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blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I have officially lost all my "pretentious" "artsy" cred because I found it excruciatingly slow. You spend the entire time in the mind of someone on the verge of having a panic attack and who dwells on things for a long time. I actually found myself wishing something would happen. I like slow-paced stories! I don't need to feel "connected" or like the characters are "relatable" to enjoy something! But I could not get into this, I was just begging for it to be over... which is hilarious considering it's a novella.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pedophilia and Medical content
bites_of_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is set in a future where climate change has completely changed the way that humans live. Focused on a young woman, this book explores the ideas of responsibility for one's self and the duty one owes to family and community. It's a bit of a coming of age story but in a very dark context.
Please check content warnings for this novella, while short it's quite impactful.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Suicide attempt
lucystolethesky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
talonsontypewriters's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Parasitic infection.sailormegan's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
mapscitiesandsongs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Torture and Suicide attempt
rorikae's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Reid lives in a post apocalyptic world where humanity has had to come together in small pockets to sustain life. A fungus has started to infiltrate the population, curbing reckless behaviors as it takes over the lives of its hosts. People are expected to live in their small communities, contributing to help everyone survive. But when Reid gets a letter inviting her to university across the country, she will have to decide if she will give up everything she has known to take advantage of this opportunity.
Mohamed does a great job of peering into the specifics of hard decisions as seen through every day interactions. Reid is faced with the people around her and their different opinions. Some think that she would be out of her mind to not take the opportunity while others think that she will be betraying her community and more specifically her mom. The quiet moments of contemplation, including her conversations with her friends and family, add emotional gravity to the story even though it is relatively short. The small glimpses of Reid's world do a good job of creating the world while leaving more that could be explored and expanded on. I would love for Mohamed to write a sequel that explores what happens after the end of this initial story as where it leaves off does leave some questions unanswered.
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Suicide attempt