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skbgfd's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
obiterocelot's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Read if you love: New Zealand accents, the Fox and Ferret bar, gardening, a likeable bad guy, bunkers, hippy communes, not having a clue what is going to happen, young people problems, awkward social relationships, Marxist manifestos, descriptive prose, drone strikes, environmental terrorism.
Avoid if you love: cosy stories about gardening, fast paced and action packed thrillers, happy endings, stories without trigger warnings, hooking up with good guys, conspiracy theorists being wrong.
—————
Ok, but what an ending. And everything really happens in the final 5%!
The way the mystery unfolds is with one giant twist after another until it feels like you are reading a completely different book than the one you picked up. In the best way possible.
I would never have expected the story to have ended in a complete TPK. Kind of fitting given the environmental themes in the stories. Everyone will go down together.
And I’d put money on that being fully intentional. She is an intelligent woman, Eleanor Catton. Between this and the Luminaries, I’ll pick up whatever she writers.
Avoid if you love: cosy stories about gardening, fast paced and action packed thrillers, happy endings, stories without trigger warnings, hooking up with good guys, conspiracy theorists being wrong.
—————
The way the mystery unfolds is with one giant twist after another until it feels like you are reading a completely different book than the one you picked up. In the best way possible.
I would never have expected the story to have ended in a complete TPK. Kind of fitting given the environmental themes in the stories. Everyone will go down together.
And I’d put money on that being fully intentional. She is an intelligent woman, Eleanor Catton. Between this and the Luminaries, I’ll pick up whatever she writers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, and Murder
isabellew27's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Well-written but way too much detailed character development and too little plot development/action.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Classism, Toxic friendship, and Drug use
deedireads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
WHEW.
This was on my TBR all year, and I finally squeezed it in as my last book of 2023. What a powerful (but very heavy) note to end on, kind of like 2023 itself. The story is about a group of activists who call themselves Birnam Wood, planting vegetables in random plots of land, and a billionaire whose interests briefly intersect with theirs, to devastating effect. I should have thought a little bit harder about Macbeth as I read this one, and maybe it wouldn’t have walloped me as hard in the gut as it did; truly, I have only myself to blame there, lol.
I can’t quite say that I ENJOYED it — it’s tense and uncomfortable and heavy — but it’s also unputdownable, almost like a thriller in the second half. Nearly every character is morally gray, which keeps things interesting and gives it depth. There’s no denying that Eleanor Catton is an incredible talent. The Luminaries has been staring at me from my shelf for months, and I think it’s finally time for me to make it a priority!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Grief and Drug use
knels813's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
beccaand's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Vomit
rei_reads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Car accident, and Murder
fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I had to restart this book several times because I had trouble getting into it initially. So glad I kept at it. It kept coming up on must read lists, and I’m so so glad it did. Everything about the book - the setting, the characters, the plot, the motivations, the themes - all of it was unexpected. Even though I disliked every single character, I really liked this book. That is a rarity for me.
My only wish was that it had been broken down into more chapters. Because there were only three chapters, it was hard for me to break up my reading in between daily activities.
This is a book I’d like to see taught in AP English and college classes across the US. Is a very well written allegory for the state of today’s world. Starts out slow, but comes to a screeching halt at the end because it speeds up so fast by then that it’s the only way out can end.
My only wish was that it had been broken down into more chapters. Because there were only three chapters, it was hard for me to break up my reading in between daily activities.
This is a book I’d like to see taught in AP English and college classes across the US. Is a very well written allegory for the state of today’s world. Starts out slow, but comes to a screeching halt at the end because it speeds up so fast by then that it’s the only way out can end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Murder, Car accident, Gun violence, Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Grief
kelsea's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence and Drug use
cheyison's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Vomit