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sunsoar25's review against another edition
1.0
DNF'd @ p. 188
I've liked other books I've read by Doctorow, but this was so grating. This might as well be parody - it's too irritating to be anything else.
I've liked other books I've read by Doctorow, but this was so grating. This might as well be parody - it's too irritating to be anything else.
thepermageek's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
Explicitly socialist/leftie science fiction with lots of hope for a still messed up future but less so thanks to the actions taken.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, Pandemic/Epidemic, Xenophobia, and Violence
hey_hoser's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.0
meredith_w's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
The portrayal of the near-future in this book is very believable. There was a lot of 'telling', and not a lot of 'showing', and it 100% felt like Doctorow wanted to get some things off his chest. I get it. Climate change makes me furious, frustrated, and exasperated too. Overall I was convinced by the imaginative take on what our climate-emergency world may look like in 80ish years, and the kinds of cultural revolutions that may result. The Flotilla was perhaps the most believable part - I'm kinda surprised it isn't already a thing. The main character was very saccharine (he uses the word smooch ALL THE TIME), and read as very YA. I don't understand the cover art - did I miss something???
teachinsci's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
tigerlillymelody's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
I'm not sure how to rate this book. I both enjoyed this book and found it cringe, but I'm honestly not sure this book is cringe in a bad way. Listening to this book kind of felt like a Hallmark movie for leftists. But also why shouldn't there be Hallmark-style narratives about progressive change with a naive protagonist who loves their hometown? Also, only tangentially related, I also have a very love/hate relationship with Burbank (My gym is there, my credit union is there, all my favorite goth stores are there, but also racism and classism) and found all of the discourse around Burbank very relatable.
This book is very firmly planted in white habitus, but in a way that makes sense. It's about reconciling the problematic views of one's caretakers and the privileges that leaves their descendants with a new generations desire for change, and most MAGA people are white and have used systemic white supremacy as an agent to maintain their positions of power in society. I feel like maybe the primary audience for this book is young white boys, as the lens that made the most sense to me while reading this text is imagining a future where white boys and young men are committed to standing in solidarity with others to create a better future and not radicalized into incels or whatever we call Jordan Peterson/Andrew Tate/Matt Walsh followers these days (manosphere?). Instead of feeling socially isolated because of internalized toxic masculinity and through that isolation becoming radicalized towards misogyny, homophobia, and racism; the internet's social component keeps them connected to and engaged people with which they can build community. Viewing it through this lens also made me feel less frustrated with the protagonist. For example, the protagonist very much evaluates most of the female characters through a lens of sexual and romantic attraction, which is annoying to me. But when I think about it through the lens of creating a narrative through which white boys can feel there is a space for them in progressive movements I don't hate it as much. Teens of all genders can be really thirsty and while romance and sex are something that are often in the back of the protagonist's mind, he never reduces the female characters to sexual objects nor does he think less of other characters that he is not attracted to. And if you think of the text through that lens then it is creating a space where there is no shame in having sexual feelings, urges, and desires; but also it is not a driving urge for the character to exert influence to attain the objects of desire. Also, through a very funny Ayn Rand/action hero parody I feel like Doctorow addresses the importance that the protagonist not try to be a savior but instead follow the work that visionaries and marginalized people are already doing and lending the privilege he does have to amplify their work and voices.
Tl;dr there's interesting stuff in here as long as you can get past the cringe teenage protagonist.
This book is very firmly planted in white habitus, but in a way that makes sense. It's about reconciling the problematic views of one's caretakers and the privileges that leaves their descendants with a new generations desire for change, and most MAGA people are white and have used systemic white supremacy as an agent to maintain their positions of power in society. I feel like maybe the primary audience for this book is young white boys, as the lens that made the most sense to me while reading this text is imagining a future where white boys and young men are committed to standing in solidarity with others to create a better future and not radicalized into incels or whatever we call Jordan Peterson/Andrew Tate/Matt Walsh followers these days (manosphere?). Instead of feeling socially isolated because of internalized toxic masculinity and through that isolation becoming radicalized towards misogyny, homophobia, and racism; the internet's social component keeps them connected to and engaged people with which they can build community. Viewing it through this lens also made me feel less frustrated with the protagonist. For example, the protagonist very much evaluates most of the female characters through a lens of sexual and romantic attraction, which is annoying to me. But when I think about it through the lens of creating a narrative through which white boys can feel there is a space for them in progressive movements I don't hate it as much. Teens of all genders can be really thirsty and while romance and sex are something that are often in the back of the protagonist's mind, he never reduces the female characters to sexual objects nor does he think less of other characters that he is not attracted to. And if you think of the text through that lens then it is creating a space where there is no shame in having sexual feelings, urges, and desires; but also it is not a driving urge for the character to exert influence to attain the objects of desire. Also, through a very funny Ayn Rand/action hero parody I feel like Doctorow addresses the importance that the protagonist not try to be a savior but instead follow the work that visionaries and marginalized people are already doing and lending the privilege he does have to amplify their work and voices.
Tl;dr there's interesting stuff in here as long as you can get past the cringe teenage protagonist.
anxiousutopian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bookishmeganreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
A generous 2.5 stars on this one.
I wanted to like the story, but I spent the entire book feeling intensely irritated by every single character.
[I received an ALC from the publisher via Libro]
I wanted to like the story, but I spent the entire book feeling intensely irritated by every single character.
[I received an ALC from the publisher via Libro]