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paperd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
planetdaniel14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A raw look into PTSD, suicide, and self harm which can be quite graphic, however does not pull any punches in the story that it is telling.
I didn't particularly care for the Cora / Kaveh romance subplot which slows the middle of the book down somewhat (which is why I deducted half a star), but picks up when the focus is Cora and the Amygdaline or Kaveh and the Amygdaline as you get a glimpse into the culture clash and the potential for human reaction which comes to a head in the final part of the book.
The debates around how you would grant aliens personhood were genuinely thought-provoking as well as the looks into how we deal with our own emotions (the quote being most standout to me being "why do we dismiss how our parents taught us relationships as 'daddy issues')
While the ending left me melancholy, I am looking forward to Book 3 and where the themes take me next
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, War, and Injury/Injury detail
notbambi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book rakes Cora and Ampersand through the coals emotionally. Cora is dealing with PTSD, and she self-harms a few times in the book. Early on, the focus is on the pair having very different perspectives on relationships and mental health, which was a very cool and effective way of exploring how alien Ampersand really is.
Later in the book, the emphasis shifts to new characters, Kaveh and Nikola, who have a similar getting-to-know-you arc as Cora and Ampersand in book one, although less antagonistic to start. It also shifts to the broader political debate around whether aliens should be extended human rights.
I like the way that this book explores the idea of just how alien an alien can be while still being somewhat relateable and knowable to humans. I like how it argues that the way people treat the aliens is a reflection of our worst impulses and fears being used to justify the stripping of rights in the real world.
I really liked a lot about this book, but it wasn't a five star for me. For me, some of the writing got a little cringey. The pop culture/meme references were a bit much and didn't always feel natural. This book is quite long and I can't help but feel like some of the subplots could have been trimmed. I didn't need Kaveh and Cora's date at the club.
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Police brutality
jenny_d's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
aglimpseinto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, and Blood
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Alcoholism and Bullying
sandreline'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
Hey, don't skip the author's content note. Take it seriously and take care of yourself. This is a wildly different book than Axiom's End. It is about PTSD and suicidal ideation. It is a primary focus of the story. I love this series, I have read it before, and I still had to take a break halfway through.
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Islamophobia
fifth_magpie's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Self harm
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Antisemitism
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Rape, and Islamophobia
xeniaaaaaah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Domestic abuse
annajfehr's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, and Abandonment
lostwaterbottle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Some readers might feel there’s too much politics in this story, but I think the author is pretty accurate in imagining how the US would react to first contact. If immigrants at the border move us closer to authoritarianism and the government actively supports the genocide in Palestine, then of course that rhetoric would be used toward ETs.
I did appreciate the depiction of PTSD in Cora and what she was going through as a young person with a traumatic past. Her character felt real and believable to me. I’m disappointed that
It was a little slow for me in the second half- I didn’t even tear up at the end tbh. I’m used to more dramatic and smutty books tho. If read the next one. I hope to see a redemption arc for Sol and Cora’s family. I’m also curious as to how humanity preps for meeting the superorganism.
Graphic: Self harm and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism
Minor: Domestic abuse