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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Transphobia, Forced institutionalization
Beukes creates a world that I wished was a series instead of standalone. It is a great standalone though. People that have committed a crime get an animal - this sets them apart, and in the case of Johannesburg, they go to a neighbourhood the gets the name of Zoo City. Zinzi is one of the most morally corrupt female characters I have read (as main characters) but she is far from unlikable. She makes money from scams and there is a reason why she has Sloth. Her other job is finding missing things - besides the animals, they get a magical power. Hers is to be able to find things.
The worldbuilding is great; you get mini-chapters that are articles in magazines and academic journals, snips of documentaries, interviews and so on which give a really good view of how the Animals have affected the world.
A really good read!
The worldbuilding is great; you get mini-chapters that are articles in magazines and academic journals, snips of documentaries, interviews and so on which give a really good view of how the Animals have affected the world.
A really good read!
This is such a fascinating, weird, dark book. I love the atmosphere, the near future aspect, the little pieces of worldly ephemera that add depth and strangeness. I'd read more set in this particular world.
2.5 stars
I really liked the original premise of this South Africa-set urban fantasy: when a person commits a serious crime, they magically obtain an Animal, which is sort of a companion and living representation of their guilt. There are a lot of theories about why this is happening and when it first started, but when the book is set, those with Animals are being driven into slums and have difficulty finding good jobs and homes (and in some countries are killed or imprisoned). The Animal is also sort of a guardian against a mysterious and deadly force called the Undertow, which takes a person if their Animal is killed.
It's a very unique premise, and I liked learning about all of the aspects of this concept, but unfortunately I didn't like the story itself nearly as much. I found all of the characters to be very unlikable, but not necessarily in interesting ways (I don't mind unlikable main characters as long as they're done well) and the story meandered quite a bit before (in my opinion) a really unpleasant and unsatisfying ending. I wouldn't really recommend this one, and I don't think I'll be picking up more from this author in the future. I like urban fantasy and am always looking for UF with a unique premise, but this was a disappointment for me.
I really liked the original premise of this South Africa-set urban fantasy: when a person commits a serious crime, they magically obtain an Animal, which is sort of a companion and living representation of their guilt. There are a lot of theories about why this is happening and when it first started, but when the book is set, those with Animals are being driven into slums and have difficulty finding good jobs and homes (and in some countries are killed or imprisoned). The Animal is also sort of a guardian against a mysterious and deadly force called the Undertow, which takes a person if their Animal is killed.
It's a very unique premise, and I liked learning about all of the aspects of this concept, but unfortunately I didn't like the story itself nearly as much. I found all of the characters to be very unlikable, but not necessarily in interesting ways (I don't mind unlikable main characters as long as they're done well) and the story meandered quite a bit before (in my opinion) a really unpleasant and unsatisfying ending. I wouldn't really recommend this one, and I don't think I'll be picking up more from this author in the future. I like urban fantasy and am always looking for UF with a unique premise, but this was a disappointment for me.
This was not a coherent book. I loved the world she created but I didn't understand enough of what was going on, really... But I read it over a long period of time, so maybe that's part of it?
I really enjoyed this. I think Beukes writes well and I really like her gritty characters. The concept of the "animaled" really intrigued me - would love to read more about this world.
Yet another really good book where everything but the main mystery is really compelling, which I knew from the reviews to expect.
Really liked this one. There are a lot of overlapping plot ideas that somewhat cohere at the end (which wraps up a little *too* neatly, in a gruesome way). It is vaguely reminiscent of Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials, except the protagonist carries an animal with her because she is a criminal.
Oufff.... Un concept tellement prometteur et un excellent début pour ensuite, à partir de la centième page environ, glisser lentement et ensuite de plus en plus rapidement vers une histoire qui fait bien peu de sens. Le seul point positif est clairement le concept, malheureusement mal exploité. POints négatifs: style d'écriture banal mais passable, un univers qui n'arrive pas à bien se mettre en place, des personnes auxquels on est incapable de s'attacher tellement ils sont vides, une intrigue tirée par les cheveux et sans intérêt. Ce livre est une série de longue déception. Une idée bien mal exploitée et un livre qui ne vaut pas votre temps! À éviter!
Lauren Beukes is becoming one of my favorite authors. She is a dark, gritty writer. She tells the story so well and I love how everything unfolds. I hope that she writes another book with Zinzi and her sloth. I really liked her story and would love to read more about her ability to find missing things. Can't wait to read her next book!