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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Lincoln Michel doesn’t reinvent the noir novel so much as reskin it like one of the characters in The Body Scout. Michel leans hard into noir tropes with a heavy dose of sci-fi body horror and capitalist criticism, all of which blend together nicely thanks to his self-assured storytelling and excellent world-building skills. At times the satirical elements of the story fall flat, inducing eye rolls instead of the laughs I think Michel was aiming for, and I’m not sure the novel does anything wildly new, but what it does, it does well. The novel slick and atmospheric, glossy and gross, and the whole story is tinged with an uneasy wrongness that adds an extra element of thrill to the reads. Points to Michel for framing the narrative around America’s pastime to drive home the irony of it all.
Book has some very interesting premises that it eventually ends in a way that you would expect on something focuses on corporate exploitation, political corruption and the chase of the almighty dollar. A brisk, fun read from a single, first-person POV. As the boring dystopia described here becomes more and more real, you kind of get numb to the shock of "OMG the corporations can do what now?". The added element of baseball and how it interacts with all of this is a nice spin (hehe) but the book does fall into some common tropes. Still, great weekend read if you need something different but all too familiar at the same time.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I don’t care about baseball and I often don’t like this type of dystopian fiction. But this book was awesome and was a delight to read. If you’re looking for a cyberpunk novel with all the body horror you could ever want, look no further. The book maintained an optimistic and heartfelt tone even through the vividly and impeccably described capitalist, climate crisis dystopian hellscape that the characters inhabit. Normally books that envision the future this bleakly are too depressing for me but this book kept just above the depths of despair that would typically turn me off of it. I loved it!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5: A fun updated take on cyberpunk, taking the noir elements and applying technology with more of a biological focus. This is the kind of book that will either appeal to your combination of interests or will strike out.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
A wild and wonderful merging of some of America’s favorite pastimes, including but not limited to: baseball, murder mysteries, and soulless corporations.
A lot of fun -- bracingly written, hilarious. Especially if you are a baseball fan, you may appreciate this take on the future of the game -- and humanity.
A lot of fun -- bracingly written, hilarious. Especially if you are a baseball fan, you may appreciate this take on the future of the game -- and humanity.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love the inclusion of disability and hopeful/damning energy