Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

14 reviews

kat_ml's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Incest, Infertility, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Pregnancy

rweller's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

In equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting. Steeped in religious themes, and brimming with a thoughtful exploration of humanity, tribalism, love, loss, empathy, and the pursuit and meaning of truth, this is far more than a science fiction adventure to worlds unknown. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Torture, and Xenophobia

aylasultana's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Infidelity, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Genocide, Incest, and Terminal illness

psydneigh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I feel like this book perfectly describes the human condition. Only thing I dont buy is Ender and Novinha’s relationship. I don’t feel the love.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation

lebolt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.5

Ok, look. I know the author is a Mormon and that's problematic to a lot of people. But the whole point of this book is to connect with other sentient beings in a compassionate way, no matter how inconceivable their morality is to you. It's supposed to be hard to read, because it challenges you to accept people as human despite their atrocities. If that's not something you agree with, then this book definitely isn't for you.

Ok, begin actual review:

Why do we suffer? What does it mean to be human? Who deserves love? This book asks big questions; this book gives sincere answers.

I think this book Speaks into the part of me that wants to know redemption. I think this book lets me see a little bit of an author who, in a story about the stars, is himself sharing a bit of heartfelt humanity despite the divisions of the world - both around us and inside us.

Also, super rad sci fi concepts like relativistic interstellar travel, instantaneous communication, AI, genetic modification, terraforming, etc etc. Good stuff.

Beware: this sequel is a strong departure from the child-focused and relatively childish Ender's Game. As the author says in his foreword, this book was originally meant to be a standalone, and it shows. Ender's Game is basically (very well executed) exposition and backstory for this more profound work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder

bits_and_pieces_odds_and_ends's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse

uhtceara's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Too many scientific incongruities to be enjoyable. The plot felt very railroaded and character development and change was too instantaneous and in keeping with the desired result to be plausible. The vernacular and legacy of Enders  game were the only thing that compelled me to finish this

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia

jfreud's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Honestly impressive how this sequel takes a sharp right turn from Ender's Game but is SO COOL in it's own right. Where Ender's Game cares about childhood relationships and loss of innocence, this book focuses on adults atoning for past wrongs. Plus there's a whole other set of xenobiological worldbuilding, which pleases my nerdy heart. Super thought-provoking but also exciting and readable, like its predecessor. Again, the author is unfortunately a homophobic asshose, so buy used or hit up your library.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Xenophobia

Minor: Genocide and War

toast_y's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.75

This was an amazing book and a great follow up to Ender’s Game. I loved it and laughed at quite a bit of the dialogue; overall I had a great time reading 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Incest, Infertility, and Xenophobia

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Incest