Reviews

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

zoefruitcake's review

5.0

Read this countless times before and still enjoy this story of life in a post-apocalyptic religion-crazed Canada when you and your friends have a hidden ability that can easily get you killed by your devout kin

coni_booklover's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

agnestyley's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

What is "normal"? How should we react to change? How do differences lead to intolerance? How is religion used to control people? Why did they have to insist on calling telepathy "thought-things"?

Thoroughly entertaining and a jolly good proper dystopian sci-fi. A bit silly, but also the perfect amount of well thought out world building alongside just going with the flow for ease of plot.

Would Wyndham again!

smitha_r's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

mandalily's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.0

hmblvj's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of my favorites books.

sushizhan's review against another edition

4.0

So. This is basically what inspired sense8...? Eh ehhhh? 😁 Basically it’s about these kids that live in a post- nuclear society where abnormalities are considered Blasphemies and those with say visible differences ie an extra toe, being too tall, having too long arms or whatnot, are considered a variation, or straying from Purity.. aka what a human is supposed to look like. It’s scary.

Non-persons that “deviates” are considered evil and are destroyed like plants that one day grow different, or animals with extra paws or no tails, etc.

So our main character one day discovers that he can communicate.. with his MIND.... with a bunch of other people, kids like him. So that’s not visible, but it IS a deviation.

So our MC and these other characters — his brainpals, his sensates (sense8!)— have to live but hide what they are.

Eventually all sorts of things happen. I don’t want to spoil you, but things get difficult when someone new suddenly enters into their mind connections. Someone stronger... :-0

Despite the age of this book, it still feels and sounds fresh. Definitely recommend this if you want to try classic SFF that is not too intimidating or “hard”.

gothicghoul22's review against another edition

4.0

Read this in school and it was pretty good. Very memorable however I hated the ending. I feel like it never really ended and there should be more but there’s not. Also the age gap between Sophie and “The Spider-Man” weirded me out.

alpaca2431's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

_varsha_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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