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allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.0
In this ya science fiction mystery, we are following along with two perspectives: Cee, in full surviver mode on an island & Kasey, trying to find out what happened when her sister Celia vanished from their floating eco-city three months ago. As Kasey's investigation keeps twisting in new directions, Earth's environment continues to deteriorate. A megaquake kills hundreds of millions, and a solution might live in Kasey's mind if she can only convince the world to follow.
In the beginning, the parameters of this mystery seem straightforward even if the solution is not: how did Cee get to the island and why? But these foundational questions grow in number and complexity as the story builds: when timelines don't match up, when partial explanations edge out others, when conflicting information seems to take up the same space. I was on the edge of my seat for this one.
This dystopian novel also begs several bigger questions about our future as a species and that of our planet: what is feasible to save us? And what is allowable? It also asks that well-worn but still elusive question of science fiction: what is it to be human? While most elements of the story wrap up right at the end, prepare for things to be a bit open-ended. To be fair, with questions like these on the table, I think that's inevitable.
I really connected with this book on an intellectual level. It had my mind buzzing in junior detective mode, looking at characters distrustfully and trying to gauge the ethics of various actions. Where it didn't land with me was on the emotional front. Something would happen that I felt ought to trigger an emotional response, and I just wasn't there, personally. I suspect the swift pace that served the action of the story kept me from forming stronger attachments. However, I think there are several triggers that are worth mentioning for others in case your experiences might heighten the impact: (literal) loss of a sibling, parent death, suicide, and natural disasters to name some of the major ones.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Vomit
outsidestar's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.0
"We're not stars," I declare. "We get to choose the places we go and the people we find."
"Do we? I don't think either of us came here by choice. And I think we have even less choice over the ones we're meant to find."
This is kind of a difficult book to review. I think the whole idea for the book was great and different and very well thought out, but I still just feel kinda meh about the whole thing, it was good but I'll forget about it in a week. It didn't resonate with me.
The book is set sometime in the future, when humans have destroyed the planet. Some still live on the surface, where earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters kill millions at a time, and others live in eco-cities high above. As much as this was a dystopia, I could 100% see this happening in real life, which kinda scares me, but the world-building was great and I loved that it tackled issues like climate change and us humans not being able to see beyond our own selfishness.
The story is told in dual perspective. We have Cee, who is stranded in an abandoned island with no memories of what happened before she woke up there 3 years ago. All she knows is that she has a sister named Kay and that she must find her, so she spends her days trying to build a boat to get to her. And then we have Kasey's (Kay) chapters, who is still in the eco-city and with who we figure out what really happened. I must say that the story is kinda slow for the first half and peaks up at around 50-60% in.
As I said, I really enjoyed the setting and the technology aspects. I also liked that Kasey was different to the typical character I'm used to, and the big plot-twist that happens at around 60% was great (although I did see it coming). However, I didn't like either of the romances and I felt like the secondary characters could use some more work, their dad especially. I also didn't like the ending, not
Also, can we please admire the beauty of this cover?
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Confinement and Death of parent
liuet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Minor: Vomit, Racism, and Genocide
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