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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An interesting genre-blending mystery. Turton's really great at setting up and pacing a mystery; I was hooked on this book through the first half and loved the constant stream of introduced questions about the world and motivations of the cast. The character work's a bit hit or miss: I found the three elders to be consistently interesting and layered, Adil doesn't get enough page-time but served as an interesting source of conflict, and Emory's likable and has a nice little pseudo-coming of age arc where she comes into her own, but the rest of the cast felt fairly underutilized (Hui disappears for most of the book, despite being fairly central to the mystery, Seth and Clara are a bit one note and fade out of relevance as soon as they make up with Emory, Ben felt a bit shoehorned in so the ending wasn't a complete downer, and I kept waiting for Magdalene to do literally anything). The book's at its best when it's either exploring the elders or drip-feeding more strange inconsistencies about the world.
I was a bit let down by the third act, largely because it felt like the story wasn't entirely sure what it was trying to say. We spend most of the rest of the book unraveling Niema's motives and gradually arriving at the conclusion that, for as well-intentioned as she may have been, she was also a manipulative control freak whose actions killed and/or ruined the lives of many of the villagers. This is in-line with the (unrealistically misanthropic, in my opinion) characterization of humanity as a species whose greed and emphasis on controlling the world around them, rather than empathy for one another, ultimately destroyed their society. I read Niema's plan - exterminate the last few non-hibernating humans and manipulate the villagers like game pieces on her chessboard - to be an extension of this characterization; even if Thea and Hephaestus' trauma and disdain for the simulacrums put them in opposition to Niema's vision, her treatment of them is unethical (it's implied from her opinions on Hui's concerto and ultimate acceptance of Emory that Thea has the capacity to accept the villagers as humanity's successor, while Hephaestus' issues are implied to be tied to both his trauma while escaping the fog as well as Niema's emotional coldness toward him). Thus, I was a bit confused when the story ended with Niema's plan succeeding and resulting in a happy, positively framed ending. The ending's tone just felt at odds with the rest of the story, and I'm not entirely sure what to take away (is humanity irredeemably bad and ready to be replaced by a more empathetic successor species? is it okay for us to manipulate one another and feed into the aforementioned characterization if it's for a good reason?). Outside of some thematic confusion, I also thought the mystery's answers were fairly pedestrian; nothing was bad, and everything was appropriately set up, but I felt like I was always waiting for a bigger and more dramatic revelation that never came.
With all that said, I had a good time with this book. The prose was nothing to write home about, but functional and easy to read (which definitely contributed to my tearing through the first half of the novel), and I definitely found myself drawn into the fascinating near-future world he constructed. I'll definitely check out Turton's other two novels at some point.
With all that said, I had a good time with this book. The prose was nothing to write home about, but functional and easy to read (which definitely contributed to my tearing through the first half of the novel), and I definitely found myself drawn into the fascinating near-future world he constructed. I'll definitely check out Turton's other two novels at some point.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I read this book in under 24 hours! I could tell it really had me when I stayed up late AND woke up early to read. I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I gave up and started reading again.
The plot was innovative and full of Turton-level twists and turns. I mostly enjoyed the characters, although I would say the plot was more compelling than the character development.
I was hesitant to read this one after 7-1/2 Deaths had such a disappointing ending after a riveting first 90%, but this story (while I wouldn’t say the ending was wrapped up in a bow) felt much more conclusive and satisfying.
I also loved the afterword - it really made me feel like part of the experience.
The plot was innovative and full of Turton-level twists and turns. I mostly enjoyed the characters, although I would say the plot was more compelling than the character development.
I was hesitant to read this one after 7-1/2 Deaths had such a disappointing ending after a riveting first 90%, but this story (while I wouldn’t say the ending was wrapped up in a bow) felt much more conclusive and satisfying.
I also loved the afterword - it really made me feel like part of the experience.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed the characters and their relationships, and the world-building. I don’t remember being hugely invested in the story
Captivating and riveting, I really love Stuart Turton's brand of murder mystery. They blend science fiction with the thrill of an Agatha Christie novel perfectly to me and this one didn't disappoint at all. While not as good as I found 7 1/2 Death of Evelyn Hardcastle, this book was still an absolute riot. Fast paced and so much fun.