squishies's review
3.0
3.5 stars
I think I would have rated it higher if I hadn't finished watching the Netflix series just before I started reading. Maybe...
It was interesting to see the changes they made for the Netflix adaptation and I guess it worked (albeit way more dramatic) with a few weird plot holes that made more sense with the original story.
I do have to say though... I really missed Poe in the book - the Hendrix wasn't quite the same.
Anyway, I love the concept though and the book really does bring up some thought provoking points on what makes us, us.
I think I would have rated it higher if I hadn't finished watching the Netflix series just before I started reading. Maybe...
It was interesting to see the changes they made for the Netflix adaptation and I guess it worked (albeit way more dramatic) with a few weird plot holes that made more sense with the original story.
I do have to say though... I really missed Poe in the book - the Hendrix wasn't quite the same.
Anyway, I love the concept though and the book really does bring up some thought provoking points on what makes us, us.
juniormince's review against another edition
1.0
DNF — feel kinda tricked that this was sold to me as a sick sci-fi/cyberpunk novel. it's more sci-fi aesthetic slapped over a "badass" (boring) cardboard protagonist who's needlessly visiting bonerville while sometimes working on a murder case. some future tech sprinkled in regularly. cool world concepts pop up but don't really get much attention. booooooooooring objectification, like why even include women characters— you could probably replace them all with actual inanimate objects and the story would be the same. because i love sci-fi and cyberpunk AND crime/mystery stories i really kept trying to finish this and it just wasn't happening for me. mega bummed.
rhganci's review against another edition
5.0
It relaunched my interest in pop literature, but was one of the most explicit novels I’ve ever read, in every way. A seriously messed up premise, but there’s something about it that makes it difficult to stop reading. The plot involved a lot of details and connections, sort of like the Count, but this was a bit more difficult to follow. The climax at the end seemed a bit over dramatized, but was suitable for the end. I still had trouble connecting the events in the prologue to the rest of the novel. Had it not been for Dad’s premise-sharing, I think I would have had a lot more questions. Takeshi Kovacs is my perfect definition of “anti-hero.”
littlewit's review
3.0
Interesting premise. Read a bit like a sci fi detective novel, but lacked a little to me in the detective aspect. Seemed to harp a lot on smoking, felt like I was getting a PSA announcement throughout the book. Also, I think there are just some words and situations that are always going to pull me out of a book when I am listening to it. Especially racial slurs (not in this book) and derogatory terms for women i.e. cunt (rampant throughout this book). I can get past some of these words when I Read them but hearing them spoken just makes me twitch.
I may give it another listen/read down the road but right now it's just fine.
I may give it another listen/read down the road but right now it's just fine.
maggie92's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
reading_rainy's review
4.0
Blade Runner. That's what I kept visualizing when reading this book. It has the blend of science fiction with a mystery to solve, very “noir” feeling. The advanced technology of sleeving was fascinating. What would happen if you downloaded your mind into another body? Great read.
straystarlight's review
3.0
Hit some personal pet peeves of mine, such as characters spouting quotes (fictional, but still), and the side characters being more or less flat and sometimes inconsistent in characterization. The sex scenes were really weird. Some of the comments about women were kinda weird too. Still, I enjoyed it overall and the concept was pretty neat.
joshmaher's review against another edition
5.0
One of the few series i've read more than one book of.
klkramer2's review
2.0
Of this 500+ page book, you can read the first 50 and last 100--you won't miss anything. Instead of using heated conversations (which is most of the content) to build any of the characters, all you get is profane and perverse speech with no substance. I've held a belief for a long time that when a writer resorts to excessive profanities they are really just a terrible writer. This book is an excellent example. The only redeeming qualities are the subtle sci-fi elements and other books have done this much better.
davidlz1's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this read...I felt the book could have been shorter, however. Too much time spent writing fight scenes and describing too much gory detail...that's what a reader's mind is for. And then there's the sex scenes...repeat what I said about the fight scenes. The concept was brilliant. Very forward thinking. Looking forward to the next installment!