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kaneebli's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
WARNING TO PEOPLE TRIGGERED BY ANIMAL CRUELTY AND DEATH:
I don't know why more people put "animal death" in the "minor" category for trigger warnings, but that's straight up not true. there is animal death all throughout this book. MOST of the animal deaths are not super graphic, but dead animals are seen throughout the book from beginning to end.
also, there is one animal death that i consider VERY graphic, along with graphic animal cruelty: one of the scientists grabs a vulture and smashes it on the ground multiple times, and then throws it off to the side, where it is described as "twitching" and "dying" so you know it's a painful slow death. so yeah i genuinely do not know why more people haven't listed the animal death in this book as "graphic" because i think it was pretty graphic.
I don't know why more people put "animal death" in the "minor" category for trigger warnings, but that's straight up not true. there is animal death all throughout this book. MOST of the animal deaths are not super graphic, but dead animals are seen throughout the book from beginning to end.
also, there is one animal death that i consider VERY graphic, along with graphic animal cruelty:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Genocide, Slavery, Vomit, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and War
tamara_joy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
lisett's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was my first read by Stuart Turton, and I had such high hopes for it. The premise was intriguing: only 125 people remain on Earth, living on a post-apocalyptic island surrounded by an insect-infested fog. The narrator is an AI advisor communicating through the thoughts of the villagers and scientists, created to keep them alive and safe. When a murder is committed, we are thrown into a murder investigation with only 92 hours to solve the crime or all of civilization will die. Why? Because... well... reasons? I still don't have a clue.
The setting is fascinating. The idea of a dwindling human population isolated on a desolate island enveloped by a deadly fog sets the stage for a gripping story. Turton’s choice of an AI narrator is a unique move. This AI, designed to protect and guide the remaining humans, offers a unique perspective on the unfolding events. The blend of science fiction and mystery is compelling, and the stakes couldn't be higher with the survival of the last humans hanging in the balance.
The first half of the story had me completely invested. I loved the originality, and I thought I knew where the book was heading. The buildup was intense, and the premise held so much promise. However, once the murder investigation really took off, I found myself losing interest. The plot began to meander, and the urgency that initially hooked me started to dissipate.
The murder investigation left me with more questions than answers. The 92-hour deadline to solve the crime added tension, but the reasons behind this ticking clock were unclear and, ultimately, unsatisfying. I struggled to stay engaged. By the end, I was left feeling confused and frustrated, with too many questions unanswered.
This is a book that I feel I would get a lot more out of on a second read-through, but I just don't have the desire to go through it a second time. I love Turton's out-of-the-box writing style, and I'm excited to give his book The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle a read. I'm so sad this one didn't work for me. While it has an intriguing premise and a unique narrative approach, the execution left much to be desired.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
pewterwolf's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
I will be honest with you. I didn’t know what I was going to get with this. I just liked the cover and the blurb on the book, but I had such a good time with this.
It’s such a strange beast. It’s sci-if post-apocalyptic novel with a murder mystery at its heart. And I devoured this! I had such a blast with this, much more than I thought I would as the last few reads have been very middle of the road for me.
Because this is a mix of genres, you do have to give a tad more leeway over some of the far-fetched moments and elements, though there were several times that I did go “that seems like a stretch”. Plus, there are so many names thrown at the reader that you need a moment to go “are you important to the story?”
But this was unputdownable with the murder and the wider issues this book tackled (AI, generics, the environment, etc) and the audiobook is narrated by Adjoa Andoh makes this feel much richer. I really liked this as it was twisty, fun, unputdownable read, but I completely understand that this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea reading for a crime thriller. I must say I’m intrigued to try out this author’s previous works.
It’s such a strange beast. It’s sci-if post-apocalyptic novel with a murder mystery at its heart. And I devoured this! I had such a blast with this, much more than I thought I would as the last few reads have been very middle of the road for me.
Because this is a mix of genres, you do have to give a tad more leeway over some of the far-fetched moments and elements, though there were several times that I did go “that seems like a stretch”. Plus, there are so many names thrown at the reader that you need a moment to go “are you important to the story?”
But this was unputdownable with the murder and the wider issues this book tackled (AI, generics, the environment, etc) and the audiobook is narrated by Adjoa Andoh makes this feel much richer. I really liked this as it was twisty, fun, unputdownable read, but I completely understand that this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea reading for a crime thriller. I must say I’m intrigued to try out this author’s previous works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic
tmleblanc's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
An intriguing premise, but there were too many blind twists and turns to follow. The solution, in the end, felt ham-handed - almost (or maybe exactly) like “the butler did it.”
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty
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