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0lli_e's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
It was really good at first, but then felt like it was just meandering along. The handling of rape felt somewhat careless, and the tone often seemed pretentious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual content
Moderate: War
deanna_c's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
hannahhmh's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Rape
Minor: Drug abuse
miocyon's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- 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
2.5
An alternate present where Turing is still alive and helped to create AI. The most unlikable character in the literature (bonus: he’s the first person POV!) buys an human-like android with this AI built-in and comedy ensues. Actually, it’s not comedy, it’s a shaggy book that has too many elements - the android, the alternate history playing in the background, the not-really-love-story, an adoption (of a read child, not the android), a horrible secret. It never really congeals into a whole. I kept looking for parallels between the bits, hoping to find some deeper meaning, but could never find it. Maybe I’m too dumb, but I think it’s just not a great book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
marionmarzipan's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Grief
georgiahb's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
tamaraepps's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Suicide
juliston's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the plot of this book, and I sort of enjoyed the alternate timeline setting - it being so similar to our current society made me half think it was a commentary on the inevitability of how humans act with technology and half made me think there was a lack of imagination in how different a world cold be. Maybe Ian McEwan just didn't want to distract readers from the main themes by making it "obviously Sci-fi" novel in which we also had to understand a different worldly setting.
What I found really disappointing was that the themes and underlying messages about consciousness and technology and AI were rubbed so hard in the reader's face and there was no opportunity to face organic thought about them yourself because they were presented so blatantly as character thoughts or dialogue. The last Ian McEwan book I read (the cockroach, DNF was the same - we get it you think Brexit was stupid) and I feel like the lack of subtlety let down what could have been a really thought provoking novel.
What I found really disappointing was that the themes and underlying messages about consciousness and technology and AI were rubbed so hard in the reader's face and there was no opportunity to face organic thought about them yourself because they were presented so blatantly as character thoughts or dialogue. The last Ian McEwan book I read (the cockroach, DNF was the same - we get it you think Brexit was stupid) and I feel like the lack of subtlety let down what could have been a really thought provoking novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Suicide
catayane's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and War
xeriemoon's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
highlights:
- brilliantly written
- some genuinely hilarious lines
lowlights:
- depressing to think about the commonalities between this world and ours, regardless of how well crafted the novel is
- brilliantly written
- some genuinely hilarious lines
lowlights:
- depressing to think about the commonalities between this world and ours, regardless of how well crafted the novel is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: War