Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Death I Gave Him

I was looking for something moody and brooding and angsty, and this fit that need perfectly. I have always been a fan of how angsty Hamlet is, and Liu's interpretation was spot on. I loved the way they played up his obsession with death. At first, I was not at all into the footnotes and the premise that this story is being compiled by a researcher in some distant future. But it eventually really grew on me. The footnotes eerily hinted at an incredibly sinister future, but in such a nonchalant, clinical way. Placing this family drama within the broader context of scientific advancements related to immortality and AI was very cool. And the fact that this was set only 20-ish years in the future actually felt believable. I feel like we are not far off from neuromapping, and inserting AI right into our brains. ALSO

the AI sex scenes were incredible. The idea that AI inside your brain is using its control of your brain to make you feel certain things, or controlling the environment around you to get an embodied response. SO COOL AND INTERESTING.

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woolerys's review

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

As a retelling of Hamlet, it did interesting and original things, and hit a good balance of same/different as far as telling the same story differently. As a novel, it was poorly paced and way, way too long. So much detail, mostly serving to add tension to each and every scene, but when used with such abundance it backfired and I ended up slogging through at a snail’s pace instead. I didn’t care for the “reconstructed from research” format as a reading experience, either, though it was a cool concept in theory. That said, I did really appreciate the rotating point of view and the way it allowed us to get close to three main characters, and I also enjoyed the reworked ending with new takes on the old themes of justice and purpose.

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cassie7e's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

One of my best reads for 2024 so far! The plot is not at all straightforward and consisntely kept the tension. The main characters felt complex and believeable and I loved the AI getting POVs. I also loved the format of the story being told through snippets of interviews, articles, and playbacks of the system recordings.

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kwthor's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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samisreading's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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lbelow's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

5.0

Such a masterpiece of a book! The way it's written, cobbled together from "primary" sources and alternating from one to another to give a linear timeline, had me glued to my seat. The pacing is on point, the emotion is gut-wrenching, the relationships are convoluted, and the main character (Hayden) is so deeply, beautifully flawed and hurting. This book felt visceral in a way I'm sure I won't forget anytime soon!

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