madmantha's review
- 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
4.75
Thrilling, anxiety-inducing, emotional and yet hilarious at the same time.
Can’t wait to suggest this read to others, I loaned it from the library but will definitely be purchasing my own copy. This is something that deserves to be remembered and celebrated for years to come.
Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Torture
Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Vomit, Alcohol, Addiction, Hate crime, Outing, Racial slurs, and Slavery
n_asyikin_'s review
- 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
5.0
The story was written evocatively, with the narrators state of mind being the central voice that coloured my perception as I was reading it. I found myself anxious when Sydney was anxious;
Spoiler
questioning, when Sydney/Theo was questioning their own perception particularly in scenes where their accounts could be considered unreliable, e.g., being drunken, or under influence of medication.I think one of the main takeaways was that evil came in many different forms, & often, those who perpetrate them don't appear monstrous. Murder might be the most extreme form of violence, but this story highlighted the need to not overlook the less corporeal or physically "gory" aspects of discrimination & bigotry. If any, it should be talked about more due to its insidiousness, & subsequent long-term consequences (as reflected through the history Sydney stipulated for her tour).
Spoiler
That being said, some may perceived the ending with incredulity, particularly with the number of people involved in the conspiracy. But I think it was an ending fitting for the story; the antagonists should be considered as both a manifestation & carricature of systemic racism. For me, that was what made the story more effective; even with the tangle of conspiracy, it never felt farfetched. In fact, it made perfect sense.'When no one is watching' is thrilling in every sense of the word! One of the best from the genre that I've read in recent times.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, and Ableism
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Forced institutionalization