Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
In the first half of the book, when the author mentions “boy” they’re describing a young man in their twenties. Ha, for the long time I though it was a little kid participating in political demonstrations.
What can I say, their interactions are innocent, domestic, and playful. Though, their new discovered feelings, whether it’s fondness or attractiveness, it challenges their way of thinking of what makes someone human.
For An Zhe, it’s understanding how human emotions lead to their actions. He soon experiences similar emotions and comes to empathizes with them. However, like a parent, he is determine to find his spore.
Lu Feng must put the interest of humanity first above all else. Even himself. But meeting An Zhe he will soon be challenged to question, what makes someone human?
Both An Zhe and Lu Feng have a mind set to their goals, but the more they get involved with each other, the harder it’ll be to achieve their objectives. What started as curiosity and using the the other for info, became a mutual fondness with each other.
Lu Feng is hated and fallows the chaos to put an end. A life making him cold and emotionless, but being with An Zhe brings a certain calmness in him. An Zhe is not human, thus he is dangerous. He hates the cold and is often left to defend himself, being with Lu Feng makes him feel warm and safe.
The world building is amazing. I thought that because they live in districts, always in fear of falling, there will be an over population problem from civilians migrating. Wrong, they are in a desperate need of repopulating humanity. There is a consequence by having humans die and consume by monsters. The more the monsters take in their genetics, the more evolved they become. Thus they have to keep reproducing but not in the traditional sense.
Don’t take their scientific reasoning literal. I am here for the character’s interaction and their morals being challenge. And soup. There is nothing more I want from this novel but to see them eating soup together.
What can I say, their interactions are innocent, domestic, and playful. Though, their new discovered feelings, whether it’s fondness or attractiveness, it challenges their way of thinking of what makes someone human.
For An Zhe, it’s understanding how human emotions lead to their actions. He soon experiences similar emotions and comes to empathizes with them. However, like a parent, he is determine to find his spore.
Lu Feng must put the interest of humanity first above all else. Even himself. But meeting An Zhe he will soon be challenged to question, what makes someone human?
Both An Zhe and Lu Feng have a mind set to their goals, but the more they get involved with each other, the harder it’ll be to achieve their objectives. What started as curiosity and using the the other for info, became a mutual fondness with each other.
Lu Feng is hated and fallows the chaos to put an end. A life making him cold and emotionless, but being with An Zhe brings a certain calmness in him. An Zhe is not human, thus he is dangerous. He hates the cold and is often left to defend himself, being with Lu Feng makes him feel warm and safe.
The world building is amazing. I thought that because they live in districts, always in fear of falling, there will be an over population problem from civilians migrating. Wrong, they are in a desperate need of repopulating humanity. There is a consequence by having humans die and consume by monsters. The more the monsters take in their genetics, the more evolved they become. Thus they have to keep reproducing but not in the traditional sense.
Don’t take their scientific reasoning literal. I am here for the character’s interaction and their morals being challenge. And soup. There is nothing more I want from this novel but to see them eating soup together.
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What is the fall of humanity, to a mushroom?
In a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world, where strange creatures roam the areas outside the few cities, and any human can become easily infected and turned into one… there lives a mushroom.
An Zhe, as the mushroom is named by a human, only wants his spore that was stolen from him, as he sets off to infiltrate human society. All he wants is to take it and return to the cave in which he lives, and never emerge again. He doesn’t care about the humans - especially as they would destroy a creature like him.
He’s a bystander looking in, calm as things fall apart, as humanity clings to survival in ever more difficult ways - he simply observes, and yet he changes as well, slowly but surely.
What does it mean to be human? To survive? What justifies the actions we take in our desperation to cling to life, and at what point can you write off another human? How can ruthlessness also be mercy, how can kindness be cruelty?
It’s a deeply sorrowful book, in a way - it made me feel melancholy. Humanity is slipping away, slowly but surely… and more and more die, every day, get infected and change. And yet - there is still potato soup. Still the warmth of another person next to you. Still the hope that the one you have grown to care for will return to you.
I look forward to reading more about this little mushroom.
In a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world, where strange creatures roam the areas outside the few cities, and any human can become easily infected and turned into one… there lives a mushroom.
An Zhe, as the mushroom is named by a human, only wants his spore that was stolen from him, as he sets off to infiltrate human society. All he wants is to take it and return to the cave in which he lives, and never emerge again. He doesn’t care about the humans - especially as they would destroy a creature like him.
He’s a bystander looking in, calm as things fall apart, as humanity clings to survival in ever more difficult ways - he simply observes, and yet he changes as well, slowly but surely.
What does it mean to be human? To survive? What justifies the actions we take in our desperation to cling to life, and at what point can you write off another human? How can ruthlessness also be mercy, how can kindness be cruelty?
It’s a deeply sorrowful book, in a way - it made me feel melancholy. Humanity is slipping away, slowly but surely… and more and more die, every day, get infected and change. And yet - there is still potato soup. Still the warmth of another person next to you. Still the hope that the one you have grown to care for will return to you.
I look forward to reading more about this little mushroom.
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.5 Stars
Chinese Novels always impress me with their worldbuilding. This dystopian novel was so enjoyable on all accounts. I loved An Zhe as a main character and it was really fun to follow him on his path to fing his spore, but getting more than he set out for. This book was also the definition of ”Don‘t get attached to side characters“, if you know what I mean.
Chinese Novels always impress me with their worldbuilding. This dystopian novel was so enjoyable on all accounts. I loved An Zhe as a main character and it was really fun to follow him on his path to fing his spore, but getting more than he set out for. This book was also the definition of ”Don‘t get attached to side characters“, if you know what I mean.
The unnecessary references to the characters skin colours and frequent reference to one character on the colour of his skin and not name made this an uncomfortable read that I did not see the point of pushing through.