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megelizabeth's review
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
"Millions, maybe billions of years ago this worktop was magma, bubbling under the earth’s crust. No humans, no bonobo chimpanzees. Not even barnacles. Just worms, sponges and jellyfish. Living short, uncomplicated lives."
This has a really interesting concept that raises a lot of important questions, and is definitely a compelling, compulsive read with some good twists. I appreciated the inclusion/representation of selective mutism too. However, I did end up feeling that, for all the potential of a central idea like this, the story ultimately fell just a bit flat and left me wanting 'more' both in terms of plot and of wider exploration of the potential implications of the new technology. I also felt that, whilst I generally prefer character-focused stories, in this one there was too much focus specifically on what was happening to the main characters rather than on any proper character development, and that because of the nature of the dystopian theme there should really have been more exploration of whether and how far others were experiencing situations similar to Susan and Zurel's.
I still enjoyed this overall, but just wish it had gone that bit further and really rounded out some of the potential topics of exploration.
This has a really interesting concept that raises a lot of important questions, and is definitely a compelling, compulsive read with some good twists. I appreciated the inclusion/representation of selective mutism too. However, I did end up feeling that, for all the potential of a central idea like this, the story ultimately fell just a bit flat and left me wanting 'more' both in terms of plot and of wider exploration of the potential implications of the new technology. I also felt that, whilst I generally prefer character-focused stories, in this one there was too much focus specifically on what was happening to the main characters rather than on any proper character development, and that because of the nature of the dystopian theme there should really have been more exploration of whether and how far others were experiencing situations similar to Susan and Zurel's.
I still enjoyed this overall, but just wish it had gone that bit further and really rounded out some of the potential topics of exploration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, and Miscarriage
ambersbooksandbakes's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility
Moderate: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Pregnancy