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lyssylyssy's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use and Gun violence
Minor: Kidnapping
sarahbsews's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
ctkierst's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Misogyny, and Kidnapping
sherigodmother's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
The end of the world is a good place for stories to reside.
I read Death of the Author on a cruise vacation, and I spent a lot of non-reading time wishing I could get back to this book. I feel like that says a lot about it.
Having two intertwined stories where both kept my attention is really impressive, and this book managed to do it. I will say that the Rusted Robots chapters were a bit more intriguing to me, but that’s simply because I’m a post-apocalyptic / sci-fi fan at heart.
Zelu is a complex and relatable character; I loved her, flaws and all. Her discussions regarding her disability were thoughtful and real, and they made me think long and hard about my own understanding of what living with a mobility disability would be like.
The family dynamics in this mystified me, but I think that’s simply because that’s not how my family dynamics work. I kept wishing Zelu would simply not tell them things, especially when the response was always the same.
I did find some situations unrealistic - for example, when Zelu VERY REASONABLY stands up for her decisions regarding her exos and her own disability in response to the journalist and the entire internet jumps to call her ableist with no dissenting voices - I simply cannot believe that in this day and age that is the reaction we would see. But maybe I’m naïve and want to hope for the best in people?
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Kidnapping and Death of parent