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ajsteele1699's review against another edition
This is a gentle reminder to myself and others to check content warnings before reading. I reached the point in the story where the things mentioned in the content warnings happened and I could not bring myself to keep going.
This is not to the detriment of the book: it is excellently written, has really intriguing world building that is a mix of both sci-fi and fantasy, and an original story. If you read the content warnings and feel you can handle it, then I highly highly recommend this book.
This is not to the detriment of the book: it is excellently written, has really intriguing world building that is a mix of both sci-fi and fantasy, and an original story. If you read the content warnings and feel you can handle it, then I highly highly recommend this book.
imagimental's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thebanhammer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
I liked this book, I really did. The story and the characters were good and in general I thought it was a success. It was definitely a slow start. Or perhaps it’s not necessarily a slow start but it almost feels like the story starts too early. Might biggest struggle was with the pacing and some of the plotting. There are weird leads, some red herrings with interesting plot concepts that never ignite (like the whole bit with silencing Granny Nanny and the Nanny Song! ). The actual story is great and enjoyable. It’s heavy and heart warming at the same time. It deals with so many big concepts. Perhaps that’s why it feels like it wobbles so much. It’s worth reading for sure but it stumbles over itself at times and, in my opinion, ends on an odd note that feels out of sync with the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Incest, and Child abuse
11corvus11's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book, but had a hard time sticking with it during some of the parts. I liked the language, the themes, the survival. warning for intense sexual violence. internalized misogyny. many struggles. I liked the archetype of the Robber Queen.
atagarev's review against another edition
3.0
A very light and easy read but mostly failed to deliver on its promise. The novel masquerades as a far future science fiction utopia and initially sets up plenty of interesting conflicts but ultimately it becomes clear that the world is shallow and borderline incoherent while the character building is based on realities from our 20th century rather than this supposed futuristic utopia we are shown.
It is difficult to say what the narrative fails to deliver a pay off on because the book keeps seeming like it will tackle some specific subject (AI and privacy, colonization and slavery, culture clash, incest and pedophilia, alien contact, parallel universes, myth building through ever evolving spoken narratives, language and thought modification) only to give up and move on to totally different topic. All of the ones I listed are at least marked as of interest several times but most don't go past that. Even the ones that get more attention end up getting a shallow and cliched treatment.
The most distinctive feature of the book is its *voice*. I can imagine it will be absolute blast to listen to the audio version as Hopkinson focuses so much on the spoken tradition and it all feels like a fireside tale. There is something to be said about listening to people having high tech discussions with an AI in Jamaican patois as something perfectly standard and I kept hoping the repeatedly brought up nanny song will turn into something deeper or more meaningful.
It is difficult to say what the narrative fails to deliver a pay off on because the book keeps seeming like it will tackle some specific subject (AI and privacy, colonization and slavery, culture clash, incest and pedophilia, alien contact, parallel universes, myth building through ever evolving spoken narratives, language and thought modification) only to give up and move on to totally different topic. All of the ones I listed are at least marked as of interest several times but most don't go past that. Even the ones that get more attention end up getting a shallow and cliched treatment.
The most distinctive feature of the book is its *voice*. I can imagine it will be absolute blast to listen to the audio version as Hopkinson focuses so much on the spoken tradition and it all feels like a fireside tale. There is something to be said about listening to people having high tech discussions with an AI in Jamaican patois as something perfectly standard and I kept hoping the repeatedly brought up nanny song will turn into something deeper or more meaningful.
beccalynnfrank's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Check the content warnings before reading!! Hard to read at some points, but I loved the ending and the main characters progression was so meaningful because of all the hard parts. Super cool universe she’s made and the aliens in it are super interesting and well done. Overall great world building + great characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Incest, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual violence
2treads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? No
5.0
"No need to wish for dead, it will happen soon enough. It does come to all of we." - Abitefa.
Nalo Hopkinson is quickly becoming one of my top authors. The way in which she infuses her books with portions of her/our culture shows how dedicated she is to bringing the richness of our practices and celebrations of the Caribbean to her readers.
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Midnight Robber is no exception; filled with influences from Jamaica to Trinidad to Carriacou as a whole was just exceptional. I was swept up and carried away and had no regrets.
