Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Centre

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

69 reviews

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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joduewekeperez's review

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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skogsheks's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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melaniereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective 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? It's complicated

2.75

I enjoyed the writing of this book immensely. The language used was so beautiful.
The premise was intriguing, but felt too little explored. The ending also felt a bit rushed and fell flat in my opinion.

Overall this book touches on a plethora of very important topics not every author is willing to explore and I'm very interested to see, what else the obviousl very talented author can come up with! Reading this was a blast, despite a few issues I had with the story itself.

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queersubtext's review

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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lttlfl's review against another edition

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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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kay_chan's review against another edition

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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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dianadelacruisin's review

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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seventhswan's review

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dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

I borrowed this book from the library knowing absolutely nothing about it, and I was pleasantly surprised! I often find it difficult to suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy speculative fiction, but the horror/sci-fi element of The Centre was simple and internally consistent enough for me to almost believe it could happen in real life. I understand how that could turn some readers off - it's not a concept that felt super new or out-there, nor was it the be-all-end-all of the story - but for me it added to the horror and got me thinking more than I expected once I finished reading.

It took a little while for the plot to properly get going, but once it did I was captivated. Few of the characters are people I'd like to spend time with but they felt very real, and I found myself caring what happened to them despite this. I also found myself sympathising with characters' actions more than I would have liked and asking myself questions I hadn't considered before.

I could buy the

dubiously-consensual-cannibalism,

but I couldn't buy that the main characters were 35. They all behaved like they were in their mid 20s at most. This and a few other strange details took me out of the story in places. But overall I really enjoyed The Centre, and I'd love to read more work from this author.

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melliedm's review

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challenging dark reflective 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

5.0

A dark, messy look at legacy, language, colonialism, and patriarchy, and what it means to consume and be consumed.

A part of me wanted to stay in this narrative for another 200 pages, but it truly does end in a powerful place, leaving us with the questions of what Anisa has observed vs what she has learned.

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