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sagemage's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-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? No
4.25
bibliodefiled's review
5.0
Honestly probably the best science fiction book I've ever read. Each chapter is simultaneously sad and a beautiful tribute to the resilience of humanity and its spirit. I tend not to reread books, but I can definitely see myself reading it again in the future.
jlmyatt's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
timna_wyckoff's review
4.0
This was really impressive. The story is well-crafted (loved encountering the connections between chapters), sweeping (across centuries and millennia), and insightful about what a plague and climate change might do to human society (and wow is it dark!). The science-fiction related to the origin and pathology of the virus actually struck me as unnecessary and a bit over-done, because the rest felt so possible (and did I mention dark? like -- believable, but yikes).
ladyhunbun's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A really interesting view of individual stories and dynamic characters. I do wish we could have spent more time with some of the characters but liked that we got almost an overhead fire of the world in the aftermath of a pandemic so like our own.
Graphic: Terminal illness and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Grief, Child death, Death of parent, Chronic illness, and Death
lnbarone's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
theaudioauditor's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
intorilex's review
4.0
Do you want to cry while reading? Then this is 100% the book for you. This series of interconnected stories explored the many ways that humans can grieve each other and themselves. Humanity faces a plague it cannot contain nor cure, and must grapple with the changing world that creates.
The author paints intimate portraits about how people choose to face death when they are powerless to change or stop it. This world includes luxury hotels that assist families in saying goodbye before they cremate their loved ones. A City of Laughter where young dying children can spend their last moments on roller coasters instead of wasting away in pain was the saddest part of the book for me.
“And what happens to us when we leave our world? Children were trained to answer, 'we become everything that we pass until we become the thing we created.”
The great character development and world building made me think of almost every intimate relationship that I've had in my life. The science fiction elements were well fleshed out and led to more answers about exactly led to this global plague then I was expecting. The only reason it took so long for me to finish was because I had to brace myself for the tears I knew this writing would inspire. The only reason this wasn't a five star read for me is because some of the characters did fall flat, but that didn't take away the many great elements of the book.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy emotionally wrenching stories with fantastic sci-fi elements.
The author paints intimate portraits about how people choose to face death when they are powerless to change or stop it. This world includes luxury hotels that assist families in saying goodbye before they cremate their loved ones. A City of Laughter where young dying children can spend their last moments on roller coasters instead of wasting away in pain was the saddest part of the book for me.
“And what happens to us when we leave our world? Children were trained to answer, 'we become everything that we pass until we become the thing we created.”
The great character development and world building made me think of almost every intimate relationship that I've had in my life. The science fiction elements were well fleshed out and led to more answers about exactly led to this global plague then I was expecting. The only reason it took so long for me to finish was because I had to brace myself for the tears I knew this writing would inspire. The only reason this wasn't a five star read for me is because some of the characters did fall flat, but that didn't take away the many great elements of the book.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy emotionally wrenching stories with fantastic sci-fi elements.