strugk's reviews
318 reviews

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

adventurous informative inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

This book has a great premise, with plenty well-started threads. The story builds up tension and lays multiple layers, to than conclude most of them in quite unsatisfying way. With the solid philosophical and scientific groundwork introduced in the fake quotes at the beginning of each chapter, my hopes for the plot developments were higher. 
But that is to say for most of the book I was sure I'll give it full five stars, so at the end of the book I am focusing on the disappointing parts, but overall it has good, believable characters shown in a number of interesting and stimulating situations.
Definitely worth a read.

Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies by Geoffrey B. West

challenging reflective slow-paced

3.25

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Economics of Good and Evil: The Quest for Economic Meaning from Gilgamesh to Wall Street by Tomáš Sedláček

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

Drinking Molotov Cocktails with Gandhi by Mark Boyle

dark inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

Well written and engaging, but presents its point quite narrowly, without looking into any potential side-effects of proposed tactics.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape and Violence

Utrata by Adam Kaczanowski

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

4.5

Wojna Idei. Myśl po swojemu by Szymon Pękała

informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This is a weird book. Science & political fiction starting now with some quite likely plot, so it is often easy to mix reality with the book. Conceptually interesting, but it reads more like a non-fiction - the plot is there just to create a little more engaging narrative for ideas and it is not well constructed - it is not the driver for reading.

The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Very interesting premise, makes you think. I found it unwind too slowly and ending too soon - without outlining more long-term effects of the situation presented. It is quite focused on the event itself, only touching on repercussions.

Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe

adventurous funny relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

An intriguing plot with plenty surprising twists. Good sense of technological development trends. I did enjoy reading it, it is entertaining and has satisfying world- and character- building. 
It ends abruptly and little issues solved - the ending is the weakest part - it really seems like last chapter lost.