Reviews

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

xena_p's review against another edition

3.0

I would have given this book a 4 or maybe even 5 if I didn't keep confusing plots and losing track. And yet for some reason, I want to reread this book to get all the parts I missed the first time.

bowenlacar's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

nere's review against another edition

really compelling. but it centers a pandemic and i’m really not in the headspace to read something like this right now 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Death, and Child death

kali_readsbooks4's review against another edition

5.0

“Opportunities are like little seeds floating in the wind. Your life is there. Some people have a big net to collect them all. Other people need to pray that the right seeds, the best ones, make their way to them with just enough bad ones to appreciate the good.”

Nagamatsu's beautiful, melancholy sci-fi novel imagines a future in which human lives and cultures are completely changed by a devastating pandemic. Made me stop and think and I will never forget it.

lindseythome's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

4.25

lucywearsfur's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

monicaa_d's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Another book I couldn't fully understand, but utterly fascinated me. After a viral pandemic begins to take lives slowly and painfully, the book explores humanity in it's many forms and how people cope with losing loved ones and finding others. In many ways, life goes on, and people navigate the same issues as always. Through space and time, people are people. 

laviskrg's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of the absolute best books I have read in my life. It ruined me mentally and emotionally especially being about subjects I care nothing about. But this is the power of well-written literature. This illustrates what books used to be, should be and are less and less. Stories about love, loss, death, birth, old and new traditions. About survival. About giving up. And most of all, about looking up towards the stars and seeing the reflection of what we are in the depth of our cells.
To say I was touched is an understatement.

wynrii's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

the entire concept of the book was really intriguing and interesting to listen to! I got a little bored around 3/4s in but I really enjoyed the ending

kflavoie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0