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kazik's review against another edition
- 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? No
2.75
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Medical content
Minor: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Vomit, and Gun violence
stormwise's review against another edition
2.0
My biggest gripe with this book was the pacing. With 326 pages split into 80 chapters, the narrative felt very choppy - this was occasionally effective when moving between the present and flashbacks, but overall it just made it harder to follow the story, especially as the plot picked up. Speaking of the plot, the ending was an absolute mess. The story fizzled out in a confusing collection of scenes that we are mostly told about rather than shown, in which
I have certain expectations of contemporary social dystopian novels, especially those aimed at adults. One of those expectations is a certain degree of Intersectionality. Dalcher includes gay and lesbian (side) characters and examines what happens to them under the Pure regime, but fails to include trans people - which I would be more forgiving of if she hadn't chosen to have her protagonist use the acronym 'LGBTQIA'. If you're just going to focus on the L and G, why even mention the rest?
I was annoyed further by the fact that Dalcher is clearly aware of the issue of intersectionality - halfway through the book,
I'm not saying that I wanted to see black or trans people (or any other marginalised group) being treated badly in fiction, but it felt disingenuous that a plot device rooted so deeply in Conservative American values was for all intents and purposes merely sexist and homophobic, and not racist and transphobic.
Overall this book felt more like an exploration of the science and philosophy of the concept than an actual novel. The first few chapters of world building were very engaging but once the plot kicked it, it all fell apart.
Graphic: Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Torture, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty
kleindoeil's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Too many feels crossing my mind after this read but mainly anger and sparks to fight for the rights of everyone and for the end of toxic masculinity
Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexism, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical content, Infidelity, Homophobia, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
btrz7's review
3.75
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, and Suicide