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erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Welp... (gets off rollercoaster) that was certainly a trip!!
I picked up this book as a buddy read from book club. As an audiobook it differed from so many books in English with many Japanese names and words by having narrators who were of Japanese descent and who could actually pronounce Japanese.. SUCH a relief! Being able to understand what people are saying is really hard when they are approximating and getting half the words so mangled it's inaudible.
This is a deeply emotional book, that I think you can only get the most out of if you invest in it. Each section of the book is from a different view point (stitched together like short stories) and they are all subtly connected which makes it really rewarding when you realise what those connections are. Each personal viewpoint deals with grief. The world depicted is stricken by a plague that is bigger and weirder than anything humanity has yet experienced. It takes our current experiences and racks the intensity to 11.
In a world that develops fun ways to enjoy euthanasia *wince*, and novel traditions for remembering and celebrating the lives of those we have lost, this story spans centuries. In so doing it deals with the loss and displacement caused by illness, ecological instability, and human affected climate change - wildfires, flooding, mass extinction... and the hopes that humanity has for colonising space in ways that will not displace indigenous life out there.
Some of the science is .. unlikely but not completely outside the bounds of possibility. You have to strap on those Suspenders of Disbelief (+4) to embrace some of the ideas about Roswell, and cryptids - but some of the heroic characters are steeped more in the idea of believing that things might be true until they can be falsified... which allows them to believe things that seem improbable.
Major themes involve the focus on family, on long-term planning and, the things that are so important that we can't be there for our children. Unlike adventure stories of the past where fathers are absent seeking glory, this deals a lot with mothers who have to step away from family obligations for a Greater Purpose, and the grief and strife that causes.
Honestly.. I am the right agegroup that most of the music talked about in this story is familiar to me. That anchors the story emotionally. There is a lot of painting and art in the narrative as well.. which highlights the creativity of humanity, and the ways that we process grief and nostalgia, and how we chronicle our history. I bawled my eyes out in many different chapters. I found this really beautiful fiction and though not all the science was airtight I will borrow the saying from Amanda Tapping "that's why they call it sci - FI". The emotional resonance makes it highly enjoyable so I'll give it a 5.
I picked up this book as a buddy read from book club. As an audiobook it differed from so many books in English with many Japanese names and words by having narrators who were of Japanese descent and who could actually pronounce Japanese.. SUCH a relief! Being able to understand what people are saying is really hard when they are approximating and getting half the words so mangled it's inaudible.
This is a deeply emotional book, that I think you can only get the most out of if you invest in it. Each section of the book is from a different view point (stitched together like short stories) and they are all subtly connected which makes it really rewarding when you realise what those connections are. Each personal viewpoint deals with grief. The world depicted is stricken by a plague that is bigger and weirder than anything humanity has yet experienced. It takes our current experiences and racks the intensity to 11.
In a world that develops fun ways to enjoy euthanasia *wince*, and novel traditions for remembering and celebrating the lives of those we have lost, this story spans centuries. In so doing it deals with the loss and displacement caused by illness, ecological instability, and human affected climate change - wildfires, flooding, mass extinction... and the hopes that humanity has for colonising space in ways that will not displace indigenous life out there.
Some of the science is .. unlikely but not completely outside the bounds of possibility. You have to strap on those Suspenders of Disbelief (+4) to embrace some of the ideas about Roswell, and cryptids - but some of the heroic characters are steeped more in the idea of believing that things might be true until they can be falsified... which allows them to believe things that seem improbable.
Major themes involve the focus on family, on long-term planning and, the things that are so important that we can't be there for our children. Unlike adventure stories of the past where fathers are absent seeking glory, this deals a lot with mothers who have to step away from family obligations for a Greater Purpose, and the grief and strife that causes.
Honestly.. I am the right agegroup that most of the music talked about in this story is familiar to me. That anchors the story emotionally. There is a lot of painting and art in the narrative as well.. which highlights the creativity of humanity, and the ways that we process grief and nostalgia, and how we chronicle our history. I bawled my eyes out in many different chapters. I found this really beautiful fiction and though not all the science was airtight I will borrow the saying from Amanda Tapping "that's why they call it sci - FI". The emotional resonance makes it highly enjoyable so I'll give it a 5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Grief, Drug use, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Abandonment and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content and Stalking
victoriafrombookclub's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I immediately want to reread this book. Namagatsu skillfully creates a deep and complex near-world future with a virus leaking from an ancient burial beneath the melting Siberian ice. Each chapter brings you close to the grief and hope of characters dealing with the pandemic in the immediate aftermath and decades and generations after. A truly epic spec fic novel that points to the cosmos just as much to the human heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Grief, Death, Chronic illness, Child death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content, Body horror, Medical trauma, Suicide, and Cancer
Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, Torture, Sexual content, and Murder
anni_swanilda's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Suicide, and Animal death
Minor: Cancer and Sexual content
tarynlannister's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Grief, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Medical content
Minor: Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexual content
readwithserena's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
This book is so beautifully written. Each chapter is a snapshot of a story that evokes so much emotion and reflection. It reminds me of the aspects I loved of The Overstory- stories that overlap slightly, but could also stand alone.
