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phoenix21's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, and Violence
magicschooltokoro's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Animal death
My first Iain Banks! I saw the author being discussed on social media and decided I'd browse the library for something by him, and ended up checking the library app, Hoopla first---and finding something! I'm glad it ended up being one of the lesser-known ones, but it was definitely primarily relationship- and character-driven rather than much, if any of a plot development, for those that it would matter for. It reminded me of a play, maybe even a story from the 'Angry Young British Men' literary movement of the 50s and 60s, or like a gang/crime story like Trainspotting, A Clockwork Orange, Fight Club, The Outsiders, Requiem For a Dream or something, focusing on youth culture, relationships, sex, substance use, specifically Irish youth culture. Whiskey was especially prominent everywhere here. It definitely felt narrative, observational, too, like The Great Gatsby, though it was also in-the-moment, and I think this blending measured out well. I wish I could relate if it felt like an Iain Banks novel with his literary elements or not. And I'm not sure how this will affect how soon I follow up with another novel by the author or not. I miss a lot listening to books via audio, as I can't always hear well enough or can't focus enough attention as I usually listen to audiobooks while driving. But this worked well as an audiobook, maybe more than it would reading, as the narrator had an Irish accent/brogue and we got the cultural expressions right as well as the pronunciation of Irish/Celtic names, which can be distracting in reading trying to figure out if one has it right or not. I think my favorite parts were Stuart's times with Ellie, her younger sister, Greer, and maybe Angelica, as well as his discussions with his best friend and the random EMP politician over whiskey. I do wish we had gotten more flashbacks of Stuart's time away in London, and it was interesting that half the book was a contextual flashback of earlier days as a youth before having to run off to avoid those who hunted to hurt him for reasons I'm still not entirely clear about even at the end. At first it was confusing but then I figured it out and noticed the transition in time. Not sure I can recommend it or not, but the Irish brogue is always pleasing for the audio, if that helps.
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