Nalo has such an attuned way of writing her heritage: the dialect, the people, the places, the music, the festivals, and the experiences.
It is impossible not to just immerse oneself in the tale she tells, especially when one can relate to what is on the page. The atmosphere that Hopkinson weaves is lush; bursting with Caribbean flavour and folktales even as we travel to planets via 'interdimensional gateways'.
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
The impact of the cultures from the countries where Nalo has lived is vibrantly woven throughout this story, and I could not help but fall into every page. There are experiences that are familiar, both good and bad (friendships, parent/child relationships, family dynamics, and displacement). Not only is there passion in this story, but there is betrayal, misdeeds, bravery, self-acceptance, and triumph.
The polyamory representation was noted and appreciated and content warning: there is child sexual abuse depicted in this story, as well as the damaging effect on our MCs psyche.
Read This Book!!
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Nalo Hopkinson is quickly becoming one of my top authors. The way in which she infuses her books with portions of her/our culture shows how dedicated she is to bringing the richness of our practices and celebrations of the Caribbean to her readers.
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Midnight Robber is no exception; filled with influences from Jamaica to Trinidad to Carriacou as a whole was just exceptional. I was swept up and carried away and had no regrets.
Nalo has such an attuned way of writing her heritage: the dialect, the people, the places, the music, the festivals, and the experiences.
It is impossible not to just immerse oneself in the tale she tells, especially when one can relate to what is on the page. The atmosphere that Hopkinson weaves is lush; bursting with Caribbean flavour and folktales even as we travel to planets via 'interdimensional gateways'.
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
The impact of the cultures from the countries where Nalo has lived is vibrantly woven throughout this story, and I could not help but fall into every page. There are experiences that are familiar, both good and bad (friendships, parent/child relationships, family dynamics, and displacement). Not only is there passion in this story, but there is betrayal, misdeeds, bravery, self-acceptance, and triumph.
The polyamory representation was noted and appreciated and content warning: there is child sexual abuse depicted in this story, as well as the damaging effect on our MCs psyche.
Read This Book!!
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Murder, Incest, Death of parent, Child abuse, Rape, Abortion, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity and Body horror
luke_td's review against another edition
The saying goes you can't judge a book by its cover, but then here comes Captain Smartass saying you can if you read the synopsis on the back. Yeah maybe broadly true but here we have an exception.
Even reading the first few chapters might not prep you for what's coming (outside of letting you know you're in good hands,I wish I had better descriptors for writing than well written and lyrical but alas), building an interesting, fully realized world in bits and pieces that gives you just enough information to understand what's going on, only to yank it away and build another one.
Even here we still seem to be in back cover synopsis territory, Tan-Tan's journey to becoming a legend.
Except that's not quite how it goes, and Tan-Tan gets put through the ringer.
There are interesting flashes of how facts become myth, often warping far from where they started, but there's more about the sometimes banal, often grim truths that hide behind the myths.
If the book can drag a little in these day to day parts, maybe the problem is with me insisting we rush towards conclusions.
And what an immensley satisfying conclusion it was, where Tan-Tan gets to reclaim herself and her story by telling it her way and in her own words.
If that cuts through one myth, it may just well build another.
Even reading the first few chapters might not prep you for what's coming (outside of letting you know you're in good hands,I wish I had better descriptors for writing than well written and lyrical but alas), building an interesting, fully realized world in bits and pieces that gives you just enough information to understand what's going on, only to yank it away and build another one.
Even here we still seem to be in back cover synopsis territory, Tan-Tan's journey to becoming a legend.
Except that's not quite how it goes, and Tan-Tan gets put through the ringer.
There are interesting flashes of how facts become myth, often warping far from where they started, but there's more about the sometimes banal, often grim truths that hide behind the myths.
If the book can drag a little in these day to day parts, maybe the problem is with me insisting we rush towards conclusions.
And what an immensley satisfying conclusion it was, where Tan-Tan gets to reclaim herself and her story by telling it her way and in her own words.
If that cuts through one myth, it may just well build another.
chingona_solo's review against another edition
I think this just wasn't my vibe - I wanted to know more about the world but there was so much tome spent on characters that I wasn't interested in that I lost interest in the book entirely
franksreads's review against another edition
I do not want to read about sexual violence to a child.