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nancyalligood's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
indoorg1rl's review against another edition
4.0
Alice was a 30-something woman with an IQ of 159 (almost a genius) who communicated with her mother in Morse code. With the climate crisis ending the world, wealthy immigrants were flocking to New Zealand for shelter, stealing land, driving up food prices and taking over. But Alice was more worried about hating her best friend’s husband, quitting her dull day job and dealing with the return of her imaginary friend. Then she met Erika, a 15-year-old genius who was the daughter of a hot ‘wealthugee’ she was dating, and she was suddenly drawn into a dangerous new world.
I was sold as soon I saw the word ‘bizarre’. Bonus points that this was set in a near-future dystopian NZ. It somehow made sense to me that NZ would be the ‘last paradise’ standing when the rest of the world went under. I was fully immersed in the setting, and Alice’s ‘head’.
Alice’s struggle to deal with trivial things while the world around her was falling apart was so interesting to follow! And scarily enough, I could imagine this happening in real life! With the slow demise of climate crisis, people would do whatever required to survive till the end.
I’m so glad I jumped into this blind, as I did not expect where this story was going at all, and I had a blast! It was unexpectedly funny and action-packed. The audiobook was performed well, and it was so easy to follow. I never knew there was a sub-genre called satirical dystopian cli-fi thriller, and now I want more!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
jess_bee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
harrahdf's review against another edition
5.0
My Year of Rest and Relaxation - 9/11 + climate crisis*(cathartic vengeance/the ultimate powerlessness of the middle to lower classes in the face of entitled wealth)
jpi's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
Strange little book but I loved the author’s voice and writing and will be seeking out more from her. If you like a hard to love, but still somehow do anti-hero—this one is for you.
katy_f's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
swalk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Set in a dystopian future where water scarcity grips New Zealand, Alice's childhood imaginary friend, Simp has returned. Her current life is unfulfilling and Alice is jaded as the world crumbles around her. So when she meets a handsome wealthugee from Hong Kong - Pablo, he could be the perfect man to take her mind off things and treat her to a good time.
I absolutely loved the character of Alice, the writing is incredible and she is totally believable whilst still being funny. The twists in the plot are great and really well executed. Just when you think things are weird enough, it just gets more bizarre, which I absolutely loved.
The narration is delivered with impeccable skill, enhancing the immersive experience. Overall, this book offers a captivating blend of imagination, suspense, humour and expert storytelling that will leave readers thoroughly entertained!
I absolutely loved the character of Alice, the writing is incredible and she is totally believable whilst still being funny. The twists in the plot are great and really well executed. Just when you think things are weird enough, it just gets more bizarre, which I absolutely loved.
The narration is delivered with impeccable skill, enhancing the immersive experience. Overall, this book offers a captivating blend of imagination, suspense, humour and expert storytelling that will leave readers thoroughly entertained!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
metallicbranch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lindsirae's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
dreamerbydesign's review against another edition
I did not care for the characters or the plot. It's not that the characters themselves were unlikeable (although some were), but there was no development or reason for why they behave in the way that they do. I did not care about them and did not want to see what happens to them. Their actions were not even in line with their character development thus far and it seemed like they were only behaving in that way to move the plot forward. Very exposition heavy and yet I learnt nothing substantial about the characters or the world. It was also very slow paced and I had no idea where this story was going because there was no plot or character development by the mid-point.