these things. And, it makes me reflect on the art I miss seeing because of Covid and the art that has really bolstered me in the last 18 months.
This one is a real heartbreaker with hope baked into it. I thoroughly recommend it.
[2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge #39 - A book everyone seems to have read but you]
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Murder
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Grief
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
finished reading on august 26, 2021
i almost gave up on this book last year because i couldnt handle reading a book about a pandemic while i was living through one, but i finally picked it up again a week or two ago and im so fucking glad i did. instead of painfully reminding me that im currently living in a world ravaged by a pandemic, this book made me fall in love with the world; with humanity, with the compassion and serendipity and continuous need to *live* that exists in all of us—“because survival is insufficient.” what a beautiful, beautiful book.
i almost gave up on this book last year because i couldnt handle reading a book about a pandemic while i was living through one, but i finally picked it up again a week or two ago and im so fucking glad i did. instead of painfully reminding me that im currently living in a world ravaged by a pandemic, this book made me fall in love with the world; with humanity, with the compassion and serendipity and continuous need to *live* that exists in all of us—“because survival is insufficient.” what a beautiful, beautiful book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol
BIG content warning for pandemic. If you have been having a hard time dealing with grief or other mental health issues related to the COVID pandemic, be careful with this book. In my opinion, it actually helped me cope with the past several months because the last third of the book becomes more focused on hope and human survival and is actually very uplifting. But there are definitely some sections that made me close the book and go "nope. can't read about this, way too real." It was worth it, though.
adventurous
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:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Kidnapping