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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
3.5/5 stars, really. The dystopia world building is stronger than the mystery aspect, for sure. But I was still kept intrigued all the way through and enjoyed the book overall.
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was incredibly interesting. I picked it up because it was part of the Poolside Puzzlers goodreads reading challenge. I was pleasantly surprised.
I really liked how focused around the sci-fi/future-y aspects that were part of the mystery. How the village/island works and the AI that is part of the island was really interesting. I don't read in this genre a ton so I'm not sure if there are books like this out there, but for me this was new.It's more focused on the mystery and society aspects than any particular character, even the narrator, but it's also done in a way that works really well.
Overall, I really liked it. I'll definitely have to check out more by Turton.
I really liked how focused around the sci-fi/future-y aspects that were part of the mystery. How the village/island works and the AI that is part of the island was really interesting. I don't read in this genre a ton so I'm not sure if there are books like this out there, but for me this was new.It's more focused on the mystery and society aspects than any particular character, even the narrator, but it's also done in a way that works really well.
Overall, I really liked it. I'll definitely have to check out more by Turton.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
This is my second Stuart Turton book (my first was evelyn hardcastle) and I loved this one just as much, if not moreso.
What’s really compelling about Turton is the worlds he builds around the staple murder mystery, and how much forethought and intentionality he puts into these worlds. This isn’t a dystopia for the sake of writing a dystopian murder mystery, Turton has been very deliberate in the stakes, the isolation, the fog, the amnesia. It creates a very compelling narrative.
This I think is most evident in the storytelling point of view - ABI, the artificial intelligence. She was completely terrifying and equally heartwarming, and it was utterly ingenious to make her the focal point in which the audience explores this world. It’s a third person narrative but not, because the ‘voice of god’ in this case is defined, has it’s own motives and arguably its own feelings. It makes it nearly voyeuristic in how it feels to read, particularly in how ABI describes the thoughts and feelings of all the characters, and I was utterly obsessed.
As an aside, the amnesia as a plot device aspect was very impressive. It’s very difficult to pull off amnesia without making it feel lazy and contrived, but Turton weaves it into the plot with such ease, and wraps the stakes around it so expertly that it feels very necessary to the story at large.
This was surprising to me as it’s not just a murder mystery, or a dystopian sci-fi, it’s also very much a physiological thriller, and grapples with really intense questions, what makes us human, how do we define our own humanity? Granted, most good sci-fi books should do something like this, but so often I find this falls short. Here, it doesn't
In this, I really appreciated the focus on Emory and Clara’s relationship. Its so rare in media to find a such a nuanced but heartwarming exploration of a mother and daughter who have both failed each other, but who deeply love each other, and so whose failures do not define their relationship.
So far this year I’ve read over 100 books, and this by far is one of my favourites. I’m going to be recommending this to so many people.
What’s really compelling about Turton is the worlds he builds around the staple murder mystery, and how much forethought and intentionality he puts into these worlds. This isn’t a dystopia for the sake of writing a dystopian murder mystery, Turton has been very deliberate in the stakes, the isolation, the fog, the amnesia. It creates a very compelling narrative.
This I think is most evident in the storytelling point of view - ABI, the artificial intelligence. She was completely terrifying and equally heartwarming, and it was utterly ingenious to make her the focal point in which the audience explores this world. It’s a third person narrative but not, because the ‘voice of god’ in this case is defined, has it’s own motives and arguably its own feelings. It makes it nearly voyeuristic in how it feels to read, particularly in how ABI describes the thoughts and feelings of all the characters, and I was utterly obsessed.
As an aside, the amnesia as a plot device aspect was very impressive. It’s very difficult to pull off amnesia without making it feel lazy and contrived, but Turton weaves it into the plot with such ease, and wraps the stakes around it so expertly that it feels very necessary to the story at large.
This was surprising to me as it’s not just a murder mystery, or a dystopian sci-fi, it’s also very much a physiological thriller, and grapples with really intense questions, what makes us human, how do we define our own humanity? Granted, most good sci-fi books should do something like this, but so often I find this falls short. Here, it doesn't
In this, I really appreciated the focus on Emory and Clara’s relationship. Its so rare in media to find a such a nuanced but heartwarming exploration of a mother and daughter who have both failed each other, but who deeply love each other, and so whose failures do not define their relationship.
So far this year I’ve read over 100 books, and this by far is one of my favourites. I’m going to be recommending this to so many people.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definitely an improvement from his last book but the ending felt a bit rushed to me. Overall enjoyed the concept and world building
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
Will Stuart Turton ever disappoint me? I believe not. That was EXCELLENT (crazy thing to say for someone who doesn’t like sci fi)
Honestly overall a really incredible book that sucked me in on my holiday to Korea. Some bits and bobs weren’t 100% but overall? A really enjoyable read.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes