Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Oryx and Crake

Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

12 reviews

josiemeyer's review

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adventurous dark slow-paced

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

4.0

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earthtomanda's review

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adventurous dark funny

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow. My first full-length Atwood novel, and I am amazed at just how many aspects of humanity she is able to capture. While the plot should seem fantastical, she stays firmly in the plausible and (perhaps) the likely. Many scenes are incredibly graphic though, so tread lightly if that’s a concern — Going through the content warnings, it was hard to find something that wasn’t at least mentioned in this book.

I did struggle with how prominent discussion of sexual abuse towards children was. It was incredibly disturbing. I am still grappling with why that was a necessary inclusion — though it is Atwood, and I’m sure it was not done without some thought. Also, Jimmy can fight me.

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smeagol357's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book so much. It dragged me over broken glass, put me on soft mattresses, and then whacked me in the head unexpectedly. Has to be one of the best books I’ve ever read. Strongly recommend to everyone. Do not ignore the trigger warnings.

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mievdk's review

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

The first time I started reading Oryx and Crake, I stopped before finishing the first chapter it was a bit too strange. Later I gave it another go, because of my love for Atwood's style, themes and characters. I am so glad I gave it another try.

The way the plot is structured is, in my opinion, perfect. The novel maintains a well-considered balance between giving enough information to inspire questions and keep you intrigued, but not too much to lose suspense.

Once I settled into the story I found it incredibly compelling. The plot is fascinating, especially during these times of rapid technological progress. I would say the novel is 50-50 plot and character driven.

Alhough the protagonist is odd and unreliable, I did empathize with him and found him funny. While definitely unorthodox, at the same time he felt really real and remained complex.

In sum, Oryx and Crake is another example of exquisite writing by Atwood.

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greenglass67's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is easily one of my favorites. It’s such a unique story. Snowman’s journey and his reflections upon his life as Jimmy are deeply human. He exhibits so much passion for some things and so much apathy for others. The range of his experiences and emotions is wild, but it all works together cohesively. The world Margaret Atwood creates is a very chilling commentary on technology and science, and she pushes us to question how far advanced we can get without it being too far. The ending is remarkable. There are little hints and clues laced throughout the entire book that you don’t realize until the ending ties them all together, all the pieces fit into place, and it all suddenly makes sense. It answers all the questions you have, and leaves you asking several questions more. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

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eimear_jane's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

4.25

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backyardjake's review

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

Speculative fiction bundled with a very sad character study. Parental issues, relationship issues, confidence issues, and then existential issues. Jimmy has a lot of issues. Not for the feignt of heart, as I suppose most of Atwood's work is like. Inside is a very human and flawed tale, of the kind that revolted, resonated, sadend, and thrilled me as a reader.

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