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deetabz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Classism, Homophobia, Torture, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content, War, and Racism
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Johnson's worldbuilding is exquisite. I got attached to her characters within paragraphs of their introductions. Her portrayals of classism, racism, and colonialism felt like constant gut-punches. If Spouse weren't waiting to read it before we have to return this copy to the library, I might've flipped right back to the beginning and started reading it again the moment I finished it.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Classism
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Child abuse, Addiction, Homophobia, Violence, Vomit, Child death, Confinement, Medical content, Racism, Death of parent, Deportation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Kidnapping, Suicide, Gun violence, War, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Miscarriage
Graphic: Environmental degradation Minor: Whorephobia, Child laboremily_mh's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Classism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Racism, Drug abuse, Body horror, Drug use, and Addiction
Minor: War, Child abuse, Sexual content, Colonisation, Suicide, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Medical content, Miscarriage, Vomit, Ableism, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Transphobia, Terminal illness, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Minor: nuclear warfare, volcanogameoftomes's review against another edition
- 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
Cara is really smart, you get to see her thought process. It never feels like the author is just telling when she’s doing this. It’s so interesting to be in Cara’s head, her decisions always make sense with her character. Cara is wayyyy to hard on herself throughout the book though, but it checks out with her past that includes the death of her parents, a toxic and abusive relationship, and the horrible conditions of the place she grew up in.
Great plot twists throughout the book. 3 big ones in the first 100 pages. The plot twists are spaced well, with foreshadowing and good writing that makes the twists make perfect sense within the story.
Fully fledged science fiction world, never feels like info-dumping, it feels like discovery the way Micaiah Johnson writes it. I loved being absorbed into the world.
I thought this was YA based on the cover, but it’s adult science fiction even though there is no gratuitous descriptions of violence and no explicit sex scenes. The protagonist is 26 and the plot is more complex then typical YA scifi, which tends to focus more on character and/or world building than plot.
10/10 for me.
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Deportation, Grief, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Child death, Violence, Biphobia, Death of parent, Death, and Classism
omarickman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Cara is a likable main character with some noticeable flaws. These flaws feel authentic and real. It allows you to really connect with her and understand where she's coming from. Cara feels well developed and rounded out. She's also deeply intersectional, layered, and dynamic in a refreshing way. With that being said, many of the side characters felt slightly underdeveloped. While the story is from Cara's point of view, I wanted more from the side characters in terms of their relationship with Cara. Overall, I enjoyed the characterization and character growth throughout the novel.
As the story progresses it becomes obvious that this is not just a Sci-Fi novel but also a mystery, thriller, and romance as well. I personally found the blend between all of these to be perfect. I adored the explorations of race, class, religion, and power, and the social commentary on modern-day, real-word issues. I only wish that the ending hadn't felt a little flat.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Drug abuse, Violence, Vomit, Death, Police brutality, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Racism, and Religious bigotry
teresareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry
anaguana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
troisha's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Xenophobia
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Vomit