Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

51 reviews

suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.5

Yippee out of my reading slump :D I would say the pros of this book are that the story itself was really interesting and it was honestly fast to visualize and get through. I would say this comes off less as a sci-fi and more as a thriller in my opinion (similar to Get Out the movie), but with a lot of diversity and some really smart moments. This was a blind purchase for me, and I think that is the best way to go into this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Xenophobia and Classism

cannibalism!

philosophicellie's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

• 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

This book was an amazing read. I've highlighted more than I ever thought because it kept making me think, or laugh. 

While no character is particularly lovable I think that is sort of the point, they feel realistically flawed which helps the story to flow in the right way 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Classism

dexkit10's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism and Classism

Moderate: Death and Racism

Minor: Sexual content

builtoutofbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism and Classism

andlovetoowillruinus's review against another edition

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Islamophobia and Classism

chris_reads's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

The end felt a little abrupt. Characters could be frustrating but were ultimately compelling. The prose and themes are where this book really shines though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Gore, Racial slurs, Self harm, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Alcohol

q_bert13's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

3.75

An interesting story filled with a cast of complex characters. I enjoyed Manazir Siddiqi’s writing style, and how she would include memories & events from the past to fuel the ‘present’ in the story. 

SLIGHT SPOILERS! 

However, towards the end I did not enjoy the dynamic between the MC and her (possible lover)’s father. I know it’s to emphasize the MC’s flaws and create a sense of fear/discomfort between them, but still… super creepy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Minor: Death, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Cannibalism, and Colonisation

lttlfl's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism and Classism

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Death and Racial slurs

jamiee_f's review

I loved the premise, I liked our main character, and I was so excited to understand the mystery of The Centre! Anisa was sassy and online and very millenial which I appreciated. She's even kind of an unlikeable main character, which I usually enjoy. There was good commentary on success, friendships, relationships, finding yourself, being an immigrant/child of immigrants, cultural appropriation, who has a right to write which stories, class consciousness, and I liked most of that but it was a LOT to tackle all at once. Then it just.....absolutely dragged in the last half/third.

I couldn't motivate myself to finish

after it seemed like we were slowly driving towards magic cannibalism without a real explanation, and it seemed like all our characters were on board with it. I guessed it would be some sort of cannibalism pretty early on, but by the end it felt like the metaphor of cannibalizing people's souls for cannibalizing culture got SO heavy handed but also didn't go far enough.

I looked up the ending after I met the men who created the center by paying slaves to participate and submit their bodies/souls to the process, because the book was moving too slowly, and it was no longer fun how unlikable all these characters were. I was more interested in understanding the how and why of the process, that's what I was hoping for, but it didn't feel fleshed out enough (no pun intended). I also didn't like the reveal at the end that our main character decided to dedicate her own soul to the Centre. Like...why? It was unsatisfying to me.

I wanted to like it, I wish the ending third did it for me, because the premise was so call and the first two thirds I enjoyed! I would try another work from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Slavery, Cannibalism, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

kay_chan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

My only thoughts at the end of this book is that I just wish it was more. Either darker to make it eerie, or more psychological to make it interesting. 

Disappointed that it just kind of fell flat and I had to keep going back each time I picked up the book to get reoriented. Themes were incredible!

LGBTQ FMC
Pakistani FMC 
Women in STEAM

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Content Warnings

Minor: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, and Classism

Ok so this is a HUGE SPOILER - but I feel like someone needs to mention that the 'powers' are from cannibalism just in case anyone isnt ready for the *dark* nature of content.