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kaywhiteley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I enjoyed reading this and think that the messages about classism and environmental issues are very powerful. I think the author did a ton of world building and it shows.
However, this book was dense and downright confusing sometimes. It seemed like the author was trying to pack all his ideas into the book without giving them proper context and introduction. Also, there were so many parts that went way too into the weeds (like the parts going in depth about parts of the brain) and, maybe I’m just stupid, but they tended to bore and confuse me without really adding anything to the story.
I also didn’t love how Mimi was just kinda there to further along the story line and wasn’t her own complex character. She was more of a tool to further the plot than a character.
However, this book was dense and downright confusing sometimes. It seemed like the author was trying to pack all his ideas into the book without giving them proper context and introduction. Also, there were so many parts that went way too into the weeds (like the parts going in depth about parts of the brain) and, maybe I’m just stupid, but they tended to bore and confuse me without really adding anything to the story.
I also didn’t love how Mimi was just kinda there to further along the story line and wasn’t her own complex character. She was more of a tool to further the plot than a character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use and Vomit
Minor: Sexual violence
girwiththepearl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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? No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, and Classism
connnnn's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual violence
rhogregoire's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
3.0
Heavily influenced by current trash geopolitics - the US exports all it's garbage to China to deal with. Translated from Chinese; the translation is well done.
Initially, this sets up to be geopolitical SF in the intersection between technology and labor. Halfway through, it seems like it switches to a story about the merging of humans and AI.
There's almost two stories in here - one about the tech trash / labor intersect, and one about the human / tech intersect. I think the author should have picked one and developed it. Instead, we get two half-developed stories that don't mesh well. It ends up being confusing and hard to follow, especially the techobabble infodumps halfway through the book. They're related to major plot points, but they're hard to follow and I ended up losing them.
Overall it starts as a good comment on how the tech used to improve the lives of the upper class comes at the expense of the lower class and developing countries. But even though it centers so heavily around labor, it falls short of actually saying something about it to switch to the human / AI storyline. The implication that the upper class will change because the waste people helped them in a storm is unsatisfying, to say the least. I wish it had actually said something - real liberation requires the dismantling of capitalism, and the book falls well short of that.
Initially, this sets up to be geopolitical SF in the intersection between technology and labor. Halfway through, it seems like it switches to a story about the merging of humans and AI.
There's almost two stories in here - one about the tech trash / labor intersect, and one about the human / tech intersect. I think the author should have picked one and developed it. Instead, we get two half-developed stories that don't mesh well. It ends up being confusing and hard to follow, especially the techobabble infodumps halfway through the book. They're related to major plot points, but they're hard to follow and I ended up losing them.
Overall it starts as a good comment on how the tech used to improve the lives of the upper class comes at the expense of the lower class and developing countries. But even though it centers so heavily around labor, it falls short of actually saying something about it to switch to the human / AI storyline. The implication that the upper class will change because the waste people helped them in a storm is unsatisfying, to say the least. I wish it had actually said something - real liberation requires the dismantling of capitalism, and the book falls well short of that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, and Sexual violence
insomniacintheflesh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
It starts off very much rooted in reality and kind of descends into a techno-drug fueled madness - reflecting what it means to be human in an increasingly virtual world.
Sometimes it gets very technical while at other times it reads like a hallucination, so pacing varies quite a bit in my opinion.
Sometimes it gets very technical while at other times it reads like a hallucination, so pacing varies quite a bit in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Gore
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