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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
I understand this story is supposed to be a satirical meta-commentary on book banning, and it's MEANT to be referential to its predecessors in the genre, and that parts of it are MEANT to feel purposefully tricky and unfulfilling. But none of it, in my opinion, was done all that well. The removal of everyone's name to strip them of identity was a good idea in theory, but it's a great example of how, instead of being immersed by the literary devices and references to other works, they were beating me over the head with a two by four. Heavy handed at best, pretentious yet obvious at worst. The satire fails at being a critique of the genre.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Part 1984, part Alice in Wonderland. A man living in a near future where all imagination has been squashed but an authoritarian government enters into the world of book censorship and quickly finds himself in love with books. A dangerous thing to do. As he falls further into an underworld of readers and resistors, he sees the depth of government control. A love letter to the power of books to reflect and shape humanity. As unsettling as any of the dystopian worlds that informed it.
Another story that just felt like a watered down retelling of other books, this blueprints for this one being Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, and 1985.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Beautiful and haunting. Incredibly written. A new all-time favorite.
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this one a lot. A little bit 1984, a little bit Fahrenheit 451, and a little bit Alice in Wonderland. We’re all mad here. And it’s slightly too believable in this era of increased book banning “to protect people”. If my personal library ever gets me into trouble, at least I’ll know where the little white rabbits come from. In the meantime, I’m off to read another book.
dark
funny
sad