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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher
One day New Yorkers wake up to find that their city has rearranged itself. Buildings and whole boroughs have switched places, displacing thousands of people, destroying the power grid, and causing chaos. It's the Unmapping, a strange phenomenon that seemed to be a hoax but has just proven it's very real. Esme Green works for the Emergency Management team of the city, she is competent and prepared to deal with such events, but she never expected something of this magnitude, or that her fiancé would go missing. Arjun Varma is another worker of this team, he's out there in the thick of it helping people and he enjoys it even, it's finally his time to be the hero. As the Unmapping continues, the locals will have to cope with a completely different way of living and existing, one that will make everyone reevaluate their lives.
The Unmapping as a concept is fantastic, is such a creative plot and opens up a world of possibility. If only the author had stuck more to it instead of the main characters. Esme and Arjun were both unbearable in different ways, did not care for either of them though being stuck in Arjun's POV was way worse. His only personality traits were being annoying and popping his anxiety medication pills. And then the author had the guts to add sporadic POVS from other characters dealing with the aftermath of the event, I felt this was superfluous when you already had two main POVs.
I admit I soft DNFd this at 60% and then skimmed it, but it was so boring. This had no reason being 400 pages long. Waste potential of a great idea. I came for the Unmapping and thinking I was going to get a reflection about global warming perhaps, and got stuck with the world's most annoying character exploration.
One day New Yorkers wake up to find that their city has rearranged itself. Buildings and whole boroughs have switched places, displacing thousands of people, destroying the power grid, and causing chaos. It's the Unmapping, a strange phenomenon that seemed to be a hoax but has just proven it's very real. Esme Green works for the Emergency Management team of the city, she is competent and prepared to deal with such events, but she never expected something of this magnitude, or that her fiancé would go missing. Arjun Varma is another worker of this team, he's out there in the thick of it helping people and he enjoys it even, it's finally his time to be the hero. As the Unmapping continues, the locals will have to cope with a completely different way of living and existing, one that will make everyone reevaluate their lives.
The Unmapping as a concept is fantastic, is such a creative plot and opens up a world of possibility. If only the author had stuck more to it instead of the main characters. Esme and Arjun were both unbearable in different ways, did not care for either of them though being stuck in Arjun's POV was way worse. His only personality traits were being annoying and popping his anxiety medication pills. And then the author had the guts to add sporadic POVS from other characters dealing with the aftermath of the event, I felt this was superfluous when you already had two main POVs.
I admit I soft DNFd this at 60% and then skimmed it, but it was so boring. This had no reason being 400 pages long. Waste potential of a great idea. I came for the Unmapping and thinking I was going to get a reflection about global warming perhaps, and got stuck with the world's most annoying character exploration.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ok genuinely loved this. an honest examination of how we react in disaster, both our selfish and selfless moments, the ways we come together and the ways we fall apart. it's not saccharine, but it's also not cynical.
challenging
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
This was weird. I liked experiencing the event through different perspectives, but they all felt a bit disjointed. Each perspective was different and interesting in its own way but also didn't feel fully formed or complete. My biggest takeaway is that Marcus is absolutely infuriating. I hated him, and by extension, found Esme unlikable. Really, I didn't connect to any of the characters. Overall, the concept was cool, but the story never really hit its stride for me.
mysterious
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
3.75. Weird story that follows 2 flawed people and intersperses other side stories. I enjoyed it for what it is, but if you like book with explicit closure/explanation this is probably not for you. I would have liked some more concrete answers, but won’t include those as I don’t want to give spoilers.
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF @ 25% - I found this so incredibly boring and could not get into the story at all
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I requested this book after reading about the incredible concept and was immediately enticed within the first thirty pages. I mean, it literally starts with a coffee shop exploding; that's very badass and hook-y. The story kept me going and was intriguing until the end, but, sadly, some of the characters just didn't work for me. Esme searching for Marcus became repetitive very quickly and could've been cut significantly. I have read some reviews that found Arjun quite dislikeably too, though I'm not one of them. I loved Arjun!
I expected there to be more Unmapping, though. And for it to be better explained as well. The character drama was great, don't get me wrong, (Especially the Antony, The blonde woman and The Wife plots) but took up a bit too much space for the lack of development the characters actually got. They all seemed a bit like caricatures, rather than fully fleshed characters which deserve a subplot.
I loved the ties to climate change. It's statement was clear and a unique way to explore the topic.
I look forward to reading more of Denise's works in the future!
Thank you to the publisher and author for the E-Arc. The review is entirely my own opinion.