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scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Prose: 4.5★
Pace: 4★
Concept/Execution: 4★/5★
Characters: 4.75★
Worldbuilding: 4.75★
Ending: 4.75★
Graphic: Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence
Moderate: Animal death, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Slavery, Torture, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Cursing, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Gore, Infertility, Pedophilia, Suicide, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Excrement
sarahsbookstacks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Sexual violence, Death, Violence, Suicide, Slavery, and Rape
aleksanski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Medical content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicide, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction and Adult/minor relationship
caseylovett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Rape and Suicide
Minor: Torture, Physical abuse, and Cannibalism
jabakken's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Slavery, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Rape, Suicide attempt, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
rachelmerrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Gun violence, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Rape, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, War, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Child death, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, Trafficking, Gore, Animal death, Addiction, Pedophilia, Murder, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation
ash_valkyreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Genre: post-apocalyptic, grim, afrofuturism, sci-fi
First time or Reread: First time
Finished or DNF: finished
Spice: 🚫
Steam: 🚫
Representation: black main character, disability (in a way)
Triggers: drugs, murder, rape (child included), death of children, canablism, sickness, brutalization, parental abuse, torture, animal harm, home fire, homelessness, suicide. Note: discriptions varied in intensity. No rate was in explicit detail. Deaths were. There are several passages I skipped over.
Review:
This book was absolutely a brutal look at humanity. It is dark post-apocalyptic fiction that provides commentary on climate change and social inequality. It was pitched to me as “it’s kind of like if Handmaidens tale was written by Maya Angelou but darker” which is one hell of a pitch. And I can see where they are coming from on all accounts. I will never forget this book. The book is written in a journal format and told well with prose that stick with you.
Plot:
Lauren starts off this book as a young girl navigating a California that is falling apart. She lives in a walled community that keeps out the desperate street poor and crazed cultist. By comparison her life is tranquil. Her father is a professor and preacher and community leader. They survive on community strength and his good sense. They are able to scrape by on farming and the little money they bring. The climate has left them with little water and much disaster. Slowly things fall apart. Those outside the wall are getting in the wall. Lauren is smart and keen so she begins to devise a plan to survive. She means to survive. Along the way she develops Earthseed. Her religion and her way of making sense of the world, surviving it, and maintaining her humanity. Eventually all her preparations are put to the test and she must make her way some place safer - better.
Graphic: Death and Child death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Gun violence, Child death, Drug abuse, Cannibalism, Slavery, Racism, Classism, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Body horror
Minor: Animal death and Suicide
nojerama's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Torture, Trafficking, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Vomit, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Hate crime, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death, Dementia, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Stalking, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Incest, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Grief, Hate crime, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, War, Suicide, and Trafficking
pettigrew143's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Slavery, Cannibalism, Suicide, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Gun violence, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
conspiracycrows's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Evil, angry, barbaric
And
Kind, good, thoughtful
You will find the phrase "god is change" drifting through your thiughts no matter your religion, because no matter your religion something about it rings true.
The one true constant in this world is change.
And in accepting that we can begin to use that change.
I hope, pray, and work to make sure a future like the one in this book never comes to pass. That as much as this world changes, I can at least guide my small portion of it to something softer.
If enough of us do that, perhaps we can make a world that is kinder, that is softer.
A world where someone with hyper empathy, whether the extreme syndrome detailed here, or the real life symptom of some neurodivergent people like myself, do not have to be afraid of seeing the world around us.
Graphic: Cursing, Murder, Body horror, Drug abuse, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Suicide, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Trafficking, Child death, and Gore
Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Classism