Reviews

The New Naturals by Gabriel Bump

madtnation's review

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

4.0

ukponge's review

challenging emotional 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? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, and Gun violence

leftyjonesq's review

emotional medium-paced

4.25

snarkyspice's review against another edition

Gave it a few minutes but I just couldn't get into it

mbp456's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

3.0

seattlehols16's review

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

readbyajl's review

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

an_library_stan's review

funny reflective sad 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

3.75

Writing was fresh and I laughed a few times, chuckled many other times. Down to the acknowledgements Bump is pretty minimalist in style. But I still felt like the characters were well developed and that I was invested in their outcomes. 

If we were plotting this on Vonneguts time vs. fortune axis there are definitely ups and downs, but I think in part because there were many story lines converging, it felt pretty ambivalent. 

There was a very meta piece at the end where Bump asks what all could happen with one of the story lines. We don't get an answer, and it feels like it fits into the broader story of - things happen, often not clear why, life goes on, for some of us. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

sosborne2011's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

quietmachine's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.5