Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
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:
Complicated
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the premise and the diversity of queer characters, but it felt a bit too try-hard and lacking in subtlety. It felt a bit too YA for me, but it was an easy read at least
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When one of my book clubs decided to read Yours for the Taking and this, I wasn't super excited because I didn't remember YftT fondly, though I couldn't remember why. As I got further into this book, I started to remember as all of the things I didn't like about the first book are still present here.
Both of these books read like Korn has a lot of ideas about and is very fascinated with this dystopian world riddled by both the after-effects of climate change and the callous inhumanity of the billionaire class. And while some of those ideas are interesting, they never really get explored in interesting, in-depth ways. The developments are very shallow and obvious and the characters at the center of them are pretty similar. Like the antagonist in YftT, the "bad guys" in Shutouts are almost cartoonishly villainous. The big difference here as that they're all men and all portrayals of toxic masculinity, each representing different flavors of abuse of the women around them. It's rough.
None of it feels like enough to actually build a book around. There isn't really a story. In the end, it's more like an extended world-building document.
Both of these books read like Korn has a lot of ideas about and is very fascinated with this dystopian world riddled by both the after-effects of climate change and the callous inhumanity of the billionaire class. And while some of those ideas are interesting, they never really get explored in interesting, in-depth ways. The developments are very shallow and obvious and the characters at the center of them are pretty similar. Like the antagonist in YftT, the "bad guys" in Shutouts are almost cartoonishly villainous. The big difference here as that they're all men and all portrayals of toxic masculinity, each representing different flavors of abuse of the women around them. It's rough.
None of it feels like enough to actually build a book around. There isn't really a story. In the end, it's more like an extended world-building document.
I loved getting to know these queer characters navigating the end of the civilized world even if I ended up having some crazy dreams bc the destruction of earth by humans was a little too realistic/terrifying.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated