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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The final and most difficult book of my Trans Rights Readathon! This book drops you right into the action of Misery’s life, in a far distant dystopian future, and you have to suspend disbelief to get into the heart of the story. I found myself needing all my concentration to get through this story — the sheer number of pronouns was the first obstacle; but once you get further into the world building, it’s barely background noise. I also couldn’t keep track of the military ranks and church positions, let alone all the bases and constellations and probably some made up words in there too. I still don’t know what a nixen is.
Not a very satisfying ending, for me. But I heard it was based off Joan of Arc, and I don’t know how that story starts or ends either.
Not a very satisfying ending, for me. But I heard it was based off Joan of Arc, and I don’t know how that story starts or ends either.
Loved the concept but really didn’t vibe with the writing style and the character voice
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book took me a few chapter to warm up to, what with the purple prose and complicated new world, but then I really got into it. I was ready to mark this book as a new favorite…until the second half.
Apparently it’s supposed to eventually be a series, which I didn’t realize, but even despite that leading it to feel unfinished and unsatisfactory,there’s a distinct split in the book that’s Before Misery is a religious fanatic and After Misery is a religious fanatic , and let me tell you, the After draaaaaagged with them constantly spouting religious ideology. It was giving me flashbacks to my own highly religious upbringing.
Like the whole point of the end was “hey, actually, Misery is an unreliable narrator and wow maybe the righteous religious people are the bad guys???” (Shocked) and that would have been way more satisfying if there was any depth to the world building at all. The whole thing was a war plot between the Faithful and the Heretics, but it never stated what the Heretics believed or why they initially broke off or anything about them at all
I wanted to much more from this book, and there was certainly room for it, especially if you cut out some of the many, many ruminations on events that constantly play through Misery’s head. I really liked the idea of the interludes, to make it feel more like a story being told, but in all honesty, they didn’t add much, and in some cases, served as a time skip to Tell about how close characters are now instead of actually Showing it.
If a book 2 is ever released, I’ll most likely read it, because I was left with more questions at the end than at the beginning. I think this books is very well written, but very poorly planned.
Apparently it’s supposed to eventually be a series, which I didn’t realize, but even despite that leading it to feel unfinished and unsatisfactory,
I wanted to much more from this book, and there was certainly room for it, especially if you cut out some of the many, many ruminations on events that constantly play through Misery’s head. I really liked the idea of the interludes, to make it feel more like a story being told, but in all honesty, they didn’t add much, and in some cases, served as a time skip to Tell about how close characters are now instead of actually Showing it.
If a book 2 is ever released, I’ll most likely read it, because I was left with more questions at the end than at the beginning. I think this books is very well written, but very poorly planned.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
As a feat of writing, The Genesis of Misery is fantastic. The use of language, the evocative and largely naturalistic technobabble is really impressive. This is a world that feels fully formed, even while the actual on-the-ground details of the world of the Faithful are actually quite sparse, and a lot of that comes down to Neon's writing.
The pacing and the story are a tad less satisfying. Emily Tesh went over similar territory in her phenomenal Some Desperate Glory -- sexuality, gender, and authoritarianism -- but because that was a single book rather than the start of a series, her ideas had to be contained. Here, the religious fervor of the story that dominates the back half feels... incomplete. Yang lets us know that we're not seeing the whole picture, but as a standalone work -- and we're three years on without an announcement of book 2 -- this doesn't wrap up in the most satisfying place.
The pacing and the story are a tad less satisfying. Emily Tesh went over similar territory in her phenomenal Some Desperate Glory -- sexuality, gender, and authoritarianism -- but because that was a single book rather than the start of a series, her ideas had to be contained. Here, the religious fervor of the story that dominates the back half feels... incomplete. Yang lets us know that we're not seeing the whole picture, but as a standalone work -- and we're three years on without an announcement of book 2 -- this doesn't wrap up in the most satisfying place.
Love the world, love the writing, but Misery kind of sucks and I’m tired of being stuck in her head. Would have loved some secondary character development.
In a word: clunky.
I have a fairly high tolerance for purple prose but this reads like it was fed through a thesaurus. And the way characters’ pronouns were shoehorned into narration felt very odd; I’ve seen other reviewers compare it to a HUD. I’m not a fan. On a similar note, at one point a character asks “Show, not tell. Do you imagine that the two are really so different?” Yes I do. Telling instead of showing fosters detachment and makes it hard for me to invest in the characters and the story, plus it makes me feel a little spoken down to, like I’m not trusted to pick up on context clues or interpret the text myself.
The writing in general feels unconfident – there were three or four instances of the narrator pondering where to begin before actually beginning, which was just irritating and not a good start to the novel. I gave up at the first interlude.
I’d plough on if it were shorter. I like the sound of some of the concepts this novel plays with so I may give it another go at some point, but for now it’s a DNF because I’m just not in the mood to work my way through this right now.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found it quite hard to immerse myself in this book - the worldbuilding at first was just hard to slip into, and then later once I understood the world, I still hard a hard time remaining deep and engaged during my reading sessions. I ultimately did not like Misery’s characterizations, which I think there was some intention to that end, but the blind faith ended up rubbing me the wrong way. At times, the gender diversity read as a point to teach the reader how much a writer can respect chosen pronouns.
I did finish it, and it did accelerate, and yet I feel like the author was withholding some truths that frustrated me, barely hinting at them in the end. This I think is a solid intention to maintain mysteriousness and keep the reader guessing at what the reality was, but I struggled with this method throughout the book. Would recommend to folks who can fluidly enter sci-fi worlds, and who can navigate a flawed main character.
I did finish it, and it did accelerate, and yet I feel like the author was withholding some truths that frustrated me, barely hinting at them in the end. This I think is a solid intention to maintain mysteriousness and keep the reader guessing at what the reality was, but I struggled with this method throughout the book. Would recommend to folks who can fluidly enter sci-fi worlds, and who can navigate a flawed main character.
I think sci-fi is one of the more perfect genres for exploring gender and leaving the binary of man or woman behind. However, the author's attempt to normalize the existence and acceptance of alternate identities felt couched in Internet culture and just forced. The flow of story was broken every time a new character's pronouns were shoved into the middle of a paragraph, even before the main character had the excuse of essentially an information HUD that displayed them like a nametag. There was no trust in the reader's ability to understand any character's pronouns and identity through storytelling.
Beyond that stylistic gripe, the plot was appealing from the surface but the story itself was not holding up to expectations and too many things did not make sense or follow any realistic logic. I wanted to love this book - there was so much about the premise that checked all my boxes - but in the end, it just wasn't for me.
Beyond that stylistic gripe, the plot was appealing from the surface but the story itself was not holding up to expectations and too many things did not make sense or follow any realistic logic. I wanted to love this book - there was so much about the premise that checked all my boxes - but in the end, it just wasn't for me.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay I was blown away by this. Yang is a master of subtle changes in the narrative that help guide the reader. Changing the landscape around you without you even realizing it until it's too late. This is what sci Fi is meant to be. The pivotal use of technology, how that effects culture, religion, and society. *chef's kiss* this is gay Joan of Arc with mechs in space. I loved the pacing and prose. I was a little turned off at first of the characters but then I got what the author was trying to do and then I was like OMG this is brilliant. My ONLY complaint - I want MORE. More background, more what's happens!?! More Jericho and Ruin... You can't leave me hanging like that. uGh I need a sequel.