Reviews

Unanimity by Alexandra Almeida

beastreader's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoy reading scifi/technothrillers. Thus, the reason I wanted check out this book. The concept is good. It showed what happens when people think they are "gods" and try to rule above everyone else. Despite trying to take that willpower and stripping people of thought and emotion; they will find a way to overcome and rebel.

I did find it interesting to see the human side and the "dark" side of the characters. What I liked was the relationship between Tom and Nate. In this artificial reality world, it was nice to have something nice.

Where the author was going with this book, I could see it. In fact, it was like I was transported into this world. My biggest issue is that as much as I tried, I never formed a strong bond to any of the characters. Therefore, I found myself many times have to reread as it was like I was just going through the motions of reading but not comprehending what i was reading. Overall, I still thought this was a good book and worth someone's time if they are into this genre.

genie09's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

ladymacbeth_1985's review

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challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • 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

3.75

I received a copy from the author in exchange for a fair review. 

An ambitious start to a series, Unanimity is a unique story with an interesting premise that takes a sub-genre of sci-fi I'm not super into (virtual worlds) and gives it actual stakes that impact the real world. 

And people who love virtual world stories will likely really enjoy this book, as it deals with what happens when creators of virtual worlds become themselves enmeshed with it. There’s also a great focus on A.I. and other related tropes. 

The characters and concepts are well-wrought. The characters are dynamic and varied, with a focus on economic and socio-political differences. They are morally gray in differing levels, and in this regard, they seem realistic and made interesting decisions (some I was like, okay then, but nothing too outlandish). Yet, there was something that held me back from really loving any of them, perhaps because while their motivations made sense, some of their goals I couldn’t connect with personally. I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ romance though; that was great!  

Now, the prologue is a bit flowery and starts in media reas, which is fine, but I figured I’d mention it in case the prologue doesn’t work for you if you check out a sample. Once you get into the first couple of chapters and see what the novel is doing (it’s told in both the past and present), it works really well and soon sucks you in. 

It's also such an ambitious project that I have to give it props. This fairly hefty book takes place over one day (flashbacks aside), but it’s a series that all follow the same format and focus on a different main character. The idea is just really cool. 

sheska_meroba's review

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I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. I’m trying to figure out what I like in sci-fi, and this is not it.

sff_reads's review

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3.75

Perfect for lovers of unique and ambiguous characters, intrigue, world building, and an originally crafted story.

Unanimity presented a wealth of creativity and thought-provoking ideas. The cast of characters combined to make this a page-turner from start to finish. It did take a chapter or two to settle in and keep the characters straight– including their digital identities. The interactions between all of the characters was a huge highlight for me. Their dialogue and interaction created fluidity between scenes. The story was well paced.

I enjoyed the spiral world multiverse aspect. The world-building had to have been a daunting task to create and I applaud Almeida for a phenomenal job well done. I loved how each spiral world embodied something unique for the humans to confront. The story becomes quite immersive and exciting.

When you sit and wrap your mind around the idea of a digital world, the concept is incredibly fascinating. It was a cool take on the idea behind gods and miracles for those in the digital world.

The action starts immediately from page one and never relents as the characters are all vying for positions within this world that has the potential to bring about great change.

tinyelfarcanist's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Full of parallelisms to Le Petit Prince and delivered in lush prose, Unanimity supplies hard truths and defies the status quo. Spiral Worlds is a relevant story in today’s social climate and a cautionary tale of the future.

At first, the characters seem stereotypical, but their flaws and motivations become apparent as we delve into their pasts. Their lives are intertwined through decades of events, and their relationships are filled with as much pain as love.

The reluctance of the characters to curse (frack, ship, Leo the second) peeved me a little. And it isn’t ideal that the only nonbinary character is a non-human originally designed as androgynous. 

I don’t usually read sci-fi or stories in contemporary settings, but this book is a great reminder to read out of my comfort zone: good stories are independent of genre. 

Read my full review: https://tinyelfarcanist.wordpress.com/2023/03/07/unanimity-alexandra-almeida/

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lecari's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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rissreviews_xx's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

I love a good science fiction read, especially when we're given characters like Shadow (Tom) and Henry and Estelle are there. Shadow and Estelle are definitely some of the most interesting characters that I have read about but I love it. The storyline is different, unique, and something I could reread!

Almeida has created a read that will have readers turning the pages. The world-building is excellent and the plot pulls you in. I'm really excited to see that this is only book one, I can't wait to see what the next book is about.

bridgets_books's review

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challenging dark medium-paced

4.0

Unanimity immerses the reader in an alternate world that is uniquely engaging and simultaneously terrifying.

Who decides the difference between heaven and hell when souls can be resurrected to exist in an alternative digital world? I am quite sure one person’s heaven can easily be another’s hell.

This hard science fiction novel has a bit of a cyberpunk feel to me. I was a little slow to feel my way into this story, but I was hooked once I wrapped my head around the premise and the spiral worlds.

The characters and worlds are so well-written that Unanimity played in my mind like a movie. Every scene and every word is used to further the story, making it a mesmerizing tale that is difficult to put down.

I’m having difficulty putting my thoughts down on paper for this one. Unanimity is a story that needs to be read to understand and develop your take on it. I feel like it’s a book that will mean different things to each reader. Where you are in your life journey will dictate what you think and feel about the Spiral Worlds.

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

hardsffguy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative medium-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

5.0