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lowkeymarie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It's interesting to see the mixed reviews on this! I was coming into this halfway expecting to DNF it, as I had previously tried to read Evelyn Hardcastle and been horribly bored by it. But the synopsis of this one sounded so intriguing that I just had to pick it up.
I was hooked within the first few pages and it just never let me go. I could see how the conclusion would be unsatisfying for some readers, but it worked well enough for me.
I was hooked within the first few pages and it just never let me go. I could see how the conclusion would be unsatisfying for some readers, but it worked well enough for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
littlelibraryonsunset's review
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Medical trauma
brep23's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Fucking wild as always Mr. Turton, thank you for your service
(This one didn't work quite as well for me as his other ones but considering his others are among my all-time favorites, take that with a grain of salt)
(This one didn't work quite as well for me as his other ones but considering his others are among my all-time favorites, take that with a grain of salt)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
charlatte_lee's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, War, and Classism
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Very twisty and entertaining. After the first twist totally floored me I did have often have some idea of where the next twist was going, but it was a fun ride nonetheless. I even semi-guessed the ending, but forgot by the time I got there because so much else was going on.
I found the main character's curiosity about everything very relatable, but otherwise had a lot of minor annoyances with different characters, or just the overall worldview presented in the book. (Example: The idea that punishing a murder with death makes you the same as the murderer. This is a fairly popular idea, but totally false from a Biblical perspective.)
Generally recommended for mystery fans mid teens and up.
I found the main character's curiosity about everything very relatable, but otherwise had a lot of minor annoyances with different characters, or just the overall worldview presented in the book. (Example: The idea that punishing a murder with death makes you the same as the murderer. This is a fairly popular idea, but totally false from a Biblical perspective.)
Generally recommended for mystery fans mid teens and up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Genocide, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
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
squintyfarmer's review
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
amanda_doty's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Gore, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Genocide and Infertility
pipn_t's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
Really good, I did not figure out all the twists. An enjoyable read, really interesting dystopia setting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
bandysbooks's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Stuart Turton is an author I’ve been wanting to read for quite a while. I’ve heard so many people rave about his writing, so when I saw this pop up on Netgalley I knew I wanted to give it a try. I’m glad I did.
This book is set on an island after a post-apocalyptic scenario where a poisonous gas cloud killed off most of the world. There are 122 survivors and 3 scientists on a small Greek island. The scientists have created strict rules for how the society should function and everyone has a role. Then one of the scientists is murdered and it triggers a short period of time before the island’s defenses drop letting the poison gas in. Only solving the murder can prevent it.
Look, I won’t pretend this is a perfect book. This is very twisty and unrealistic, so it requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief and there are a few plot threads that never get tied up. That said, I had a good time with this.
I appreciated the mixture of post-apocalyptic scenario with murder mystery and even a sprinkle of police procedural elements.It created a really unique vibe that was conveyed really well by the narrator of the audiobook.
Speaking of which, I really appreciated the main focal character. That added to the uniqueness of the book and once again was captured perfectly in the audiobook.
I will say that some elements were a bit predictable and there were some twists and caveats thrown in to try and keep things surprising. That wasn’t always successful.
Ultimately, this wasn’t the best book I read this year, but it was a fun read. I would recommend this to people looking for a fun mystery/thriller with post-apocalyptic elements. If you decide to give this a try, consider checking out the audiobook as the narration was done well.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Stuart Turton for the audio-ARC.
This book is set on an island after a post-apocalyptic scenario where a poisonous gas cloud killed off most of the world. There are 122 survivors and 3 scientists on a small Greek island. The scientists have created strict rules for how the society should function and everyone has a role. Then one of the scientists is murdered and it triggers a short period of time before the island’s defenses drop letting the poison gas in. Only solving the murder can prevent it.
Look, I won’t pretend this is a perfect book. This is very twisty and unrealistic, so it requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief and there are a few plot threads that never get tied up. That said, I had a good time with this.
I appreciated the mixture of post-apocalyptic scenario with murder mystery and even a sprinkle of police procedural elements.It created a really unique vibe that was conveyed really well by the narrator of the audiobook.
Speaking of which, I really appreciated the main focal character. That added to the uniqueness of the book and once again was captured perfectly in the audiobook.
I will say that some elements were a bit predictable and there were some twists and caveats thrown in to try and keep things surprising. That wasn’t always successful.
Ultimately, this wasn’t the best book I read this year, but it was a fun read. I would recommend this to people looking for a fun mystery/thriller with post-apocalyptic elements. If you decide to give this a try, consider checking out the audiobook as the narration was done well.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Stuart Turton for the audio-ARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder