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historyoftape's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Maybe reading darker books on airplanes will be a new habit. In any case I read this in one day of travel, which was unexpected for me as I thought this might be a book I'd have to sit with some more. It definitely covers some themes that will haunt me for a while, but at the same time the style is more quiet and calm so I felt like I had the time to think about things without being distracted by action or too many twists. There were twists, don't get me wrong, and action, but probably due to the main character's quietness and detatchedness they were less the forefront.
I enjoyed how more and more bits and pieces of the characters stories are revealed as time passes on, and how some decisions make more sense in hindsight with the new knowledge I gained. This book also did a really good job at making morally grey characters lovable, and even evil ones likeable. As it says at one point, no amount of loving anyone will make them a better/good person.
All in all I really liked this, even though it is not the genre I usually go for :)
I enjoyed how more and more bits and pieces of the characters stories are revealed as time passes on, and how some decisions make more sense in hindsight with the new knowledge I gained. This book also did a really good job at making morally grey characters lovable, and even evil ones likeable. As it says at one point, no amount of loving anyone will make them a better/good person.
All in all I really liked this, even though it is not the genre I usually go for :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Medical content, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual content, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Spyware, being monitored by an implantbrilee92's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Kidnapping
Minor: Addiction, Blood, Violence, Confinement, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Murder
katenovah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Sexual content, Blood, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Child death, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Violence
bookish_hollyx's review
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Murder
Minor: Blood
alienexpert's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A decent dystopian novel with a common anti-tech theme. The characters and their backgrounds bring a realistic complexity to them, and knowing what is right or wrong. Roth’s writing felt a little odd to me, but it may also have been a cognitive choice to withhold small information from the reader to be revealed in a later chapter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Blood, and Suicide
annamorgan27's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Blood, Child death, Death, Violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
**Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
When I saw that one of the "classic" dystopian authors was releasing a new dystopian, I was excited to check it out - and very excited to get an advanced copy! I know that some people still hold Allegiant against Roth, but while it definitely wasn't my favourite series ending, I don't hold any grudges about it. I was excited for an adult dystopian!
This book was kind of a dystopian crossed with a mystery, with a lot of social and political commentary. It had a really good combination of these things, and I did really like the commentary. There were some really interesting things said and discussed between characters, or just commented on by the main character.
The one thing I was kind of excited about, even though it was so small, is that this book is set in the Pacific North West - or I guess what would have been it? - and it mentions places like Portland, Seattle, and even Vancouver! It was kind of exciting to see a Canadian city included - oh the small things that make us happy! I did also really like the writing of the book, and how short it was. Roth was able to pack so much into a shorter novel without missing anything integral to the story.
I did really enjoy the story, but I admit there were just a couple things that made me not give it a higher rating. Even though I loved how short the story was, there were a couple parts that felt almost like filler. We got a lot of background information, or more details on the way the new dystopia works - as one has taken over after a different one - but some of those sections made things drag just a little. I almost wish the pace had been kept up a bit more, especially through certain sections.
I also guessed a couple of the twists. Don't get me wrong! There are some absolutely fantastic twists and reveals throughout the book that I did NOT see coming - two that I could name right away as being fantastic twists in the book! But there were a couple others that felt a little predictable. And the ending, well, I have very mixed feelings on it. While it was the type of ending that I wanted for so many other dystopians I read during the height of that genre, it felt a little lackluster for this story.
But perhaps my biggest reason I couldn't rate this higher is that the characters weren't as developed as I would have liked them to be. I couldn't ever fully get a grasp on Sonya. She didn't feel developed enough for me to really have feelings about her through the story. The same went for Alexander, even the other side characters. I think somehow the ones that were developed were characters who were integral to the story but had such short little moments. It was a strange combination.
Overall though, if you are looking for a plot-focused dystopian that has some great twists and brings you back to the dystopian novels that we used to read - it will deliver on those fronts, in a short novel even!!
When I saw that one of the "classic" dystopian authors was releasing a new dystopian, I was excited to check it out - and very excited to get an advanced copy! I know that some people still hold Allegiant against Roth, but while it definitely wasn't my favourite series ending, I don't hold any grudges about it. I was excited for an adult dystopian!
This book was kind of a dystopian crossed with a mystery, with a lot of social and political commentary. It had a really good combination of these things, and I did really like the commentary. There were some really interesting things said and discussed between characters, or just commented on by the main character.
The one thing I was kind of excited about, even though it was so small, is that this book is set in the Pacific North West - or I guess what would have been it? - and it mentions places like Portland, Seattle, and even Vancouver! It was kind of exciting to see a Canadian city included - oh the small things that make us happy! I did also really like the writing of the book, and how short it was. Roth was able to pack so much into a shorter novel without missing anything integral to the story.
I did really enjoy the story, but I admit there were just a couple things that made me not give it a higher rating. Even though I loved how short the story was, there were a couple parts that felt almost like filler. We got a lot of background information, or more details on the way the new dystopia works - as one has taken over after a different one - but some of those sections made things drag just a little. I almost wish the pace had been kept up a bit more, especially through certain sections.
I also guessed a couple of the twists. Don't get me wrong! There are some absolutely fantastic twists and reveals throughout the book that I did NOT see coming - two that I could name right away as being fantastic twists in the book! But there were a couple others that felt a little predictable. And the ending, well, I have very mixed feelings on it. While it was the type of ending that I wanted for so many other dystopians I read during the height of that genre, it felt a little lackluster for this story.
But perhaps my biggest reason I couldn't rate this higher is that the characters weren't as developed as I would have liked them to be. I couldn't ever fully get a grasp on Sonya. She didn't feel developed enough for me to really have feelings about her through the story. The same went for Alexander, even the other side characters. I think somehow the ones that were developed were characters who were integral to the story but had such short little moments. It was a strange combination.
Overall though, if you are looking for a plot-focused dystopian that has some great twists and brings you back to the dystopian novels that we used to read - it will deliver on those fronts, in a short novel even!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
The suicides are referenced back to, and they are drug overdose related.
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