Reviews

Thrust by Lidia Yuknavitch

suannelaqueur's review against another edition

5.0

Oh. My. God. This. Book.

I borrowed it as a joke, because my son and I have a little riff about the word “thrust.” I showed him the title and laughed, “I have to read this on principle, I’m going in blind...”

Holy crap. Within 5% I had a feeling it would be the best read of 2024. Ron Charles of the Washington Post called it “the most mind-blowing book about America I’ve ever read” and I whole-heartedly agree. It starts with building the statue of liberty and ends in a detention facility along the US border. What happens in between is magic. It’s about migration. Emigration. Immigration. Objects and people and stories moving between time and countries and gender. It’s about love. Power. Oppression. Survival. It’s about liberty. 

bug_not_a_feature's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

Very nonlinear and poetic. Not everyone’s cup of tea. Was a little too light on the world building for my taste 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

readrunrepeat42's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• 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? Yes

3.0

wilfredamadeus's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.0

reniasssnceturkey's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.75

jovanh's review

I loved the first chapter, but my interest petered out quickly.

moscat's review against another edition

challenging inspiring medium-paced

I'm glad I read this, even if I'm not really sure how to rate it! It's definitely powerful, and challenging, and I feel like I'll need time for it to fully percolate.

It tells how easily and quickly ideals of liberty decay into oppression. How movement, diversity and change are how we make progress and isolation and exclusion lead to stagnation and extinction.

It's explored through a cast of marginalised folks from a number of timelines connected by a time-travelling girl from a bleak future and we piece together how these stories intersect through a non-linear narrative.

I wasn't always sure where I was or where we were going, but the moments that connected with me felt powerful.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia

brookeworm18's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• 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? No

3.0

This had its moments - I was especially fond of the dr doolittle worm scene - but the whole book is so self-obsessed that it got boring after about 150 pages.

barbiegirl1993's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

brownsugar39's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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