Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - The Death I Gave Him

Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu

18 reviews

anntharai's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

5.0

Jfc I don't even know where to start. All I can say is that I'll be thinking about this book - against my will - for probably years.

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sarasreading's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 stars. It would have been 4 stars as I was really invested for most of the book. Especially considering I already knew the plot. Then towards the end it took some weird turns I wasn't super on board with, and it ended up dragging on for a while. But it was mostly enjoyable!

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aileron's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense 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

4.0

Intricately detailed and thoroughly immersive, Em. X. Liu’s STEM-based (and queer) retelling of Hamlet masterfully explores the themes of grief, love, death and the ethics of technology with a locked door mystery that would keep even Agatha Christie hooked until the very last page.

I have to admit I’m still pretty new to Sci-Fi, but the premise of this (a retelling of Hamlet, set in a lab working on a formula to reverse death) sounded too good not to pick up.

And though the killer was fairly easy to guess (especially for anyone familiar with Shakespeare’s original), Liu has incorporated enough new elements (like making Horatio an AI) to keep us all on the edge of our seats.

I was really impressed with the narrative structure (written in the style of a scientific research paper) and felt it definitely grounded the scientific aspects of the plot, bringing a sense of realism to a concept that wouldn’t be out of place in a Black Mirror episode.

Hayden, our futuristic Hamlet plays his role to perfection. His unhinged cynicism and obsessive drive to perfect the Sisyphus formula (which he hopes will one day reverse death) is achingly heart rending to witness especially after the loss of his father which leads to the deterioration of his mental health.

Felicia in contrast, seems to be the complete opposite of her traditional counterpart and I absolutely loved that. Where Ophelia was naive,childlike and controlled by the men in her life, Felicia is far more self aware and willing to do anything to grasp her own slice of power. Even willing to sacrifice her relationship with Hamlet if it means her dream can come true.

The emotions Liu conveys through both Hayden and Felicia was incredible—their turmoil, grief, anger and guilt was explored in a surprisingly relatable manner that really captured the essence of human nature; it’s unpredictability and the abstract purpose we all attempt to glean from it.

But, I admit it was Horatio and his deep understanding of (and relationship with) Hayden that fascinated me the most. Their budding relationship and protectiveness they have for one another was both moving and rather intriguing (especially in terms of logistics as Horatio, in being an AI doesn’t technically have his own body.)

Overall, a cleverly constructed and original take on both Shakespeare and locked door mysteries that I genuinely couldn’t put down.

Also, a huge thank you to Jess Gofton and Solaris Books for the proof.

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azrah786's review against another edition

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3.25

[This review can also be found on my BLOG]

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

CW: violence, blood, injury, gore, body horror, self-harm, death, murder, death of parent, medical content, suicidal ideation, confinement, mild sexual content
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The Death I Gave Him is a sci-fied retelling of Hamlet with queer rep and an accompanying locked-room type mystery thriller storyline.

I’m going to straight up admit that this book wasn’t exactly my cup of tea but I did somewhat enjoy it. I know there will be a lot of people who will love it though, especially if you’re someone who loves anything with dark academia vibes.

It is told in an unconventional format – a compilation of interview excerpts, security footage transcripts and recordings and multi POV accounts (including that of an AI) to make up a non-fiction, thesis type recount of the events that transpired which I though was an interesting approach and one that easily keeps you engaged with the story.

However, there was then an aspect of predictability to it all which took the edge off of the mystery/thriller vibe you would expect from something penned as a locked-room narrative. Albeit this is a retelling so some predictability is expected, but as someone who hasn’t read Hamlet and knows only a handful of details from the play, I also felt like I was not able to fully appreciate all the nuances to the original and I think that added to why I didn’t fully enjoy it.

That being said I did really like the sci-fi elements as the science and technology that has been created in this world was pretty interesting and what Liu did fantastically was give us complex and messy characters that fit perfectly to that Shakespearean melodrama you’d expect.

The characters and their dynamics in a way made me think of those from Schwab’s Villains series and in that sense give the story a dark academia aura which is why I’d recommend this books to anyone who is a fan of that particular sub-genre.
Final Rating – 3.25/5 Stars

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marleens's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

I received an eARC of The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu through Netgalley, thanks Solaris! This scifi thriller comes out on September 12.

The story starts when main character Hayden finds his father murdered in the laboratory they both work at. The lab goes in lockdown while the people inside try to figure out what happened. Tensions rise, and Hayden’s only ally is the lab’s sentient AI, Horatio.

The main reason I requested this ARC is that it is a Hamlet retelling, with Hayden being a modern version of Hamlet, and this piqued my interest. Now, you definitely don’t need to read Hamlet or know that story to enjoy this book, but I am glad I did read Hamlet first so I could spot all the references. If you know the original story, you might be able to predict some plot twists in the retelling, but rest assured, there will still be plenty of surprises, and don’t expect all characters to behave or end up exactly as their counterparts in the original did…

The overall atmosphere was very tense, with a small cast of characters being locked in the lab, and nobody trusting each other. Mixed into this were some intriguing science fiction elements around what they were actually doing in this lab. A pleasant surprise for me were the mixed media elements in the book, like texting logs, letters, and video descriptions. I thought these were a great addition. The writing of the regular prose chapters was often beautiful and painful and I highlighted many impactful quotes.

What I love most about the original play, is the character of Hamlet and his emotions. Hayden definitely brought this same emotional depth. His emotions, his doubts and despair, and his connection with the AI, were what pulled me into the story and kept me hooked.

Lastly I want to give a content warning for self harm and suicidal ideation, both very present throughout the story. For the most intense event there is a trigger warning written into the novel itself, right before it happens which I appreciate a lot.

I definitely recommend this one if you like scifi thrillers, AI stories, or Shakespeare retellings. 5 stars from me, looking forward to reading more by this author.

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haljonesy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

I want to say that this is a book that has fundamentally changed me as a person.

I’ve always liked Hamlet. It’s a classic, it’s funny, it’s dark as hell. So when I read about this book I was immediately intrigued.

I was not prepared for how hard it would hit.

Liu’s writing is unique and poignant and sharp as a knife. They took a story that has been told for centuries and gave it new life and so much more depth. I highlighted so many parts of this book: lines that struck me deeply, moments of connection, things that I want to remember. I teared up repeatedly while reading, and ultimately read the last 15% while half sobbing. This book is a work of art, and I cherish it.

PS: eternally grateful for content warnings, especially the way they appeared in this story.

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meganrae047's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.5

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