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jimmyviera's review against another edition
5.0
Nalo’s writing is fantastic. The world she creates is very unique and completely her own. Highly recommend this one.
kivt's review against another edition
4.0
Read for 50books_poc, checked out from school library.
Pros: I adored Tan-Tan. The worldbuildling was fantastic. The entire book was written in Caribbean dialect, and it worked incredibly well. I loved just about everything about the future-space-Caribbean. Overall, it was a joy to read. I can't recommend it enough.
Cons: I loved this book. It'd be 5/5, but I absolutely hate stories about child abuse and incest in which the abusee gets pregnant and, at the end, has a miraculously healing birth. I don't buy it and I'm not into it. I also felt the timing was weird; the book focused very intently on Tan-Tan's childhood, and jumped quite abruptly to puberty, and then again to age 16 (I think). My final nitpick is that the book completely, uncritically played into the distant/bitchy/uninterested/dead mother trope. Tan-Tan's relationship with her father is obviously complicated enough, but the flatness of her mother (who I would have liked to know more about!) was disappointing.
Pros: I adored Tan-Tan. The worldbuildling was fantastic. The entire book was written in Caribbean dialect, and it worked incredibly well. I loved just about everything about the future-space-Caribbean. Overall, it was a joy to read. I can't recommend it enough.
Cons: I loved this book. It'd be 5/5, but I absolutely hate stories about child abuse and incest in which the abusee gets pregnant and, at the end, has a miraculously healing birth. I don't buy it and I'm not into it. I also felt the timing was weird; the book focused very intently on Tan-Tan's childhood, and jumped quite abruptly to puberty, and then again to age 16 (I think). My final nitpick is that the book completely, uncritically played into the distant/bitchy/uninterested/dead mother trope. Tan-Tan's relationship with her father is obviously complicated enough, but the flatness of her mother (who I would have liked to know more about!) was disappointing.
solarpunkwitch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-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
3.5
savaging's review against another edition
3.0
I absolutely love the worlds that Hopkinson creates in this book, the diverse afrofuturisms she weaves. But the narrative line of the main character felt uneven and dissatisfying. You know when the auxiliary characters are better and more compelling people, but have to put their lives on hold and suffer for the development of the main character? Like in an X-Men movie where Wolverine wanders into an idyllic farmstead and the kind, generous family there gets massacred by the main villain (this happens in 2 separate movies in the same franchise! Twice he's like "this kind family on an idyllic farmstead will help us out, I don't see what could go wrong."). Of course the violence is the villain's fault, but I can't help but be a little mad at the hero for constantly bringing danger to others. And I get very mad at the story creator, who keeps coming back to this trope.
But I keep thinking about the douen and rolling calf and Papa Bois and the rest of the world Hopkinson created. This might be like [b:A Door Into Ocean|121606|A Door Into Ocean|Joan Slonczewski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312029708l/121606._SY75_.jpg|2640708], where I'm not happy while I'm reading but I want to dwell in that world long after I've stopped.
But I keep thinking about the douen and rolling calf and Papa Bois and the rest of the world Hopkinson created. This might be like [b:A Door Into Ocean|121606|A Door Into Ocean|Joan Slonczewski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312029708l/121606._SY75_.jpg|2640708], where I'm not happy while I'm reading but I want to dwell in that world long after I've stopped.
busybea's review against another edition
dark
sad
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Vomit
Moderate: Death of parent and Pedophilia
matheo96gro's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
rachelmcg2004's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Incest, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Rape, Xenophobia, Racism, Stalking, Sexual violence, and Classism
Moderate: Torture, Vomit, and Gun violence
Minor: Infidelity, Abortion, and Child death
rituxa's review against another edition
4.0
it’s a hard book, it’s a crude book, it’s a heartbreaking book, it’s a GOOD book, it’s a NECESSARY book. it’s hard for me to even grasp how someone can have the talent, the skill and the bravery to put a book like this together.
“Tubman: the human bridge from slavery to freedom.”
“Tubman: the human bridge from slavery to freedom.”
lk17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
celinegaghadar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Contains spoilers.
CW: sexual assault, rape, incest
Dystopian, sci-fi-ish, kinda fantasy. Overall I liked this book. The plot moved quickly, the character development was rich and also logical. Basically a story of a healing journey with lots of interesting added elements including the AI, the mythical creatures and the Caribbean folklore. The book is written in Anglopatwa/ Creole which took some getting used to. The world building was great. I felt I had a good understanding of Toussaint and New Half Way Tree. The splitting of Tan-Tan’s identity into the Midnight Robber was an interesting take on her coping with trauma and her relationships with the douen a reflection on power dynamics that exist in our world. I think there could have been shorter chapters and an earlier revelation of who the mystery narrator was but in general thought it was great.
CW: sexual assault, rape, incest
Dystopian, sci-fi-ish, kinda fantasy. Overall I liked this book. The plot moved quickly, the character development was rich and also logical. Basically a story of a healing journey with lots of interesting added elements including the AI, the mythical creatures and the Caribbean folklore. The book is written in Anglopatwa/ Creole which took some getting used to. The world building was great. I felt I had a good understanding of Toussaint and New Half Way Tree. The splitting of Tan-Tan’s identity into the Midnight Robber was an interesting take on her coping with trauma and her relationships with the douen a reflection on power dynamics that exist in our world. I think there could have been shorter chapters and an earlier revelation of who the mystery narrator was but in general thought it was great.