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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
[b:The Golden Compass|119322|The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)|Philip Pullman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1290482272s/119322.jpg|1536771] as hard-boiled noir set in Johannesburg. Liked the voice.
Bechdel pass on the basis of Zinzi's discussions with the Stork and with the foster-mom when searching for Song, but it's noticeable that all her major relationships in the book are with men. She has ex-lovers and present lovers but apparently no friends.
Bechdel pass on the basis of Zinzi's discussions with the Stork and with the foster-mom when searching for Song, but it's noticeable that all her major relationships in the book are with men. She has ex-lovers and present lovers but apparently no friends.
I can absolutely see why this book gets some of the more glowing reviews that it does. I thought it was interesting, well written, pretty unique, and even brutally honest about some painful truths of the world we live in. My main criticism would be that the ending didn't seem terribly compelling. And unfortunately for me, it just wasn't really my kind of book, hence only three stars.
This was a really good read. I especially admire the setting and the concept. Beukes creates such a rich, wild, and heartbreaking world. I bought into it immediately. Zinzi is a challenging character. She truly occupies a liminal space, a kind of moral gray area, and makes plenty of questionable choices. It makes her adventures seem real and the stakes are always high. It had a good amount of suspense and a wide variety of characters. I am definitely going to check out her other books.
Urban fantasy meets detective novel with a lil' third-world spice thrown in. The end feels a bit rushed, but it's a fantastic setting, with complicated characters.
Eh. I liked it more for the non American setting than anything intrinsic to the book itself.
DNF at 13%... what in tarnation are you trying to get me to believe here. This book lives on planet crazy. I could not stick with it.
You won't believe how relieved I am to finally finish this book (took me from February til July).
Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the book - it just wasn't for me.
The magical realism and the idea of people becoming Zoos really fascinates me. The plot points and the twists and turns were interesting enough for me to keep reading - but Zinzi as a main character (and also all the other characters in this book) did not interest me enough to keep reading after being 2/3rds in and experiencing a slight reading slump in March. The writing stylse also wasn't my favorite. But because the plot itself sounded interesting enough I pushed myself to finally finish it - and I am so glad I did finish it during the Reading Rush.
Another negative for me was the editing of the book - the way blog posts, emails and messages were layed out and edited bothered me. The different fonts and styles interrupted my reading flow and made me want to put the book down regularly.
All in all: A cool idea with a mediocre execution (and a main character that didn't hold my interst).
Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the book - it just wasn't for me.
The magical realism and the idea of people becoming Zoos really fascinates me. The plot points and the twists and turns were interesting enough for me to keep reading - but Zinzi as a main character (and also all the other characters in this book) did not interest me enough to keep reading after being 2/3rds in and experiencing a slight reading slump in March. The writing stylse also wasn't my favorite. But because the plot itself sounded interesting enough I pushed myself to finally finish it - and I am so glad I did finish it during the Reading Rush.
Another negative for me was the editing of the book - the way blog posts, emails and messages were layed out and edited bothered me. The different fonts and styles interrupted my reading flow and made me want to put the book down regularly.
All in all: A cool idea with a mediocre execution (and a main character that didn't hold my interst).
Qué bueno es. Realidad alternativa africana noir con familiares animales. Si con esto no te vale para querer leerla, no eres mi amigo.
While the concept was imaginative, the world was a dark one and the lead character was more of an anti-hero/victim than hero. Most of the characters are nasty types and the really bad ones get way. Not even a remotely happy ending in sight. I can see why it won the Tiptree award, it's similar in content to many of hers. As for the others?
I had read this before and forgot it until the reread, hopefully never again.
I had read this before and forgot it until the reread, hopefully never again.