A review by apike
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

3.5

 What a weird book. 

 

Zoomed out, it’s a smart, zany satire written from the perspective of a woman. Zoomed in, it can feel more like a gross movie narrated by a teenaged boy. 

 

One minute, I’m enjoying the creativity, fast pace, wit, and memorable ideas. The next minute, I’m cringing at some juvenile passage that the author seemingly intended as satire or just a stark contrast, but ends up instead just feeling immature. 

 

Setting aside the fart jokes, the thread I struggled the most with was how the book portrays women. The main character is a woman, but the narration doesn’t seem to think or perceive the world like a woman. She spends half her time damselled. The sexism (and racism and violence against women and so on) is perpetrated by the “bad guys”, but but the narrative voice ends up seeming less critical of it, and more just kind of amused by it. 

 

Overall, it’s at times quite enjoyable and in others, off-putting. Which is a lot more compelling than being entirely mediocre. So, I guess, 3.5 stars. 

 

In the future, I’ll keep an eye out for books that have this kind of pacing and creativity, but are bit more hopeful and humane.