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thenovelmaura's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
On the flip side, the narrative itself was really drawn out (I wasn't always sure where the story was going or why I was still listening to it) and then Darren's character development pretty much came out of nowhere. He never really seemed to learn his lesson; just woke up one day and decided to change. I think this book is great in the sense that it could (and probably already has) kickstart conversations about the lack of diversity and accountability in the tech space, but it did lack the finesse to really drive those points home.
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use
acoffeeandagoodbook's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Anyone who's worked in a ridiculous start-up will recognise Sumwun. The almost cult-like atmosphere, the chaos, the firm belief that what you're doing is somehow different and special, when really, all these companies are pretty much the same. For Buck, this insidious creep of corporate bullshit is accompanied by an atmosphere of casual racism, that he is forced to excuse if wants to get ahead. The running joke throughout the novel of white people telling Buck he looks exactly like a different famous black man is both smart and funny, and does a brilliant job of showing the daily drip of the racism from his colleagues.
The pace rattles along, and I really struggled to put the book down. In fact, I ended up blasting through it in a day. As Buck inevitably begins to become enamoured by the cult of Sumwun, the money, and his charismatic boss, I almost felt like I was watching a car crash in slow motion. You know the fall is coming, but there's nothing you can do to stop it.
And when the fall comes...wow. As the novel draws to a close, things ramp up to an unhinged level. The turns the story takes towards the end are not so much plot twists and hard swerves into a completely different place. Some of these twists and turns did stretch my credulousness a little, but the novel is satirical, so it's no surprise that it's over the top in places.
This book is smart, funny, and fast-paced. It's a hell of a read.
Graphic: Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, and Torture
ecn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, and Drug abuse
literarylion's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
- Sharply satirical but not overly didactic
- Strong character development
- The first half far outshone the second, in my opinion
- Pacing seemed uneven -- very fast at some points and much slower at others, without a discernable reason
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racism, and Violence
meghopee'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Slavery, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, Cancer, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
onkenzisshelf's review
- 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? Yes
5.0
- Everything. Seriously, this book was incredible.
- This was SUCH a good look into racism and ableism in the workforce, as well as a good picture of how greed and money can change someone.
- This book made me uncomfortable and made me think, for all of the right reasons.
- I HATED the characters I was supposed to hate, and loved the ones I was supposed to love. The author rounded his characters out beautifully.
- The narrator of this one was FABULOUS. One of the best narrators I've listened to.
You Should Read If You Like:
- If you're working towards antiracism, I highly suggest this one.
- DEFINITELY look at the TWs before picking this one up.
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Ableism, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Addiction
Moderate: Torture
leah_alexandra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence