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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
There were a couple of stories that were pretty...clunky. But, on the whole, very interesting, very enjoyable.
Bold, innovative and eerily prophetic. A fun read. May we all be open and accepting to our fellow Computers.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Police brutality
Moderate: Racism, Classism
Minor: Ableism, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
I really wanted to love this. Afrofuturistic sci-fi is such a cool genre and I don’t think this book is an exception to that rule, I just think it wasn’t for me at this time.
Not having watched (or indeed known about) the Emotion Picture that inspired this work, I went into it with my usual blind approach. The first story read almost more like poetry which was aided by Monae’s beautiful narration. I enjoyed the story but I think in time it will be a bit forgettable.
The second story lost some of the magic by introducing a different narrator (who also has a lovely voice but is no Monae). I also found that a lot of the metaphors became a bit hamfisted and lacked subtlety which was maybe intentional but it just didn’t really work for me.
I’m sure this book has an audience and I really hope it finds it. I don’t think this was bad by any means, it’s just not working for me. At no point have I felt like this will be anything more than a 3 ⭐️ book and I’m just not really feeling like pursuing a book that won’t wow me right now.
Not having watched (or indeed known about) the Emotion Picture that inspired this work, I went into it with my usual blind approach. The first story read almost more like poetry which was aided by Monae’s beautiful narration. I enjoyed the story but I think in time it will be a bit forgettable.
The second story lost some of the magic by introducing a different narrator (who also has a lovely voice but is no Monae). I also found that a lot of the metaphors became a bit hamfisted and lacked subtlety which was maybe intentional but it just didn’t really work for me.
I’m sure this book has an audience and I really hope it finds it. I don’t think this was bad by any means, it’s just not working for me. At no point have I felt like this will be anything more than a 3 ⭐️ book and I’m just not really feeling like pursuing a book that won’t wow me right now.
Decent writing. Some of the stories were more enjoyable than others, but they have lots of cool themes and ideas all throughout.
I became totally immersed in the majority of these interrelated short stories and the universe within which they take place. I have not listened to the album or watched the video short tied to this book and am actually surprised at the amount of reviews claiming they couldn't get into the book because there wasn't enough world building (apparently that happens in the video). To me, the context of New Dawn, how it operates, why it exists, were entirely familiar. It is a near-future take on what could happen to our society as it presently exists. I wonder if the queer themes threw people off? Idk. This unapologetically queer, afro-futurist sci-fi anthology really did it for me. It's getting a 4/5 because I didn't love the second Timebox story (although the first Timebox one was my fave overall).
I found Monáe's vision and themes of a futuristic world that heavily focuses on memories, time, and the ability to remember/forget to be pretty interesting, intriguing, and well detailed. I found the majority of the short stories here to be hard to follow and I feel like I'm missing the points entirely in some cases, especially on "Timebox" and "Save Changes." The only story I found to be entertaining was "Nevermind" because the plot and characters seemed to be interesting and there was a clear progression through the story. I thought watching her "Dirty Computer" short film would help add some context and it only added a little. I feel like if this book was one fully fleshed out story, then it would be much easier and more fun to follow. I would have enjoyed this book much more if the entire book was essentially the second short story but more finalized.
Hm. Okay I didn’t love it but I found it interesting. Maybe most of all I didn’t love the writing and felt it could have been edited a bit to be a little leaner.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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