snielsen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Alcoholism, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Death, Child death, Gore, Body horror, Drug abuse, and Violence
storyorc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The time travelling aspects are a trove of surprises, and a touch of existential horror, as the author demonstrates the butterfly effect over and over. The mechanics behind it were also quite carefully thought out, which made for a satisfying time of trying anticipate what would happen (I don't consider the fact that I guessed the twist a bad thing). The ships, exoplanet, and protocols surrounding time travel were just cool.
The characters were where I struggled. Brock was my favourite for the range and competence he displayed and a few other had their moments - - but for the most part they seemed thin or more tools of the plot than people. This may have been exaggerated by the multiverse element of the plot which can make anything start to feel pointless if you're not careful.
It was also neat to see a protagonist with one leg navigate both daily life and physically demanding situations in a way that was neither completely unaffected nor completely helpless.
The characters were where I struggled. Brock was my favourite for the range and competence he displayed and a few other had their moments -
Spoiler
Moss with herself on the tree or the Courtney hologram, Petal/Vivian turning into a detective, Nicole flipping the script on MossIt was also neat to see a protagonist with one leg navigate both daily life and physically demanding situations in a way that was neither completely unaffected nor completely helpless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Police brutality, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Ableism and Misogyny
amiegold's review against another edition
I wasn't connecting with the characters
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Cancer
mlewis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Medical content, Body horror, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Fatphobia, and Cancer
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Pregnancy, Ableism, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and War
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Wow, this book was wild. WILD!
I haven't read a book like this before, and it really made an impression on me.
The investigation in the beginning has True Detective Season 1 vibes. I liked that, although the story then went into a totally different direction.
There is time travel, which I always love. But the way it's done here is so unique and also complex (and sometimes complicated, it's hard to wrap one's head around). I loved how the author used actual scientific research and theories to explain things, though. The direction the plot takes, phew.... did I mention it was wild? Because it's really mind-blowing sometimes.
There are mysterious scenes, there are action packed scenes, there are reflective scenes, there are gruesome scenes, there are unbelievable scenes. And at the same time, there is this melancholic atmosphere that dominates the whole book. It got really depressing at some point tbh.
I really liked the protagonist btw. She's very cool, what she does for a living (wild!) and the way her disability is portrayed in the book... I really, really liked that. Most of the time, when a character has a disability, it's either not effecting the plot at all, or it's dominating the plot. But here... it was just there, and we got really detailed every day experiences of a disabled person. The disability affected the plot sometimes, but it didn't dominate it.
There were some action-packed scenes that were described like movie scenes, and this made me wish for a movie adaptation. At this point, I have to mention the 90s pop culture reference because as a 90s kid myself, I had a lot of fun with them. But I also loved how thought-provoking the story is. There is so much to think about and to discuss.
Although I think the ending was very satisfying, I'm not a fan of the epilogue. It somehow felt like a punch in the gut to me to have these complex characters and then do THIS at the end. But then again, it is a great discussion point.
I'm glad I read this so slowly and had time to reflect on the different parts. This book will stay with me for a long time, mostly because I can't believe an author pulled something like this off. I have the most respect for Tom Sweterlitsch.
Do I recommend it? Yes, but it's definitely not an easy read and I don't think it's for everyone.
I haven't read a book like this before, and it really made an impression on me.
The investigation in the beginning has True Detective Season 1 vibes. I liked that, although the story then went into a totally different direction.
There is time travel, which I always love. But the way it's done here is so unique and also complex (and sometimes complicated, it's hard to wrap one's head around). I loved how the author used actual scientific research and theories to explain things, though. The direction the plot takes, phew.... did I mention it was wild? Because it's really mind-blowing sometimes.
There are mysterious scenes, there are action packed scenes, there are reflective scenes, there are gruesome scenes, there are unbelievable scenes. And at the same time, there is this melancholic atmosphere that dominates the whole book. It got really depressing at some point tbh.
I really liked the protagonist btw. She's very cool, what she does for a living (wild!) and the way her disability is portrayed in the book... I really, really liked that. Most of the time, when a character has a disability, it's either not effecting the plot at all, or it's dominating the plot. But here... it was just there, and we got really detailed every day experiences of a disabled person. The disability affected the plot sometimes, but it didn't dominate it.
There were some action-packed scenes that were described like movie scenes, and this made me wish for a movie adaptation. At this point, I have to mention the 90s pop culture reference because as a 90s kid myself, I had a lot of fun with them. But I also loved how thought-provoking the story is. There is so much to think about and to discuss.
Although I think the ending was very satisfying, I'm not a fan of the epilogue. It somehow felt like a punch in the gut to me to have these complex characters and then do THIS at the end. But then again, it is a great discussion point.
I'm glad I read this so slowly and had time to reflect on the different parts. This book will stay with me for a long time, mostly because I can't believe an author pulled something like this off. I have the most respect for Tom Sweterlitsch.
Do I recommend it? Yes, but it's definitely not an easy read and I don't think it's for everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Suicide, Vomit, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Cancer, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content and Pregnancy
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