renacuajo's review against another edition
3.0
27/09/2020
Read for the prompt of most recent purchase for Becca's Bookopoly Read-A-Thon for September 2020
If the aim of this book was to make the reader go insane along with Gyre after, then it was achieved on me. This was less than 500 pages but it felt like an eternity.
Jokes aside, the premise of this story was very intriguing to me despite not being the biggest fan of sci-fi. Caves terrify me, and the concept of being alone in one, even more so, but while reading I felt as if by the time everything was over and done with, I had just reached the halfway point. There were several moments when I thought to myself, "This is it, this must be the end, right? RIGHT?". Yet...it just kept going. Overall OK read.
Read for the prompt of most recent purchase for Becca's Bookopoly Read-A-Thon for September 2020
If the aim of this book was to make the reader go insane along with Gyre after
Spoiler
going around the same fucking cave system like 500 timesJokes aside, the premise of this story was very intriguing to me despite not being the biggest fan of sci-fi. Caves terrify me, and the concept of being alone in one, even more so, but while reading I felt as if by the time everything was over and done with, I had just reached the halfway point. There were several moments when I thought to myself, "This is it, this must be the end, right? RIGHT?". Yet...it just kept going. Overall OK read.
kt_jams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Body horror
tankiioffline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.75
catiaacribeiro's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
siobhanward's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.5
So this book definitely didn't end up like I thought it would. I grabbed it from a little free library thinking it would be a cool, creepy caving story, then picked it up and realized it was sci fi and was a little disappointed. However, it really did end up being a caving story more than anything else - the sci fi element only really exists to allow some technologies and creatures, but it honestly doesn't have a huge impact otherwise.
Starling built a great and creepy atmosphere, and the main plot was interesting but occasionally repetitive. I think that sticking your protagonist in a cave will do that though - there was just a lot of back and forth. It also felt a bit like there were side plots that never got resolved or never had any real impact. I think I get where Starling was going, but I don't know if some of the plot elements had that impact she intended.
Overall this was a fun and interesting read and I'm glad I picked it up. Starling definitely has a talent for building psychological fear and that was fun to read.
Starling built a great and creepy atmosphere, and the main plot was interesting but occasionally repetitive. I think that sticking your protagonist in a cave will do that though - there was just a lot of back and forth. It also felt a bit like there were side plots that never got resolved or never had any real impact. I think I get where Starling was going, but I don't know if some of the plot elements had that impact she intended.
Overall this was a fun and interesting read and I'm glad I picked it up. Starling definitely has a talent for building psychological fear and that was fun to read.
rashi's review against another edition
I had so much hope for this book, it had a great premise but for me the prose is just too removed and so full of boring detail of mundane things that I just couldn’t be bothered keeping up with it, by the tenth chapter I was just wanting it to be over already and that to me is a signal for a DNF. I can’t believe it’s deemed a romance and I really hope they don’t get together at the end because they are AWFUL for each other, Em literally drugs Gyre without her consent MULTIPLE TIMES just in the little bit that I read and they’re supposed to end up together?!?? It dragged on and they are immature people and Em is a rich privileged psychopath and I hate it I’m sorry
kelseyb's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
kennabrooke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Gaslighting
jackiescifi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
skypep's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0