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rorynoden's review
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is an incredibly interesting portrayal of the events of and following an apocalyptic event, from the perspective of an ordinary family man. From the start of the book, the author builds a relatability to the characters. But the scary part about reading the book is that, although the actions taken by characters, I have never done and most likely will never do, the reasoning and thought process behind the actions I can definitely understand and relate to. This book portrays the brutal nature of humanity and really makes me question what I would do and if I would act better. I hope I would, but the fact I have to question myself is terrifying.
I think the portrayal of and treatment of women in the book is useful in understanding the attitudes of the time.It shocked me that after Ann and her daughter experienced an incredibly traumatic event, the rest of the group were more shocked that Ann took revenge in a brutal fashion. Throughout the rest of the book they looked at her almost as a mental case as if her action wasn't completely justified, and that as a woman she shouldn't have been capable of doing it.
Another truly worrying thing about reading this book, is that although it portrays some of the most awful aspects of humanity, I feel dissensified. Which I guess is a reflection of modern life and media.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Cannibalism
floorse's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have hated few protagonists as much as I hate John Custance. Some fun elements of unreliable narration/masked motivations right up until the end. The characters are thoroughly unlikable but that's sort of the point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Rape
lief_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Cannibalism
megyeager's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book was definitely a product of it's time concerning the treatment of women but was also prescient when considering the focus on a crop virus. I am not generally a fan of darker books, I prefer hopeful endings and this ending left me feeling a bit sad about the turns that humanity might take in the future. That being said, the author did a great job with the character development of John as he took on a leadership position in his group. Overall, I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Abandonment
skittledog's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A similar apocalyptic vibe to other 1950s UK books I've read (e.g. John Wyndham), but with a more realistic/hard-science apocalypse that is due to a grass plague emerging in, er, China. Plays with similar themes of personal responsibility vs global morality, and the loss of humanity which may or may not be acceptable for survival. Some of the underpinning themes are a bit less well thought through, though - the author wants to make points about xenophobia and sexism, I feel, but didn't quite actually get round to making them because his own viewpoint was clearly still a little mired in them itself. But an interesting read, and a very small personal version of what surviving the first few days/weeks of societal collapse might actually look like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Blood
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Infidelity, and Cannibalism