flashandoutbreak'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Blood, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Murder
rionstorm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
If you are looking for fast paced or hopeful dystopian fiction you won't like this.
Ending spoilers
Spoiler
Have seen the story described as "a puzzle that refuses to be solved", and I feel that's accurate - but as frustrating as that is, I can respect the authors decision not to explain anything. It sort of places you alongside the narrator and gives you the option to either choose to continue going knowing that there probably won't be a resolution, or give up.Graphic: Grief, Murder, Death, Terminal illness, Infertility, Kidnapping, Confinement, Abandonment, and Suicide
Moderate: Police brutality and Physical abuse
madelinequinne'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? Yes
3.5
when i picked this up i was more expecting it to be about a small group of women being held against their will by men for nefarious reasons, rather than it being a dystopia where so many people were in these bunkers for a reason nobody knew, so it was a surprise when i got into it and realised it was that, and i can’t say i hugely enjoyed it just cuz this genre isn’t really my kind of thing, but i did find a lot of the points the main character made very reflective and interesting, and found myself relating to her in some ways, despite her situation being so far from anyone on earth’s.
it was cool to challenge myself to explore a genre i’m not usually into, but i don’t know if i’d do it again
Graphic: Kidnapping, Suicide, Infertility, Dementia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Terminal illness, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, and Abandonment
loxeletters's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
On to the actual book:
It's hard for me to articulate my feelings on it. I can appreciate its subtlety, some of the symbolism only becoming apparent to me upon reading the preface. I also enjoyed the writing style, which kept me reading for long stretches at a time. I enjoyed the concept, too, the setting and most of the execution, though I would have wished for some things to be fleshed out a bit more. Logically, it makes sense that the protagonist will brush over some years in her account, but as a reader, it left me lacking connection to most of the characters, and feeling removed from the story. Again, this can be intentional, seeing as there is a great distance to everything the MC reports, but I found that in this regard, it was not enriching to the book.
Finally, however, I really appreciated the way the book poses questions and refuses to answer them - a bold move, which left me feeling empty and perfectly conveyed the hopelessness the character was experiencing.
Overall, it's a strange little book that I enjoyed especially on the artistic and philosophical level (which I imagine this book set out to achieve), moreso than on the entertainment level.
Graphic: Death, Infertility, and Confinement
Moderate: Cancer, Abandonment, and Suicide
erinreadsslow's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Suicide, and Confinement
Moderate: Cancer
jkull_10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, and Torture
nialiversuch's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Cancer
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Dementia, Body horror, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Sexual content
mal_eficent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you want a dystopian story that's beautifully written without being pretentious, and isn't full of overt violence, then you have to pick this up.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Abandonment, Suicide, Trafficking, Dementia, Grief, Terminal illness, Cancer, Confinement, and Infertility
Minor: Kidnapping
saffaffi's review
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Abandonment, Death, and Grief
emmacartlidge's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Suicide, and Death
Minor: Blood