Scan barcode
indeedithappens's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, and Slavery
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Xenophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Bullying, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
bebidocrimes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Police brutality, Death, Gore, Trafficking, Cursing, Blood, Slavery, Addiction, Medical content, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Torture, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape
Minor: Pedophilia and Vomit
garbagebarge69's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Not saying that plot is bad, or that it doesn't fit contextually; just like, how
Graphic: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Classism, Trafficking, and Drug use
Minor: Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Torture, Gore, and Sexual assault
imjustadow's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
2.25
On the one hand, I loved Jack. Bisexual, anti-corporate, emancipator pirate lady? I'm all in, say less. Her life and experiences were very enjoyable to read and I really enjoyed her interactions with the other characters in her insane life.
But GOD, the stuff with Eliasz just kind of ruined everything for me. I don't like the way his "relationship" with Paladin played out starting from THAT chapter (if you've read it, you know which one I'm talking about). The fact that it was never resolved really made having any sympathy at all for Eliasz' quest to stop Jack next to impossible
Eliasz, at the end of the day, is a deeply homophobic cop who has no issue whatsoever with killing people to get what he wants. And more disgusting than that, he feels all of his actions are justified by him "following the law." He mentions that his time hunting down child traffickers was hell and that now that he was in patent law everything was simple and black and white, but that's such a one-dimensional state for a character to begin in, and never grow from as a person.
I loved the worldbuilding, the concept is fascinating, but I really ultimately did not enjoy this book, and I really really wanted to
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Transphobia, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Addiction, Homophobia, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Cursing, Blood, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Rape, Slavery, Drug use, Murder, and Sexual content
At the end of the day, I would say that the stuff with Eliasz represents a more realistic depiction of someone with deeply internalized homophobia who never actually improves from that point. And if we're considering how some people in real life are, that's not abnormal. However, to write Eliasz's actions out to be anything other than a villain in the story and then to give him a "happy" ending, it just wasn't for me. The author made choices I wouldn't have, and that is their prerogative. I just really didn't enjoy the choices made for Eliaszsamdalefox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
There are HUGE topics introduced such as intellectual property rights and access to medicines, slavery/indenture, autonomy, robotic intelligence, corporate capitalism, and climate change and none are sufficiently explored. The novel simply needed to be longer with more depth to give us time to immerse ourselves in the jargon-overfilled world and actually get to know these characters and feel the lives they are living and the consequences of their actions. The whole thing came across more superficial that intended, especially considering the moral arguments around literally any one of the topics listed above. Even the goddamn romances were superficial. I found the ending pleasing in some areas, anticlimatic overall, and a bit confusing
Andystone's review sums it up:
"...The plot follows two different sets of characters, switching off every chapter until the climax where they meet… for all of one page. There was no discussion, no one learned anything and nothing was solved. By the time I got through 80% of the story, I worried that there wouldn’t be enough time to do something compelling to give a reason for the trials and tribulations of the previous couple hundred pages. Sadly, those worries were well founded...."
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Slavery
Minor: Sexual content, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Colonisation, and Violence
blotchedspots's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, Police brutality, Physical abuse, and Body horror
Minor: Biphobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Adult/minor relationship
charlieleelee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Police brutality, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Drug use, Murder, and Trafficking
booksbutmakeitgay's review
2.5
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence