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horizonous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I think this type of short story collections, where the stories all follow a connected thread work a lot better for me than a book filled with separate stories.
Graphic: Gore, Suicide, Self harm, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Mental illness, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
lucky_stars's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Death, Suicide, Violence, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Genocide, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Dementia and Vomit
charlie_cheese's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Abandonment, Classism, Gore, Police brutality, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Minor: War, Body horror, and Forced institutionalization
spaceteapot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, and Child abuse
theatrix's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Abandonment, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Stalking, Chronic illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Blood, Pregnancy, Torture, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Slavery, Trafficking, and Vomit
feebles640's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Vomit, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Grief, and Body horror
Minor: Forced institutionalization
rorikae's review against another edition
- 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
The story centers on the unnamed narrator who is writing a book about the different beasts that inhabit her city. These beasts resemble humans in many ways but have other characteristics like gills or more than human abilities. Each section of the story explores a new beast type and the narrator's encounters with that particular type of beast. As she explores more beast types, she begins to learn more about herself and her past.
Ge presents a look at humanity through the ways that the characters interact with these so-called beasts. The story is colored by the narrator's history and experience with the beasts but this allows the reader to better understand her as she learns more about them. There were certain beasts that I found more interesting than others though I did appreciate how the character's story advanced through the different pieces. I will say that when I read the synopsis I expected more folkloric creatures whereas the beasts are more closely tied to humanity than to animals. The sections that I enjoyed the most were tied to the beasts that I found the most interesting. For example, the section on the flourishing beasts, which are the most unique creatures in the book, was my favorite section. This section also opened up a great deal about the narrator's relationship with her mother and began the process of diving deeper into the narrator's past.
This story is short and a quick read. I am interested in what Ge writes next as I think she utilizes the speculative aspects of the story in unique ways to explore human nature.
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Mental illness, Self harm, and Vomit
Minor: Forced institutionalization
ohlhauc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Each chapter follows a formula of describing a new beast, sharing a story tinged with mystery involving the narrator and that beast, and then revealing the true nature of the beast that explains the mystery. Each story builds upon each other in the sense that they take place one after each other in the timeline.
I liked the idea of the book and can see why others would like per other reviews, but I was bored. SUPER bored reading this. Even the social commentary fell flat as I felt it was so subtle that it was easy to miss if you weren't expecting it (as I was) and then, the ideas didn't share new perspectives or interpretations on common issues like environmentalism, racism, confinement, state control, etc. It felt basic and the stories themselves lacked a tension or energy. There was always a mystery so that drove the plot forward, but the reveals were predictable, which I'm not against in and of itself, but it felt like the resolutions were too neat and full of coincidences and plot conveniences.
I really only finished this as it was part of a larger project. If the other reviews and the plot sparks your interest, you may like this. But you may also be bored like me so it's hard to say whether or not I'd recommend it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content
Moderate: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Pregnancy
State-sanctioned euthanization/murder