I really had a fun time reading it dispite its violent nature it was a great get away during exam season.
The plot armour was indestructible but oh well i went into it expecting it anyway.
oh and damn the first reveal of the zombie got me shook like to the core. Wasn't expecting it at all - great jumpscare.
Read in the end notes that the autho wanted to explore the side characters more aswell really wish that they did. Especially since min ( the main character) doesnt interact with everyone fully so we never really hear their viewpoints.
Also the timeline between earth 1 and 3 was atrocious. Like min had a whole training arc and transfered to 2 diffrent settlements all while 'D' and Noah were apparently sleeping for what like a whole month doing absolutely nish.
Didnt enjoy the whole book as much as the first. But there were definitely elemts i really liked such as the serial killer convention and the diner lady's stories.
Also at the end when Rose is in her dream the partial nudity feels really weird. Cause idk about you but i definitely am not wearing a toga in my dreams especially not one that is falling off my boobs every two seconds
It captures the eerily stillnes the monotony and the fear of our everyday lives.
I would describe the writing as poetic. Seeing to the minimal punctuation and experimental use of seperating each clause into a couple of words that dance on the page.
The accompanying art is moody and considers the seeious subject matter of feeling alienated from those you love while experiencing the macrocosmic effects of the death of George Floyd in the midst of a sick loved one. This book feels so personal due to the bizzare collective experience we can all attest to.
The theme that runs through of oxygen and breath, is fundamental to the topics overtly disscussed but again is the building block of life. So what do we do when we can no longer breathe, as a result of: brutality, sickness, our poised environment, or the suffocating confines of the four walls some are privileged to call home?
Well Reynolds encourages everyone of us to search for, to reach out for the oxygen mask... and to breathe in .... and breathe out....
The whole book i was feeling hmmm...theres something missing.
I cant really describe it but it felt like a really long opening that did not build up for the conclusion. The final portion was definitely the best (the last few pages... ehh...) I felt like Alva's development was rounded off. She felt the very archytype of a buildingsroman but sadly Lu Fung felt like background support which yes was needed, but only since Alva's POV was weak.
There doesn't seem much development in Lu Fungs perspective after becoming step father to Alva and the past Lu fung seems like a different person, where the changes i feel cant be attributed to time and circumstance. But I think more intresting points could be disscussed especially considering the length of the book.
Such as the fetishism surrounding Asian bodies specifically, a good and relastic portrayal of sloane Sally was crafted.
Additionally the Hentai Lord stuff really caught me off guard. But it was used well as a tool for digital exploration and curiosity within Alva's character. I think subjects around the saftey of children in the domestic was well considered. But child saftey as soon as it left the home felt like the tone was dangerously neutral.
But this fell short at the meeting between Alva and Daniel, its not at all nessesary. Having a one on one chat or negotiation with a pedophile while you are the victim of their actions is not in anyway "clearing debts". Like to even suggest that this meeting occurs is absolutely crazy to me especially unaccompanied and while Alva is experiencing flash backs.