Scan barcode
A review by anna_hepworth
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I adored this book, from the initial (incredibly) violent opening, to the chaotic ending. I would not claim to understand what was going on for significant parts of the story, and I absolutely did not care. The shared past of the characters, the darkness they were either surviving or were drawn back to, these were sketched in minimalist detail, adding to an atmosphere of unreality.
The viewpoint characters are regularly unreliable, not least because at least one of them has had some kind of control put on their thoughts. It is coercive and, at times, downright terrifying, in how one character is forced to respond to another.
Viewpoints vary between humans and AI. Because it is a far future in space, sometimes those are closer to each other than to current humans, and are joyfully alien.
I'm not putting in content warnings, but recommend people who are cautious about violence and body horror to check what other people have said.
The viewpoint characters are regularly unreliable, not least because at least one of them has had some kind of control put on their thoughts. It is coercive and, at times, downright terrifying, in how one character is forced to respond to another.
Viewpoints vary between humans and AI. Because it is a far future in space, sometimes those are closer to each other than to current humans, and are joyfully alien.
I'm not putting in content warnings, but recommend people who are cautious about violence and body horror to check what other people have said.