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fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Overall plot idea was good but execution was horrible. I actually kept hoping every character would die off or would die off faster. Probably would make for a good TV series, but I had reader’s fatigue way too early in this short book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Rape, Grief, Blood, Sexual assault, Violence, Death of parent, Car accident, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Animal death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
trollbeard's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
book_lizard42's review against another edition
2.0
Holy hell. I did NOT like this book. Too tangled in the minutiae. Like, it's been 15 pages. Are you still trying to get the car going? I started skipping pages. Anything happening? Nope. Still in the car.
The most irritating thing for me was the sexual assault that resulted in Harry. Like, life is hard enough in a dystopian world. It felt absolutely unnecessary to throw that in there. I absolutely HATE when authors use rape as a plot point that does absolutely nothing to further the story. It's there to be there. Like, how much more bleak does the story really need to be?! Almost everyone is dead, her fiance is presumed dead, she lives alone with her 4.5 year-old who has never been outside, she has to forage for dead things and plants to eat, they are always hungry, the air is death to breathe, etc. So now she's on the move to look for fiance who she refers to as "Daddy" when talking to her annoying child, but who isn't, actually, the father. Was it necessary? No. Did it add anything at all to the story? It did not. The story would have been EXACTLY THE SAME level of tedious even without rape as a plot point.
The most irritating thing for me was the sexual assault that resulted in Harry. Like, life is hard enough in a dystopian world. It felt absolutely unnecessary to throw that in there. I absolutely HATE when authors use rape as a plot point that does absolutely nothing to further the story. It's there to be there. Like, how much more bleak does the story really need to be?! Almost everyone is dead, her fiance is presumed dead, she lives alone with her 4.5 year-old who has never been outside, she has to forage for dead things and plants to eat, they are always hungry, the air is death to breathe, etc. So now she's on the move to look for fiance who she refers to as "Daddy" when talking to her annoying child, but who isn't, actually, the father. Was it necessary? No. Did it add anything at all to the story? It did not. The story would have been EXACTLY THE SAME level of tedious even without rape as a plot point.
ceciliabjorklund's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
onabookban's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
staystitchy's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Doubleday Books for letting me read this one early. NOT ALONE publishes on May 2.
This book totally consumed me. It was so engrossing but also hard to read at times. The moments it felt too heavy to read were also the same moments I was left pondering it. This story centers on an environmental catastrophe which leaves the few survivors alone and starving. The details of the story were so perfect, which makes sense, as Sarah K. Jackson is an ecologist and knows exactly what she's talking about in this apocalyptic story she created. NOT ALONE gives me Bird Box vibes, but also its so much more, and this is a debut novel, my friends. I can't wait for more from Sarah K. Jackson. Put your library holds and preorders in!
This book totally consumed me. It was so engrossing but also hard to read at times. The moments it felt too heavy to read were also the same moments I was left pondering it. This story centers on an environmental catastrophe which leaves the few survivors alone and starving. The details of the story were so perfect, which makes sense, as Sarah K. Jackson is an ecologist and knows exactly what she's talking about in this apocalyptic story she created. NOT ALONE gives me Bird Box vibes, but also its so much more, and this is a debut novel, my friends. I can't wait for more from Sarah K. Jackson. Put your library holds and preorders in!
halloitsalex's review against another edition
1.0
I have never actively rooted for a five-year-old to bite it through an entire book before, but here we are.
shontellereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Started slow and bleak, ended slow and bleak (but I was invested by then). Comp for the road is accurate. Controversial opinion but, I didn't hate the kid, he acted as expected given the circumstances.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Katie has been living with her son, totally alone, for the past five years. After a huge microplastic storm separated her and her lover and killed countless people, all she knows is how to survive--and resources are depleting. After an encounter with an unseemly man who can't seem to take no for an answer, she and her son Harry leave to try to find her fiancé Jack, whose final note she found years too late.
This was interesting in concept, and I enjoyed the dynamic between her and her partner. I wanted to know more about the microplastic storm, have it connect more firmly with what we're currently experiencing. And Katie was an overachiever, really trying to do her best to make a difference for the environment and climate.
Unfortunately, I don't know if I can say that this book was for me. This was a very subtle book, with only a few points of urgency, which I can appreciate. When making such a long trek, there's only so much that can happen. Even so, I found Harry to be more annoying than I think was intentional. Maybe it's because of his age, maybe it's because Katie didn't do a good job explaining the world to him. Either way, sorry Harry, you gotta just suck it up. There is also a depiction of rape that I found a little unnecessary.
However, if you did like this and wanted something similar in theme, you may be interested in [b:A Children's Bible|55298364|A Children's Bible|Lydia Millet|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608832142l/55298364._SX50_.jpg|73351391].
This was interesting in concept, and I enjoyed the dynamic between her and her partner. I wanted to know more about the microplastic storm, have it connect more firmly with what we're currently experiencing. And Katie was an overachiever, really trying to do her best to make a difference for the environment and climate.
Unfortunately, I don't know if I can say that this book was for me. This was a very subtle book, with only a few points of urgency, which I can appreciate. When making such a long trek, there's only so much that can happen. Even so, I found Harry to be more annoying than I think was intentional. Maybe it's because of his age, maybe it's because Katie didn't do a good job explaining the world to him. Either way, sorry Harry, you gotta just suck it up. There is also a depiction of rape that I found a little unnecessary.
Spoiler
Would it have been too easy for Harry to have been Jack's child? Why did he need to be a child of rape?However, if you did like this and wanted something similar in theme, you may be interested in [b:A Children's Bible|55298364|A Children's Bible|Lydia Millet|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608832142l/55298364._SX50_.jpg|73351391].
rene_reads02's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I know the main character was just trying to stay alive and keep her son safe. But both characters were wayyyyy too whiney for me. She shielded him so much to the point where he was completely ignorant about almost everything. This was a difficult read because of the characters and the pacing of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Animal death, Sexual harassment, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Cursing, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Child death