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peytonktracy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I have seen critique about how the writing style of this book was off, that the pacing was funky, and it could be tightened and expanded in places. While I kind of agree, I didn't have much of a problem with this because Ellis' writing style had all the je ne sais quoi of fanfiction writing, which is a writing style I am familiar with, comfortable in, and frankly adore.
I have also seen critique that our main protagonist, Cora, was passive and uninteresting. While I agree about passive, I didn't see this as poor writing, I saw this as a part of her character. I, too, in her shoes, would probably freeze up and watch and beg direction much more than act when surrounded by aliens and federal agents. It was endearing to have, I dunno, a normal person who would not be your typical heroine be our main character. And furthermore, I didn't feel the point of the book was to be a big character study of Cora or her family or even Ampersand, but a musing on how American society would react to first contact, through the actions of one particular family.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this wild ride and how thought-provoking it was about the limits and lengths of empathy, how the world might respond to learning of extraterrestrial life, and spanning a big cultural and language gap. I'm eagerly diving into book two!
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Torture and Kidnapping
stormywolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Unabridged Length: 16 Hours
Listened at 2.25x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I thought this audio successfully juggled the best of both worlds: utilizing two readers added some uniqueness to things, while the one-reader structure of Cora's story maintained familiarity. As some names and terms were unfamiliar (a common trait in sci-fi), the audio pronunciations were definitely appreciated. Though it took a little time for me to find the cadence, even at more than double speed there's still plenty of Cora's attitude coming through the narration. Seeing that the next book is adding a third reader into the mix, I'm excited to see how things progress and change, and not just in the story!
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, Car accident, Confinement, Suicide, Cursing, Genocide, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Excrement and Vomit
pineapplesurvivor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Car accident, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
meliroo's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Torture, and Kidnapping
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Torture and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide
pourrir's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Sidenote:
Graphic: Blood, Genocide, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Car accident and Violence
Minor: Abandonment
kurumipanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Death, Kidnapping, Genocide, and Colonisation
stormwise's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
I really enjoyed how the aliens were presented - I liked the main character's awareness of the human tendency to anthropomorphise. I also loved the discussion of linguistics within the text and found the way alien communication was portrayed very interesting.
I'll admit that the book took a little while to set itself up and the tone felt a bit "young adult" at the beginning, but once the action started it really picked up steam and I found myself completely absorbed. Overall I thought the writing was excellent and incredibly effective at conveying horror, tension and anxiety in certain scenes.
I'm very excited for the sequel! I'd recommend this to any sci-fi fans who like aliens, government conspiracies, and mid-2000 pop culture references.
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Gore, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gore, Kidnapping, Stalking, Vomit, and Torture
bencaroline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Stalking, Suicide, and Torture
catsy2022's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Trafficking
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Suicide