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3.24 AVERAGE
3.24 AVERAGE
A book that I read because I wanted to know how it was going to end. I will be interested to see if I think about it, now that I’ve finished.
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Murder, Abandonment
Minor: Transphobia, Pregnancy
Ultimately a fairly disappointing book. I had high hopes going into this because I loved the Shining Girls and the premise seemed super interesting! Unfortunately, the plot then unfolds as yet another typical cat and mouse chase thriller that I have seen many many times over the years. Maybe it's just me completely falling out of love with this common trope however.
The characterization is pretty good in fact, Miles comes off as the impressionable kid stuck in an impossible situation really well and the ending somewhat surprised me, hence the 3 stars. I would recommend it for people who still like these kinds of chases, I for one am over it.
The characterization is pretty good in fact, Miles comes off as the impressionable kid stuck in an impossible situation really well and the ending somewhat surprised me, hence the 3 stars. I would recommend it for people who still like these kinds of chases, I for one am over it.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Interesting premise, but the execution was a miss for me. The parts of the story I enjoyed the most were about how the virus took over and how society started changing to accommodate the lack of men. Unfortunately this was only a small portion of the book and the rest was mostly just a 400 page chase scene.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Not feeling it right now, but will return to it later
Afterland is a near-term apocalyptic adventure. It's trending right now because of the parallels to today's real pandemic. Although it is a sweet portrayal of a mother's love for her son, I didn't find the novel particularly captivating. The apocalypse genre is crowded and none of the aspects of this novel set it apart. If you want to see subverted gender dynamics, The Power does it better; if you want a dark story of parental love and survival, The Road is more focused and arresting. Afterland's characters are flat and the conversational prose is at times ungainly.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love the premise, but the ending felt unfinished and abrupt.