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mar's reviews
321 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Ableism, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, War, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Transphobia
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
also, very confused as to why this book is labelled as horror - it's unsettling in the way a nonfiction book about climate change is unsettling, but i really wouldn't call it horror. unless you're creeped out by a failing marriage ig
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Gore, and Medical content
Minor: Sexism and Racism
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Torture, Confinement, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Moderate: Racism, Violence, War, and Homophobia
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Gore
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Transphobia, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Self harm and Blood
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
5.0
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Dysphoria, Hate crime, Racism, and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Outing, and Transphobia
Moderate: Fatphobia and Physical abuse
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed the iconic noir tone and absolutely fell in love with Dora - look, give me a character with very little regard for her own life to a suicidal degree who'll fight tooth and nail for her friends, and I'm SOLD.
Where the story suffers is its brevity, honestly - I do love a fast-paced thriller, but the shortness of the book left frustratingly little space for worldbuilding, atmosphere and character development (especially glaring in Theo's case). I think the concept behind the story is phenomenal, and as a huge fan of clone narratives (and a nonbinary person) it was exciting seeing it through a trans lens, but even so I was left wanting more, and not in a good way. I would've liked to see it delve deeper into the themes of personhood and autonomy, the ethical implications, and all the complicated feelings Dora and Theo have about it.
Overall, very cool idea with lots of potential, but MAN it should've been a full novel ðŸ˜
(Thanks to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for the ARC!)
Graphic: Gun violence, Transphobia, Murder, Violence, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Sexual content and Drug use
5.0
From the Afterword by Sunyoung Park:
Overcoming human form, in Kim's world, is not quite a way of transcending our limits, as is often the case in superhero narratives, but rather a desperate attempt to survive by the marginalized and the vulnerable.
this is genuinely one of the best short story collections i've ever read, and i do not say that lightly.
evolution and devolution, themes of marginality and struggle for survival (even in the face of the unforgiving passing of time and impermanence of life), a boundless creativity in exploring alternate scientific realities that i've only seen rivalled in the works of Ted Chiang, the familiar made alien and the alien made familiar so thoroughly it makes you question the subjectivity of not only your lived experience, but also of the reality humans take for granted... oh i fear this book will live in my mind forever
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: Slavery