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chicken_steadicam's review
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault
simonefk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The story itself is interesting. Our protagonist, Anisa is told about an exclusive language learning course at 'The Centre' where you can become fluent in any language in ten days. I loved the first half of this book and I do wish we spent more time at The Centre, the second half is Anisa trying to figure out how the centre works, how it is possible to become fluent in a language in ten days.
I liked Anisa's voice, yes she is flawed but I like that. Her views and situations around feminism, race, culture, religion and class were insightful. Her relationships, again flawed, her expectations of friendship, perhaps too much but I like the perspective of a woman who is messy and human.
4 stars out of 5 because the story kind of loses it's way towards the end, I feel like it was unfinished and messy. It does get really quite strange and almost as though the author ran out if steam but regardless I'm still glad I read The Centre and would recommend it.
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, and Islamophobia
philosophicellie's review against another edition
- 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
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
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Classism
fearisthevibekiller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Xenophobia and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexual assault
cassielaj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
At 50%, I thought we were finally getting to something decent.
By 75%, I was finishing this out of spite.
This book is all kinds of confused about the story it’s telling. The majority of it is just the story of a woman unhappy with her life and striving for more. There’s a whisper of a “thriller,” until it smacks you across the face at about 85% and then ends so abruptly and with such an obvious cop-out that I feel nothing but annoyed that I spent the day reading this. And frustrated that it really could’ve done something. Take out everything about her weird ex (who is set up to be way more important than he is) and her best friend’s business and relationship (which is probably the best-developed content but totally irrelevant) and you have a 20-page short horror story with a decent premise, a wild twist, and an obvious ending. I’m annoyed that this book tried to do so many things (cultural critique, class & colonization discussion, womanhood, etc.) that could’ve been good but did them so poorly.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content
pkinzw's review
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Cannibalism
anditsreal's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
chris_reads's review
- 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
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
parissummerreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, and Cannibalism
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
angelkisses's review
I think it's a bit confused but ultimately very readable!
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
Minor: Sexual assault