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mbelle97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Child death, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
Minor: Suicide, Stalking, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
content warning: cults, religious zealotsmelissafrench'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Kidnapping
Minor: Rape
rosa_lina96'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
3.5
Rating it a bit lower because there were certain plot points that didn't end up being as well-developed as I thought they could be--what about these "ferals" that we keep hearing about, are they crazed from the illness or something else, and what the heck happened outside of America throughout this entire societal collapse, and are there larger settlements outside of this very particular region that we deal with in the book, and how exactly are they managing to cultivate food without certain technological measures? Some characters felt rather woefully underdeveloped as well, and I'm sorry, but the identity of who the cult leader more than likely was was a twist I saw coming from a mile away.
Still, it was a pretty solid book. I look forward to reading more from this author sometime in the future.
Graphic: Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide and Murder
Minor: Child death and Adult/minor relationship
kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
im sleepy so no long review; the writing is very nice on the eyes and the shifting perspectives actually really enhanced the story instead of just breaking it up for forced suspense like in some books. would recommend!
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Religious bigotry, Child death, and Suicide
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Child abuse
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
curriedpeas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic and Death
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Rape
fernash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Medical content, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, and Death of parent
rmkg's review against another edition
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
pacifickat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A lot of disappointed reviewers seemed to want this book to be more than it was, the plot to follow a traditional post-apocalyptic road narrative, with characters fighting for survival in a dystopian landscape punctuated by violent encounters. However, Mandel seems to resist these expected devices, focusing instead on how humans are connected across time and space, nature and technology, and generations. The pandemic in this story demarcates a divide between past and present, a clear before and after. But, is existence more than our perceived notion of time and oir relationship to pivotal moments in history? Does a web of interconnectivity carry through all existence even when we cannot perceive it, even when the world seemingly ends? What is this reality we’re living in? Is it patterned beforehand, or only when looked at it in retrospect, like a forest ecosystem growing organically together? Can meaning and beauty miraculously arise out of mundanity and messiness? Is being briefly and beautifully alive and part of a cosmic whole enough of a miracle in itself? Do we make stories, or do the stories make us? What exists because of us, and what exists outside of us?
It’s complicated.
This seeming magic encircles and envelops conscious existence, but goes unnoticed by the humans navigating the complexities of the pre-pandemic modern world, or fighting to survive in post-pandemic reality. A repeated element of looking upward to the sky when faced with death carries throughout, perhaps searching for sufficient meaning or beauty when survival is not guaranteed and everything finally falls still. Is this akin to the sublime moment the actress dissolves into Titania on stage, her stained wedding gown becoming the adornment of a magical fairy queen?
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, and Suicide
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Child death, and Pedophilia
Minor: Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
ivelisse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Kidnapping, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Violence
Minor: Rape
daniellekat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Gun violence
Minor: Rape and Adult/minor relationship