Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Rosalera by Tade Thompson

3 reviews

lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition

challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I struggled on the rating for this one.  It has a non-linear structure, as we flash back and forth in the main protagonist Kaaro's life.  I really liked that and how it slowly let the mystery and the world building unfold.  I liked the setting in Nigeria, the city of Rosewater, the mysterious alien dome, and Kaaro's and the other sensitive's powers to see into people's minds.  There are a lot of interesting plot threads at play here, Kaaro's powers, the xenosphere, Aminat's brother, the dome itself...  However, Kaaro is not a likable character (tbf, everyone in the book, even Kaaro, seems to know this, but personally for me, I find that more challenging in a book); he is obsessed with sex and objectifies nearly every woman and wants to have sex with them.  Kaaro's relationship with Aminat feels insta-lovey, and why would she even like him?  The revelation that someone is killing the sensitives doesn't happen until halfway through the book, and I felt that is should have come sooner to amp up the urgency of the story.  Lastly, I might be alone in this going by other reviews, but I thought the end was a let down, even knowing that this is a trilogy.  I was surprised that was all there was to the book's climax; I was surprised the book was over, as it felt very abrupt.  I was expecting more.  Overall though, I really did enjoy the book and would recommend it.  I hope to read the sequels.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Confinement, Cursing, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Sexual harassment, Blood, Addiction, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Violence, Gore, and Misogyny

skudiklier's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

This book was super interesting! I had a weird experience reading it because I did so very slowly and deliberately, which is unusual for me. It was somewhat dark and not entirely what I expected. But I hope to read the rest of the trilogy eventually!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Confinement, Drug use, Excrement, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Xenophobia

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Car accident, Child death, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Transphobia, and War

v171's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative 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

This was an incredibly engaging, interesting read from start to finish. I have been on a New Weird kick recently, and I think Rosewater has set the standard. Everything about this book's construction was spot on. The writing was accessible, but not bland. The characters all felt distinctly human. The aliens felt "appropriately" alien. The setting across real world African locations and fictional areas was interesting to follow. If I had only one critique, it was that the story was a bit touch and go, but with how engaging it was, I didn't mind at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Grief, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts