Reviews with content warning for Death - Finna

This is a very quick read/ listen and it is definitely adventurous and funny but there is a lot that goes underdeveloped.

Amazing job in terms of diverse characters and intersectionality. One of the main characters (Jules) for example, is a neurodivergent black, nonbinary child of immigrants.

Speaking of Jules, I related to them so much especially with their constant “that’s so cool!” with their mind going from one thing to another, and how they feel they always mess things up.

Short books are perfectly fine and while we did learn enough to get a picture of who Ava and Jules are, we knew they’d been in a relationship and why they broke up but I still for the most part could not establish any sort of dynamic between them other than their connection through work and bickering recently broken up partners.

I like how the ending is left open in this case which is something that does not always feel right to me. I definitely would read a sequel or other related book.

Also completely unrelated to my rating, I was laughing reading the reviews and how almost everyone mentioned Ikea yet I completely was oblivious to that having been the setting 😅. I know of Ikea and think I have been to one once but don’t remember much.

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a2_rache11's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

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rhi_'s review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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shugentobler's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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skeuomorphism's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

4.0

a really entertaining read! loved the portrayal of jules and ava's relationship. the painfully awkward and raw post-breakup times were really well-written. and the description of litenvärld which sounds like a potent corporate-flavoured mix of ikea and meow wolf's omega mart. kinda wish the book was longer so that we could all learn more about the litenverse and am i so glad about defekt's existence!

+ i'm not going to pretend that i am So Normal about ambiguous/open endings. they leave you stranded on a cliff above what if sea but the view is so so sexy!!!! like this ending. when i got to the chapter where ava went to jules' i was terrified that it'd be deus ex machinaed with them coming out of a wormhole but no. instead the story tenderly hands the reins to ava. which says something VERY LOUDLY about the theme of fate, relationships, and character development, etc.
food for thought

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jballin47's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A great novella, short and fast-paced to get anyone out of reading slump. The dystopian Ikea multiverse setting has real Aperture Science vibes which makes for a fun and sometimes terrifying backdrop for a queer couple dealing with the fallout of their break-up amidst saving a grandmother. Like many good novellas, this one wastes no time over-explaining its lore and focuses heavily on its loveable protagonists.

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