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kaylasbewks's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: War
emmagreenwood's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicide
pacifickat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
5.0
*review pending*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Grief
Minor: Mental illness and Alcohol
Child neglect, memory problems, hallucinations, difficulty discerning realitymaeverose's review
4.0
This took a long time - about half the book - to grow on me. Up to that point it was very ‘meh’. But then once the stronger sci-fi elements came in I didn’t want to put it down, and the first half became more interesting in hindsight.
I don’t want to say too much, I think it’s better to go into it not knowing much. If you like sci fi stories that involve a mystery but mainly focus on characters, their relationships, and mundane aspects of people’s lives, I would recommend. I found the writing style very easy to read as well, not confusing or difficult as sci-fi books can be for me sometimes, especially with my adhd brain.
The main content warning I would give for this, in the least spoilery way possible: it involves questioning reality. I didn’t personally feel like it was done in a triggering way. It doesn’t dwell on it too much. But if that’s an especially triggering topic for you then that’s something to keep in mind. The spoiler version:It’s a ‘life is a simulation’ situation. It’s never fully confirmed in the book that this is the case, but it’s strongly suggested.
I don’t want to say too much, I think it’s better to go into it not knowing much. If you like sci fi stories that involve a mystery but mainly focus on characters, their relationships, and mundane aspects of people’s lives, I would recommend. I found the writing style very easy to read as well, not confusing or difficult as sci-fi books can be for me sometimes, especially with my adhd brain.
The main content warning I would give for this, in the least spoilery way possible: it involves questioning reality. I didn’t personally feel like it was done in a triggering way. It doesn’t dwell on it too much. But if that’s an especially triggering topic for you then that’s something to keep in mind. The spoiler version:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Xenophobia, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Colonisation
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Drug use
Ptsd flashback involving dismembered bodies - not described in graphic detail. Questioning of reality:moriahleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
emilywemily6's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
I really enjoyed this book! The author’s writing is really captivating and I loved how all the storylines connected. This was strange sci fi but in a more approachable way than other strange sci fi novels (ex. Annihilation). I also really like the things that I reflected on as the reader and the things that the characters learned through their experiences. I just wish I had more of everything this novel has! More character depth for some of the characters that were skimped out on and more details about the impacts of time travel would have made this perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed myself the whole time I listened to this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, War, Vomit, and Alcohol
sramac's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, Grief, Vomit, Suicide, Pandemic/Epidemic, War, and Death
shesreadingagain_'s review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
I am writing this review after just finishing the book and I have a feeling this book is going to stick with me.
The author not so abstractly asks the reader to consider humanity in a time of inhumanity. Would you try to save someone by any means necessary if it means you will suffer unbearable consequences? I did not know what I was walking to and I feel like it had a deeper impact not knowing. Wow. The ending was so perfect. Man. My head is spinning and I absolutely loved this.
The author not so abstractly asks the reader to consider humanity in a time of inhumanity. Would you try to save someone by any means necessary if it means you will suffer unbearable consequences? I did not know what I was walking to and I feel like it had a deeper impact not knowing. Wow. The ending was so perfect. Man. My head is spinning and I absolutely loved this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, and Death
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow, what an extraordinary novel. Time travel novels seem really hard to do without glaring anomalies in the timeline. I’m in awe of people who even try to come up with such complex stories. (The Time Traveler’s Wife is a successful one.)
The feel of the book is like Mandel’s Station Eleven - so many tiny revelations of connection and meaning. The format is like David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas where the first and last sections are the same story, the second and next-to-last are the same story, and so on, finally meeting in the middle. It’s a fascinating way to tell a tale - there are so many subtle intricacies.
I enjoyed Mandel’s sardonic humor in her references to what clearly had been her own experience: being queried at readings in 2020-2021 about her prescient pandemic storyline in Station Eleven, her bewilderment that her first books passed under the radar till Station Eleven hit it big and she was suddenly famous.
I think this book is just fabulous. It’s a beautiful story about humanity across the centuries.
The feel of the book is like Mandel’s Station Eleven - so many tiny revelations of connection and meaning. The format is like David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas where the first and last sections are the same story, the second and next-to-last are the same story, and so on, finally meeting in the middle. It’s a fascinating way to tell a tale - there are so many subtle intricacies.
I enjoyed Mandel’s sardonic humor in her references to what clearly had been her own experience: being queried at readings in 2020-2021 about her prescient pandemic storyline in Station Eleven, her bewilderment that her first books passed under the radar till Station Eleven hit it big and she was suddenly famous.
I think this book is just fabulous. It’s a beautiful story about humanity across the centuries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, Colonisation, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
jessiejonesbentley's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Alcohol, Abandonment, Grief, Murder, and Death