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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
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
Content Warnings
Minor: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, and Classism
melliedm's review
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Cultural appropriation
thehannahclaire's review
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Cannibalism
Moderate: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Islamophobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
emilywemily6's review
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
I was underwhelmed by this book based on my expectations. In general I found a lot to like about it, but felt that it was neither comic nor a true horror novel, as this book was described. It felt much more like a literary fiction novel with a sprinkle of horror elements. There wasn’t much suspense throughout the story even though the truth was hinted at being mysterious the whole time. I wasn’t even phased when the truth came out. I didn’t like particularly like the main character and found that she became more hypocritical throughout the book, like she was trying so hard to appear woke but then failed to see her own classist/racist/etc. shortcomings. The narrative felt very intimate, but because my dislike increased throughout the book for the main character, that intimacy was not my favorite. I found the discussions on language/linguistics interesting, and also the basic premise of The Centre. I also like how the narrative showed that the main character was actually recording for The Centre. The novels she translated also sounded super interesting! The ending was anticlimactic though, and her decision in the end didn’t really fit with her character up until that point in the story. I think I was hoping for more suspense and horror throughout this book, and even the big reveal was lacking. If you love literary fiction and want to tread lightly into horror, this is for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Drug use, Pedophilia, and Medical content
mcluster1's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This was such an interesting read. It is in a similar vein as bable, but modern and feminist sci-fi take. This was almost a 5 star for me, but I felt like the ending was a little unsatisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Xenophobia, and Cannibalism
samanthaleereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Drug use, Islamophobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Gore
jennystout21's review
dark
mysterious
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
4.25
A fast moving, well-written book with a deeply intriguing plot...that, unfortunately didn't have the payoff I was hoping for. Worth reading if you like dark thrillers about race, gender, and identity.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Cannibalism
sabrinaleaf's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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? No
2.5
2.5 ⭐️
I dont recommend the audiobook, especially if you tend to zone out sometimes, The Center has a tendency to jump from one thing to another very quickly. I had a hard time keeping up. And when I finally thought we were getting somewhere with the ending, it ended abruptly, with little to no resolution.
All in all, I wanted a better ending and for The titular Center to have more of a presence in the story.
I dont recommend the audiobook, especially if you tend to zone out sometimes, The Center has a tendency to jump from one thing to another very quickly. I had a hard time keeping up. And when I finally thought we were getting somewhere with the ending, it ended abruptly, with little to no resolution.
All in all, I wanted a better ending and for The titular Center to have more of a presence in the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexism
btaylorb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this, it's incredibly dark and has a leisurely, lush tone that contrasts well with the sense of high tension every time the main character goes to The Center. As always in a good horror novel, this story uses those glimpses at the monster behind the curtain to shed light on things that are truly horrific: racism (particularly through the supremacy of the Western canon and Western European language), classism, and sexism. Meanwhile the body horror, when it's revealed is more subdued. There's also a really good red herring early on that I would occasionally remember throughout the story and then gradually forget about. I loved how flawed and earnest the main character is: She is by turns introspective and aware of her privilege as she delves into why she's so unhappy, but also often blind and uncaring toward other characters.
I thought the use of different languages throughout, in particular Urdu, the MC's first language, was really well executed. I listened to the audio version where the Urdu dialogue is read by the narrator, but as far as I can tell they're not always translated for the listener. Apparently, these sections are also not delineated by italics in the physical or ebook editions. I think this is such a clever way to create a sense of intimacy with the characters and reinforce some of what the book is exploring around language and communication. I don't feel at all like I lost anything by not understanding those few sections. In the final section of the audiobook, the author gives an interview where she talks about the idea that if you don't understand something, it might just not be meant for you, and that's okay - and this is sometimes a central point of the story.
Also noteworthy: There's one passage toward the end where a racial slur gets bleeped in the narration of the audio. I'm going to glance at the physical copy at my library, because I'm curious if it's similarly censored in some way in the text. I would love to know if this was an authorial choice or an editorial one for the audio edition; I'm hopeful it's the former because, given the premise, I think that's an interesting and powerful detail.
I thought the use of different languages throughout, in particular Urdu, the MC's first language, was really well executed. I listened to the audio version where the Urdu dialogue is read by the narrator, but as far as I can tell they're not always translated for the listener. Apparently, these sections are also not delineated by italics in the physical or ebook editions. I think this is such a clever way to create a sense of intimacy with the characters and reinforce some of what the book is exploring around language and communication. I don't feel at all like I lost anything by not understanding those few sections. In the final section of the audiobook, the author gives an interview where she talks about the idea that if you don't understand something, it might just not be meant for you, and that's okay - and this is sometimes a central point of the story.
Also noteworthy: There's one passage toward the end where a racial slur gets bleeped in the narration of the audio. I'm going to glance at the physical copy at my library, because I'm curious if it's similarly censored in some way in the text. I would love to know if this was an authorial choice or an editorial one for the audio edition; I'm hopeful it's the former because, given the premise, I think that's an interesting and powerful detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Body horror, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, and Classism
Minor: Gore, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Islamophobia
crgrace's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Classism