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knkoch's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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
4.0
This was a true mix between slow burning literary fiction and a faster-paced mystery or thriller. Really unusual and intriguing to me, as it’s not quite like others of its kind.
Overall, I quite liked this. I knew nothing about Kamchatka before reading, and any fiction that draws attention to an overlooked or undiscussed part of the world is rewarding to me. It was a great sense of place novel, examining many different lives in a post-Soviet world, from white Russians to several Native communities, all living together on this isolated peninsula.
This is structured as a series of interconnected vignettes, each from a different character’s perspective, over the period of one year. Sometimes it was hard to see how chapters connected, so fans of typical thrillers would struggle. I know it’s time to buckle in whenever a book starts with a list of characters (I would have been lost if I’d listened to the audiobook). And it was often bleak! But ultimately, a very valuable and cathartic look at a place and people I’ve not encountered.
Overall, I quite liked this. I knew nothing about Kamchatka before reading, and any fiction that draws attention to an overlooked or undiscussed part of the world is rewarding to me. It was a great sense of place novel, examining many different lives in a post-Soviet world, from white Russians to several Native communities, all living together on this isolated peninsula.
This is structured as a series of interconnected vignettes, each from a different character’s perspective, over the period of one year. Sometimes it was hard to see how chapters connected, so fans of typical thrillers would struggle. I know it’s time to buckle in whenever a book starts with a list of characters (I would have been lost if I’d listened to the audiobook). And it was often bleak! But ultimately, a very valuable and cathartic look at a place and people I’ve not encountered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Homophobia
I probably can’t give a full list of all the content warnings I’d wish to, so I’ll just say this was at times a bleak book, dealing with some heavy subjects. Some unhealthy relationships, misogyny, racism towards Native communities, and family struggles are depicted, though not glibly, it seemed to me. I’m sure other reviewers noted CWs in more detail.riverofpages's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Very well researched book. The world building is incredible. It's one of those reads that is 100% about the journey. If you're too busy seeking the endgame, you'll miss out on all the gems scattered throughout these pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and Mental illness
lorit1227's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Kidnapping
professorbadger's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
flowerowl's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
A hard book to complete for me. Maybe because I found it difficult to ever chaper change from character and setting, yet staying in the same sort of base. I did feel the emotions of the different people and that was well done. I found the ending unsatisfactory, but I guess that go's hand in hand with unsatisfied characters and there ways, emotions, and life's; and so it has something poetical.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, and Grief
undersea's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
talasterism's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
the beauty of the writing captivated me alright. it's visual - blue bleeding up to heaven; the bay snuck up to swallow her toes; the blue-lit black of nights, the afternoon was crisp on her skin; time at the edge of the sea; - and evoking just enough pleased sighs to keep going.
but overall, the book for me always, from the first chapter, was borderline uncomofrtable, walking the thin like of i dont wanna put this away and the implied / off-screen uncertainties make something unpleasant under my skin crawl. some chapters i hated, the one from the teacher's slice of life, nothing but itching discomfort. some i loved - the one with olya was my favourite, the realness of bitter happiness and the beauty of relishing in aloneness. (even if it all happened, olya wouldnt tell them how the colours changed here. she would share nothing. they would never find out they missed the most beautiful day of autumn, where olya, alone, had been in its very centre. how good olya would feel to keep this secret. how safe it was inside ehrself) with so many characters, i have expected a more satisfying tie-in with each other at the end of the story, and to a degree it did happen, but by far not as thrilling as desired. also a fun aspect were the chapters through the months. also the endingis surprisngly optimistic. i really did not excpect to have a resolution, OR a happy ending, but it was a pleasant surprise.
that quick breath, promising to adore her / her body was cold with late-arrived fear; his mouth was hot / the desire that contninued to knot them together / the cold garbber her lungs in two fists / an ache that was native / sweet grit in her throat / in one minute she was lvoely, and in the next she was a ghost / she was a beast. this was her hallow; inisde her was white and smooth, a frozen landscape, solid bone; carrying their hearts in each other's chests; a little love, a little rage, a lot of ocean water / two or three hours, and after, an eternity- are some of the lines that could be straight up of a poem. and at good times, it what it felt like. a beautifully visual poem, a tragedy of fear, an ode to dwinlding hope.
but overall, the book for me always, from the first chapter, was borderline uncomofrtable, walking the thin like of i dont wanna put this away and the implied / off-screen uncertainties make something unpleasant under my skin crawl. some chapters i hated, the one from the teacher's slice of life, nothing but itching discomfort. some i loved - the one with olya was my favourite, the realness of bitter happiness and the beauty of relishing in aloneness. (even if it all happened, olya wouldnt tell them how the colours changed here. she would share nothing. they would never find out they missed the most beautiful day of autumn, where olya, alone, had been in its very centre. how good olya would feel to keep this secret. how safe it was inside ehrself) with so many characters, i have expected a more satisfying tie-in with each other at the end of the story, and to a degree it did happen, but by far not as thrilling as desired. also a fun aspect were the chapters through the months. also the ending
that quick breath, promising to adore her / her body was cold with late-arrived fear; his mouth was hot / the desire that contninued to knot them together / the cold garbber her lungs in two fists / an ache that was native / sweet grit in her throat / in one minute she was lvoely, and in the next she was a ghost / she was a beast. this was her hallow; inisde her was white and smooth, a frozen landscape, solid bone; carrying their hearts in each other's chests; a little love, a little rage, a lot of ocean water / two or three hours, and after, an eternity- are some of the lines that could be straight up of a poem. and at good times, it what it felt like. a beautifully visual poem, a tragedy of fear, an ode to dwinlding hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Kidnapping, and Racism
Moderate: Confinement, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Cancer, and Child abuse
Minor: Animal death, Pedophilia, and Torture
nikexistiertnik's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.25
i am not okay after finishing this book, reading it affected my whole body and i am incredibly stressed and tense.
that being said, i really enjoyed the way it was written (and the german translation) and having so many different perspectives and characters is a concept i definitely dig.
the ending felt a little weird though because it seemed like the author just wanted to quickly solve the case in the end to satisfy the reader. don't get me wrong, i was emotionally invested through the whole story and i really loved the writing style in the last chapter (it hurt), but i think having jegor be the kidnapper was kind of an easy way out, although i am happy that the families finally have answers.
i loved learning more about the peninsula, its indigenous people, the culture and politics, which doesn't mean i liked everything i learned, obviously.
although i'm a little sad that we didn't get a lot of time with some of the characters, it was really interesting to read about so many different realities and how these people were (more or less) connected.
thousands of different triggers though, it was really hard to read sometimes.
that being said, i really enjoyed the way it was written (and the german translation) and having so many different perspectives and characters is a concept i definitely dig.
the ending felt a little weird though
i loved learning more about the peninsula, its indigenous people, the culture and politics, which doesn't mean i liked everything i learned, obviously.
although i'm a little sad that we didn't get a lot of time with some of the characters, it was really interesting to read about so many different realities and how these people were (more or less) connected.
thousands of different triggers though, it was really hard to read sometimes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Death, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Homophobia, Ableism, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Minor: Infertility and Cancer
luananki's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.25
i enjoyed the writing of this book a lot. watching different perspectives and learning how the disappearance impacted quite a lot of people was interesting. i loved learning about kamchatka and russian culture, as well as the diversity of the characters. i’m actually sad that we didn’t get the chance to find out more about some of them.
the end felt a bit out of place but i can live with that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Death and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcoholism and Cancer
adelal's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cancer and Pedophilia