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crgrace's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Colonisation, Death, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Cannibalism, and Racism
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Bullying, and Classism
raisinreads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
I genuinely don't know how this isn't rated way higher. I can't wait to read more of her work. The plot was incredible, and I enjoyed the writing style and the commentary immensely. Everything about this was so interesting. I did want more from the ending and I do think some of the content could've have definitely used a sensitivity reader.
I think the critiques of the main character in some reviews lack an understanding of what a character has to be.. like characters do not have to be perfect ppl that always do what you want? They can exist to serve a stories purpose, further add to the commentary and idk have flaws like ppl do
I think the critiques of the main character in some reviews lack an understanding of what a character has to be.. like characters do not have to be perfect ppl that always do what you want? They can exist to serve a stories purpose, further add to the commentary and idk have flaws like ppl do
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Classism, and Death
Minor: Racial slurs
americattt's review against another edition
dark
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
3.75
“We spoke then of soft and tender things, damaged and frightened things. I’ll keep our exchange between us for now, as I continue to learn how to care for these very fragile things, and how to translate into words that which has not been spoken.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs
sangsmiles's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, and Racism
Minor: Racial slurs
displacedcactus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This is a speculative literary book about a place where people can become fluent in a language in just two weeks through deep immersion -- but of course there's a catch! Like most literary books with a speculative element, if you read speculative books the twist probably won't surprise you at all*, and there were a couple of weak points, but overall it was a pretty strong debut book -- really really readable and intended to make you think about privilege, greed, and instant gratification.
I'd definitely like to see what this author does when she has a few more books under her belt.
*The twist is also probably spoiled in the SG content warnings, so maybe don't check them unless you need to avoid specific triggers.
I'd definitely like to see what this author does when she has a few more books under her belt.
*The twist is also probably spoiled in the SG content warnings, so maybe don't check them unless you need to avoid specific triggers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Cannibalism, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs
feministmidwife's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Colonisation, Cannibalism, Body horror, Racial slurs, Classism, and Sexual assault
kirstym25's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Cannibalism
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, Sexual assault, Racism, and Racial slurs
kylieqrada's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Bananas, but so thoughtful and thought-provoking. Not always the most likeable main character, but in the best way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cannibalism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism, Classism, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content, Racial slurs, and Acephobia/Arophobia
escapismforlife's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Thanks to Zando Projects for accepting me to read the eARC for The Centre, it was a ride and unexpected one for me to but I enjoyed this ominous and modern story. This book had me conscious and reflective of how varied or similiar the lifestyle of protagnist Anisa's, is. It's often tied down by her selfish mentality and vaules that come from living in this case London and the unfamiliarity of her ethnicity there.The relationships she has are not stable in a country that is not completely hers and she therefore makes a lot of her proximity to anyone more distanced.
Anisa wants more when in comes to her job that she does translating Bollywood movies,which like almost everything has become a thing to improve upon or move on from. That is of course until she is a told about the highly exclusive language school The Centre which she is told about from this guy Adam. Its a place you can go to learn to speak fluently in ten days and is meant to be kept a seceret by those who know about it. Anyways while they have a complicated date relationship to each other she goes after receiving her invite. And along the way discovers a whole lot and builds relationship with the very top person and manger Shiba . Its very obscure about what's happening until the very end and did so along the formation of them growing closer.
I definitely had no clue how this mystery or thriller ended. It was so dark but made the most sense to why everything around The Centre was so private.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Misogyny, Death, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Gore, Murder, and Racial slurs
introvertsbookclub's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Trying to discuss the Centre in the novel’s title is almost impossible without revealing spoilers. But as intriguing as the Centre is, the conversations around privilege that it helped to facilitate and the protagonist’s relationships within the wider novel were by far the most gripping elements of my reading experience.
Ayesha’s invitation to a top-secret, hyper-exclusive language school leaves her with lots of questions about how exactly fluency is achieved in just ten days, but more pressing are her questions about who has the privilege to access this cultural knowledge and to what extent it is an example of appropriation and inauthenticity. Throughout the novel different perspectives on gender, class, race and ethnicity provoke questions about hierarchies and overlaps and conflicts of power, and whose experience is the most genuine, who is ‘right’ in any given situation. What should be clear is murky at times, while wilful ignorance reigns at others.
Discussions of individual desires and structures of power are grounded in a friendship that is prioritised throughout the novel, and a variety of other relationships that reflect on gendered expectations, societal pressures and power imbalances. The central friendship was my favourite aspect of the novel, because it was treated with such value, and allowed to navigate conflict and difference as well as support and shared love. There was a push against ‘settling down’ because it is expected, but also an understanding of why tradition and convention are attractive for some people.
This novel left me with lots of thoughts, but the one I keep returning to is what to do about the problem of gatekeeping and establishments entrenched in privilege. Should you try to change them from within, taking what they have to share and trying to influence them in a new direction, or do you need to strike out on a new path altogether?
Ayesha’s invitation to a top-secret, hyper-exclusive language school leaves her with lots of questions about how exactly fluency is achieved in just ten days, but more pressing are her questions about who has the privilege to access this cultural knowledge and to what extent it is an example of appropriation and inauthenticity. Throughout the novel different perspectives on gender, class, race and ethnicity provoke questions about hierarchies and overlaps and conflicts of power, and whose experience is the most genuine, who is ‘right’ in any given situation. What should be clear is murky at times, while wilful ignorance reigns at others.
Discussions of individual desires and structures of power are grounded in a friendship that is prioritised throughout the novel, and a variety of other relationships that reflect on gendered expectations, societal pressures and power imbalances. The central friendship was my favourite aspect of the novel, because it was treated with such value, and allowed to navigate conflict and difference as well as support and shared love. There was a push against ‘settling down’ because it is expected, but also an understanding of why tradition and convention are attractive for some people.
This novel left me with lots of thoughts, but the one I keep returning to is what to do about the problem of gatekeeping and establishments entrenched in privilege. Should you try to change them from within, taking what they have to share and trying to influence them in a new direction, or do you need to strike out on a new path altogether?
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
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