enbyglitch's review against another edition
DNF at like like 25%? This book has an extremely important message about queer/bipoc existence and perspective, and takes place in Toronto to boot!
But it is also hitting me extremely close to home right now, and despite putting a lot of effort into listening to it I need to set it aside for the moment.
From what I read I think "The Handmaids' Tale" is a rapt comparison, and I imagine deeply oppressed women reading that book would have an experience that somewhat echoes mine so far with Crosshairs.
I really want to return to this book, but my mind and soul aren't in the right place for its brutal look at the future of our society
But it is also hitting me extremely close to home right now, and despite putting a lot of effort into listening to it I need to set it aside for the moment.
From what I read I think "The Handmaids' Tale" is a rapt comparison, and I imagine deeply oppressed women reading that book would have an experience that somewhat echoes mine so far with Crosshairs.
I really want to return to this book, but my mind and soul aren't in the right place for its brutal look at the future of our society
larryleex's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
k_strau's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ash_ton's review against another edition
the book is making me feel ill. i looked at further pages and the violence made me sweat with anxiety. i can't do it
heathersbike's review against another edition
5.0
This is an amazing, frightening book. It reminded me of "Dry" in that the dystopia portrayed is too close to home. You can see it actually happening if we don't get our world put back together. If we don't remember that we are all in this together on this little blue planet.
raebrock's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very difficult book to read, it was uncomfortable and terrifying but such a powerful, important story.
I’m not going to summarize the book because you’ve probably already read the description. So I’ll just start with what I liked about it.
Besides the big themes of racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, ageism, and basically the oppression of nearly every marginalized group, there were a few topics that aren’t as often addressed so clearly in works of this nature. 1. Intersectionality! Even among Others, some people have safety nets that not all Others have. For example, queer white people can pretend to be straight. Black and brown people cannot pretend to be white. And the more marginalized groups you belong to (queer, trans, Black, brown, female, elderly, disabled) the harder things can be. 2. Ally-ship! There is a lot of discussion about what it takes to be a true ally, to work to unlearn the prejudice you were born being taught every single day, to take real action, make real stands, and to not make it about yourself and not expect praise for doing the right thing. 3. I live in the US and there is this idea a lot of people here have that Canada is a utopia of politeness, a safe haven. When bad things happen here people will say “If x, y, z happens, I’m moving to Canada!” So I really appreciated how this book broke down the idea that “these kinds of things don’t happen in Canada” is false. Prejudice exists everywhere.
This was a slow burn and it did take me a while to really get sucked in but then I couldn’t put it down. I loved the voice of Queen Kay, I loved every interaction with every other character on his journey, even the horrible ones, because the characters were just so well-written. I would definitely recommend.
Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not going to summarize the book because you’ve probably already read the description. So I’ll just start with what I liked about it.
Besides the big themes of racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, ageism, and basically the oppression of nearly every marginalized group, there were a few topics that aren’t as often addressed so clearly in works of this nature. 1. Intersectionality! Even among Others, some people have safety nets that not all Others have. For example, queer white people can pretend to be straight. Black and brown people cannot pretend to be white. And the more marginalized groups you belong to (queer, trans, Black, brown, female, elderly, disabled) the harder things can be. 2. Ally-ship! There is a lot of discussion about what it takes to be a true ally, to work to unlearn the prejudice you were born being taught every single day, to take real action, make real stands, and to not make it about yourself and not expect praise for doing the right thing. 3. I live in the US and there is this idea a lot of people here have that Canada is a utopia of politeness, a safe haven. When bad things happen here people will say “If x, y, z happens, I’m moving to Canada!” So I really appreciated how this book broke down the idea that “these kinds of things don’t happen in Canada” is false. Prejudice exists everywhere.
This was a slow burn and it did take me a while to really get sucked in but then I couldn’t put it down. I loved the voice of Queen Kay, I loved every interaction with every other character on his journey, even the horrible ones, because the characters were just so well-written. I would definitely recommend.
Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
catalindegaard's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
goofymango's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Oh, gosh. This is one of those books where it's so difficult to write a review, because it doesn't feel like there's enough words to convey just how deeply moving and impactful it was. You know a book is going to make you feel when you're already tearing up at the opening author's note.
I won't dance around it - the overwhelming feel of this book is one of tragedy, of heartbreak and trauma. But there are those glimpses of authentic joy, peace, and the wonders of human connection hidden throughout the book, something that adds to the incredible realness of it all. It's that realness that makes this story so gut-wrenching, because it isn't far removed. You can so very, very easily picture this happening in our reality, our timeline. It makes it difficult to get through at times - upsetting as it is in it's plausibility - but all the more important to really take it in, too. I wept, I had goose-bumps, I felt glimmers of hope. I felt every word of this book in my bones, and - provided you are in the right headspace - recommend anyone to read/listen to it.
The audiobook was read by the author, and gosh, what a performance. Engaging, captivating, raw and filled with emotion, the narration was some of the best I've ever had the joy to listen to.
I won't dance around it - the overwhelming feel of this book is one of tragedy, of heartbreak and trauma. But there are those glimpses of authentic joy, peace, and the wonders of human connection hidden throughout the book, something that adds to the incredible realness of it all. It's that realness that makes this story so gut-wrenching, because it isn't far removed. You can so very, very easily picture this happening in our reality, our timeline. It makes it difficult to get through at times - upsetting as it is in it's plausibility - but all the more important to really take it in, too. I wept, I had goose-bumps, I felt glimmers of hope. I felt every word of this book in my bones, and - provided you are in the right headspace - recommend anyone to read/listen to it.
The audiobook was read by the author, and gosh, what a performance. Engaging, captivating, raw and filled with emotion, the narration was some of the best I've ever had the joy to listen to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, and Death
Moderate: Police brutality, Violence, and Genocide
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault