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erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I felt like the dialogue was middling to bad. There was a lot of exposition to the ignorant characters in the room that could have been done better. Perhaps I'm a stylistic snob, but the one line about Americans being a dichotomy of tech leaders whose people are also anti-academic, really rang throughout the entire book. An expert commenting that they found something interesting is invariably followed by the room asking for a translation for those who don't have a degree.
A major theme that is wallowed in, is tech being used for military purposes. This is specifically applied to genetics research (a loaded topic in Christian America), while deftly dodging the point that most of USAs technological advances have been made due to military funding. The idea that genetically heritable illnesses could be treated with gene therapy is not a new one to me, nor is the idea that similar techniques could be used for eugenics.
Poverty and addiction also seem to be a stereotype in this. It's all a bit of a lumbering shambles. If someone tells you their alias is Wilma, isn't anyone over the age of 30 going to guess their real name is Betty? This book feels like it's trying to be smart, but isn't very.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Confinement, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Classism, Gun violence, Dementia, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Mental illness, Islamophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, War, Death, Racism, Violence, Confinement, Gun violence, Death of parent, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, Hate crime, Addiction, and Misogyny
kcarney86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Murder, Confinement, Drug use, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Misogyny, Grief, Sexism, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Islamophobia, Classism, and Emotional abuse
biblio_jordyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Here are some of the many things I enjoyed:
The setting was well established. Being from the DC-area I can be a stickler for details and nuances, but I felt like this book was completely spot on and I felt immersed,
I found the characters the main and main-minor characters to be believable and interesting. I was also rooting for them, I love to root for characters in race against the clock plots like this.
The plot of this legal thriller was interesting and complex in its reveal, but not so much that I felt lost in the language of the legal and political system that's intertwined within the story.
This book could honestly be turned into a Netflix original tv series or film with everything it has going on and with how captivating it is.
If you like shows like House of Cards, Alias, The Mentalist, or any show or movie where the civilians have to kick ass and unravel the shady dealings of the government behind the scenes? Plot driven as opposed to character driven novels? I would definitely pick this up.
Thank you @doubledaybooks for this #gifted physical copy!
Graphic: Drug abuse and Kidnapping
Moderate: Violence and Misogyny