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novella42's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
5.0
I blasted through this book in a single day! A word of advice: go into Mike Chen's work looking for "sci-fi with feelings" and let go of expectations around world-building--his specialty is really getting into the relationships of his characters, delving into the impact of sci-fi elements on their lives and hearts, and he does it with such compassion. The emotional resonance of this book practically vibrated off the page. I cried several times in a beautiful catharsis.
I'm amazed I enjoyed this as much as I did, because I usually get really annoyed with all the "timey-wimey" paradox tropes of most time travel fiction. But this was so grounded in the people, in what it all meant to their human connections, that I didn't really mind.
I discovered Mike Chen through the Worldbuilding for Masochists podcast, episode 34, The Reluctant Worldbuilder, and hearing Chen describe his writing priorities and strategies for reverse-engineering his worlds may have made this book more enjoyable for me. I can't wait to read more!
BRB, gonna go put all of Mike Chen's books on my library hold list!!
I'm amazed I enjoyed this as much as I did, because I usually get really annoyed with all the "timey-wimey" paradox tropes of most time travel fiction. But this was so grounded in the people, in what it all meant to their human connections, that I didn't really mind.
I discovered Mike Chen through the Worldbuilding for Masochists podcast, episode 34, The Reluctant Worldbuilder, and hearing Chen describe his writing priorities and strategies for reverse-engineering his worlds may have made this book more enjoyable for me. I can't wait to read more!
BRB, gonna go put all of Mike Chen's books on my library hold list!!
Graphic: Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abandonment
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Spoiler for three content warnings that aren't in the drop-down list, related to migraines, memories, and age:aprilbethp's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
More “Then and Then” and less “Here and Now”
I enjoyed this read but didn't connect to any of the characters except Heather and Miranda. So in order not to spoil I won't say why that is slightly frustrating. I had a very difficult time trying to connect emotionally to Kin but I think Kin had the same problem and couldn’t connect with himself either.
Also, if you are looking for a story where the characters are jumping from time to time a lot, this story is not really for you. There are time jumps but they are minimal. This is more about someone reconciling their past and futures.
I enjoyed this read but didn't connect to any of the characters except Heather and Miranda. So in order not to spoil I won't say why that is slightly frustrating. I had a very difficult time trying to connect emotionally to Kin but I think Kin had the same problem and couldn’t connect with himself either.
Also, if you are looking for a story where the characters are jumping from time to time a lot, this story is not really for you. There are time jumps but they are minimal. This is more about someone reconciling their past and futures.
Graphic: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Abandonment
thebowandthebook's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Medical content, Car accident, and Murder
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