I think this book is particularly difficult because it sits so closely to our current reality. Like Black Mirror, sometimes the most terrifying stories are the ones that we can truly imagine happening.
I want to send this to my Environmental literature professors and my philosophy professors so that I can discuss it with them. I also want all my friends and coworkers to read this and discuss it with me too. Honestly, everyone should read this book and then have a worldwide discussion to process.
I think this book is particularly difficult because it sits so closely to our current reality. Like Black Mirror, sometimes the most terrifying stories are the ones that we can truly imagine happening.
I want to send this to my Environmental literature professors and my philosophy professors so that I can discuss it with them. I also want all my friends and coworkers to read this and discuss it with me too. Honestly, everyone should read this book and then have a worldwide discussion to process.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Animal death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Suicide
Minor: Abandonment, Classism, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
whatswrenreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A dark, yet hopeful story that deftly weaves individual stories together in subtle ways. It's dark, plague stories always are, especially in the current world state were living in. But the interconnectedness and human emotions explored in many of these tales leave you with a spark of hope, for safety, for connection, for a brighter future for those who come after us.
I found some of the stories stronger than the others, a few that could have been cut down or left out without losing anything in the process. Some of the characters are a pain, but that's kind of the point. Also great to mention that most of the characters are Asian, and located throughout various cities in the world. There were times where stories leaned heavily on the experience of growing up under strict Asian parents and the relationship/trauma that came from that childhood. Many if not all the audiobook narrators are also AAPI from my understanding, and they do an absolutely haunting and beautiful job narrating this tale, it was a breathtaking experience.
The stories that stuck with me most were the Theme park for dying kids, Pig Father, and painting the spaceship (all of which connected funnily enough), as well as the robo-dogs, and the Virtual Reality forums (topical discussion around lack of governmental supports for mental health and support for folks with disabilities). The Void was also very beautiful, despite it feeling out of place until much later in the book.
Big ol list of TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Pandemic, plague, child death, mass graves, euthanasia, medication, medical trials, mass casualties, suicide, cremation, talk of human remains, emotional abuse, use of recreational drugs and alcohol, dissociation, filicide, death of a disabled child, animal death, sexual content, minor gore.
All in all, a dark and hopeful tale, with some interesting sci-fi vibes. Check the trigger warnings and take care of yourself while readingđź’•
I found some of the stories stronger than the others, a few that could have been cut down or left out without losing anything in the process. Some of the characters are a pain, but that's kind of the point. Also great to mention that most of the characters are Asian, and located throughout various cities in the world. There were times where stories leaned heavily on the experience of growing up under strict Asian parents and the relationship/trauma that came from that childhood. Many if not all the audiobook narrators are also AAPI from my understanding, and they do an absolutely haunting and beautiful job narrating this tale, it was a breathtaking experience.
The stories that stuck with me most were the Theme park for dying kids, Pig Father, and painting the spaceship (all of which connected funnily enough), as well as the robo-dogs, and the Virtual Reality forums (topical discussion around lack of governmental supports for mental health and support for folks with disabilities). The Void was also very beautiful, despite it feeling out of place until much later in the book.
Big ol list of TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Pandemic, plague, child death, mass graves, euthanasia, medication, medical trials, mass casualties, suicide, cremation, talk of human remains, emotional abuse, use of recreational drugs and alcohol, dissociation, filicide, death of a disabled child, animal death, sexual content, minor gore.
All in all, a dark and hopeful tale, with some interesting sci-fi vibes. Check the trigger warnings and take care of yourself while readingđź’•
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Death, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Body horror, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Cancer, and Chronic illness
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Dementia
pvbobrien's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide
Minor: Cancer and Pregnancy
bookbuzzard's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked the idea of an event viewed over time from a multitude of perspectives, but it sometimes felt to me like there was a little too much going on, a talking pig, a rift in someone's head, euthanasia theme parks, a generation ship and an alien that seeded life on earth... it's a lot to keep in one's head all at one time, it doesn't really weave into a complete narrative for me.
This book ended up being a lot more surreal than I had expected, though that was a bit of a relief as it kept me from reflecting too closely on the Earth's current predicaments...
This book ended up being a lot more surreal than I had expected, though that was a bit of a relief as it kept me from reflecting too closely on the Earth's current predicaments...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug use, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Minor: Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
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