Reviews

You Feel It Just Below the Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor, Janina Matthewson

masonvic's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

disasterri's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

5.0

You Feel it Just Below the Ribs has perfect pacing and ambiguity to hold readers in. Following a narrator who played a big role in architecting a dystopian society is a unique persepctive. The novel is realtively low-suspense until about halfway through, then it very quickly ramps up.

ember_lynne's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

1.25

swallowthemoons's review against another edition

4.0

“You Feel it Just Below the Ribs” is a dystopian novel about family and memories. I really enjoyed the format of this book – a found manuscript – and it was definitely well-executed, in my opinion. The prose was expertly written and fits well with the feel of the entire book.

I read this book before I started listening to Within the Wires, and although I agree that you don’t really have to listen to the podcast to understand the book, I feel like the plot of this novel would be a lot richer and more enjoyable if you do. I found the world-building extremely intriguing, and if you do too, I really recommend listening to the podcast (if you’re into that) since it offers a deeper and more vibrant dive into this dystopian setting.

I do not want to give too much away but oh, the footnotes.

nicollem's review against another edition

2.0

I think the concept and storytelling was good. I personally just don’t really like unreliable narrator books that much which I should have assumed this would be from the beginning of the book.

christyc's review against another edition

I think this is another ‘not right now’ for me. It’s a very interesting premise but im just not gripped. Going to try something else and potentially come back to this another time.

riledupryepie's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

5.0

Miriam is a traditional Within the Wires narrator - unreliable and slightly deranged, ethically questionable, and a huge lesbian.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Gaslighting, Grief, Torture, Dementia, Child death, and War

Minor: Death of parent and Death

kmerms's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective fast-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

4.25

amluns's review against another edition

4.0

This book was a really fun listen and I highly recommend the audiobook to anyone considering picking this one up.

This is a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, horror-y kind of book written as an autobiography from a woman named Miriam, a researcher who grew up during The Great Reckoning.

The world-building is really intricate in this one but in an approachable way as it’s based off of the world and history we know, with slight changes made.

The way this story is told I think overall really works well. We slowly learn more about what’s going on and realize that we may have an unreliable narrator (and footnotes!) telling us what’s happening.

I also know that some don’t find the ending very satisfying. Although I would’ve loved more answers, I think that the ending this does have definitely makes readers think more which, in my opinion, is what the authors are encouraging readers to do all along.

Overall, I thought this one was really good and would recommend it!

vannychopiny's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? Yes

3.0