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greylovesbroccoli's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Police brutality
Minor: Alcoholism
laguerrelewis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have heard nothing but praise for this book, and I’m happy to say it certainly met my expectations!! In equal measure heartwarming & funny as it is horrifyingly relevant, this is a quick read that paints an unfortunately believable picture of censorship and the slippery slope to totalitarianism. Reminds us of how important language, community, and our freedoms truly are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Confinement, Xenophobia, Violence, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, and Death
Minor: Suicide attempt
pastlifetragedy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism
blipbloopsie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
nagoatsis's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Super fun to read! The concept gets a little old towards the very end but it’s very engaging to read through it and always be looking for letters that aren’t supposed to be used
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, and Suicide attempt
ninasloft's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Definitely a must-read for logophiles & those with an unquenchable passion for words & the English language. I don't consider myself largely able to read or speak in complex terms, however I really enjoyed the word play & the enthusiacally eccentric way they speak in the book. If you've ever seen the episodes containing Paige Sinclair from Bojack Horseman, that is how I imagine the characters in this book to speak & I personally adore it. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but a wonderful book with a unique, interesting idea. My only wish is that it were a little longer so that we as the reader were able to connect more deeply to the characters. A strong recommendation nonetheless, especially for those who are fond of the writing style such as myself, I foun it to be a fun & quick read. Although it glosses over some intense subject matter, which might be off-putting to some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation and Police brutality
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and Ableism
eliisar's review
challenging
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Very clever and funny. Original story, the author executed it well. I liked flipping between the Council notices and regular letters to find where exactly they used forbidden letters. It was fun to see how much I missed, and how easy it was to miss. It did get a bit confusing near the end as more letters fell. I had to reread sentences multiple times to understand what they were saying, but all in all it was an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Ableism, Death, and Suicide attempt
olma's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Amazing work. Love the word play, although I definitely had to read it with a dictionary on hand. Great message to the book and such a creative piece of work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Suicide attempt
picnicatthehangingtree's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A clever and funny, if overly simplistic and expository, story of totalitarianism and freedom of speech.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Violence
mlwe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Summary:
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. How often do you use all of them? What would you do if you couldn't?
The citizens on the island of Nollop, named after the author of "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy brown dog," must confront this very issue. The alphabet monument honoring Nollop is crumbling apart, which the Council interprets as a command of the cessations and censoring of the island's letters. Thus, any citizen found to be using these graphemes will be exiled or executed. However, not everyone agrees with this divine interpretation of an old structure, and community ties begin to resemble the dilapidated signage. Factions form. Fear begins crumbling the Nollopian's futures. Hope feels lost unless the citizens can unite and resist the oppressive regime that has overtaken their land, life, and language.
My Thoughts:
Definitely not the fairy tale I was expecting! I was thrown by some of the darker themes the novel tackles and the stark parallels to modern society. I'd probably benefit from a reread, as the plot was quite clever and interesting to follow. The characters were fun to meet, and I enjoyed seeing the different perspectives on the events unfolding in Nollop. However, as it is an epistolary novel, it could be difficult to identify which character was narrating without turning to the signature at the end of the letter. I got some spoilers flipping back and forth, but enjoyed having small, succinct 'chapters' to piece together and pace myself.
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. How often do you use all of them? What would you do if you couldn't?
The citizens on the island of Nollop, named after the author of "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy brown dog," must confront this very issue. The alphabet monument honoring Nollop is crumbling apart, which the Council interprets as a command of the cessations and censoring of the island's letters. Thus, any citizen found to be using these graphemes will be exiled or executed. However, not everyone agrees with this divine interpretation of an old structure, and community ties begin to resemble the dilapidated signage. Factions form. Fear begins crumbling the Nollopian's futures. Hope feels lost unless the citizens can unite and resist the oppressive regime that has overtaken their land, life, and language.
My Thoughts:
Definitely not the fairy tale I was expecting! I was thrown by some of the darker themes the novel tackles and the stark parallels to modern society. I'd probably benefit from a reread, as the plot was quite clever and interesting to follow. The characters were fun to meet, and I enjoyed seeing the different perspectives on the events unfolding in Nollop. However, as it is an epistolary novel, it could be difficult to identify which character was narrating without turning to the signature at the end of the letter. I got some spoilers flipping back and forth, but enjoyed having small, succinct 'chapters' to piece together and pace myself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Confinement
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Oppressive Regimes, Social Isolation