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erebus53's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
This was a book that was recommended to me by someone at my local library. It's something like a political, police procedural, bequest-mystery, sci-fi? But unfortunately I don't think it does those things very well. The book rates ok, and seems to have been received well, but I can see why publishers weren't keen to take it the first couple of times she submitted it for publication.
I felt like the dialogue was middling to bad. There was a lot of exposition to the ignorant characters in the room that could have been done better. Perhaps I'm a stylistic snob, but the one line about Americans being a dichotomy of tech leaders whose people are also anti-academic, really rang throughout the entire book. An expert commenting that they found something interesting is invariably followed by the room asking for a translation for those who don't have a degree.
A major theme that is wallowed in, is tech being used for military purposes. This is specifically applied to genetics research (a loaded topic in Christian America), while deftly dodging the point that most of USAs technological advances have been made due to military funding. The idea that genetically heritable illnesses could be treated with gene therapy is not a new one to me, nor is the idea that similar techniques could be used for eugenics.
Poverty and addiction also seem to be a stereotype in this. It's all a bit of a lumbering shambles. If someone tells you their alias is Wilma, isn't anyone over the age of 30 going to guess their real name is Betty? This book feels like it's trying to be smart, but isn't very.
I felt like the dialogue was middling to bad. There was a lot of exposition to the ignorant characters in the room that could have been done better. Perhaps I'm a stylistic snob, but the one line about Americans being a dichotomy of tech leaders whose people are also anti-academic, really rang throughout the entire book. An expert commenting that they found something interesting is invariably followed by the room asking for a translation for those who don't have a degree.
A major theme that is wallowed in, is tech being used for military purposes. This is specifically applied to genetics research (a loaded topic in Christian America), while deftly dodging the point that most of USAs technological advances have been made due to military funding. The idea that genetically heritable illnesses could be treated with gene therapy is not a new one to me, nor is the idea that similar techniques could be used for eugenics.
Poverty and addiction also seem to be a stereotype in this. It's all a bit of a lumbering shambles. If someone tells you their alias is Wilma, isn't anyone over the age of 30 going to guess their real name is Betty? This book feels like it's trying to be smart, but isn't very.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Confinement, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Classism, Gun violence, Dementia, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Mental illness, Islamophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic
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