Scan barcode
A review by zigzagzmak
The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Possibly my favorite book I've read this year so far and a contender for an all time favorite. I'm a big fan of Pulley's writing style and the way she just sucks you into the story. I read this book in just a few short days, staying up late each night because I couldn't set it down to go to sleep.
The people in this story just feel real, supported by such a real and well researched world inspired by very real events and places. It is so clear how Pulley spent ages reading and understanding the science of radiation and the politics and the history of what it was like in the Soviet union.
Additionally, stories where characters are queer but it's not the point and romance isn't the main storyline are so lovely, and this is no exception. There's a slow burning love story that happens alongside everything else, but in addition to the romantic love we also get to see the way that Valery's platonic love for humanity and his comradeship for those around him inspires rebellion and whistleblowing for the greater good of fellow humans living in danger. A++ work all aroundn with incredibly satisfying payoff that is irrefutable and inevitable without changing the tone or genre of the book when it happens.
The people in this story just feel real, supported by such a real and well researched world inspired by very real events and places. It is so clear how Pulley spent ages reading and understanding the science of radiation and the politics and the history of what it was like in the Soviet union.
Additionally, stories where characters are queer but it's not the point and romance isn't the main storyline are so lovely, and this is no exception. There's a slow burning love story that happens alongside everything else, but in addition to the romantic love we also get to see the way that Valery's platonic love for humanity and his comradeship for those around him inspires rebellion and whistleblowing for the greater good of fellow humans living in danger. A++ work all aroundn with incredibly satisfying payoff that is irrefutable and inevitable without changing the tone or genre of the book when it happens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, and Terminal illness