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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Good, can’t put down, mystery / thriller / dystopian read. Did black mirror or this series come first because it’s very much all the same vibe. I found the 5 story lines all interesting but some times a lot to jump around. I found this very quick and easy to read, but very dark. Not my usual cup of tea but enjoyed it!
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Let's start with the things that this book has going for it: OIt's written in a simple, fast-paced language. The premise is interesting: what if there was one true love for you in the world, and a way to find it? There are five different narrative strands, and most chapters end on a cliffhanger, which makes this book a page-turner.
On the negative: First of all, the premise is shaky and I needed a lot of "suspension of disbelief". Why is there one perfect match and not a list of matches with whom you "vibe" to different degrees (but many with very high match rates)? Why is your perfect match usually living nearby (this point is handwavingly mentioned but not really answered) and of similar age? Why is it even that your perfect match is even usually alive at the same time as you?
Second: There are five narrative strands but they barely have anything to do with each other, besides the fact that they are all around the "perfect match" algorithm. These might have been five short stories. The mere fact that they happen to be told round robin doesn't make it one novel.
Third: the stories were just too wild. More and more unbelievable things happen, just so that John Marrs can present cliffhangers at the end of chapters.
Fourth: There are so many interesting aspects of the premise of "match your DNA" that Marrs could've written about, instead he focuses on five completely fringe stories that arise from the subject. It's as if I were to write a book on the topic "what if humans had found a way to end poverty" to then tell a story about extraterrestrials that invade earth to steal our food supplies. It's a bad analogy but it hopefully gives you an idea how far out this stories are.
Lastly, his writing style lives from the suspense and the actions described. There's neither beautiful language nor large inner conflicts or strong character development.
Obviously, there are many readers who love this book but it wasn't for me. I ultimately didn't find it very interesting or a good use of my time.
On the negative: First of all, the premise is shaky and I needed a lot of "suspension of disbelief". Why is there one perfect match and not a list of matches with whom you "vibe" to different degrees (but many with very high match rates)? Why is your perfect match usually living nearby (this point is handwavingly mentioned but not really answered) and of similar age? Why is it even that your perfect match is even usually alive at the same time as you?
Second: There are five narrative strands but they barely have anything to do with each other, besides the fact that they are all around the "perfect match" algorithm. These might have been five short stories. The mere fact that they happen to be told round robin doesn't make it one novel.
Third: the stories were just too wild. More and more unbelievable things happen, just so that John Marrs can present cliffhangers at the end of chapters.
Fourth: There are so many interesting aspects of the premise of "match your DNA" that Marrs could've written about, instead he focuses on five completely fringe stories that arise from the subject. It's as if I were to write a book on the topic "what if humans had found a way to end poverty" to then tell a story about extraterrestrials that invade earth to steal our food supplies. It's a bad analogy but it hopefully gives you an idea how far out this stories are.
Lastly, his writing style lives from the suspense and the actions described. There's neither beautiful language nor large inner conflicts or strong character development.
Obviously, there are many readers who love this book but it wasn't for me. I ultimately didn't find it very interesting or a good use of my time.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
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:
No
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Each character has three or so pages each before the next. I felt that this slowed the pace and ruined the immersion. Once I started reading the characters in larger 20 page chunks, the pace was MUCH better and I thoroughly enjoyed following them through the twists and turns of their character development and realizations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child death, Abandonment
Minor: Miscarriage, Pedophilia