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madanxiety's review
5.0
Aside from pace, I am also always a huge fan of ensembles, which is part of what initially sustained my attention. I was like damn, how many hostages are there? Lol.
More to the content of the novel, I liked how each character was flawed in a very human way, and yet the protagonist (who, despite all the other characters, I'd say is Libby) was still always someone you could route for. This was a skillful balance to maintain.
I also have a soft spot for anti-establishment narratives lol. As one of the characters states at some point, the real villains turn out to be people, not AI.
My only critique of the book is how characters of color are treated. I will say more under the cut, but ofc it will include major spoilers.
I might've written this off as simply revealing Alex's own biases and flaws, but POC in this book are pretty much all murdered or painted as villains. It seems like the narrative of the book leans sympathetic toward POC, with only unlikeable characters being outright racist, the POC still die unjust deaths. It's like, I get that the novel is meant to be representative of the ugly parts of reality, including the disproportionate victimization of POC, but idk if that's enough justification for using characters of color as mere plot devices or backstory, not when that's the plight of ALL of them.
Anyway, I think the book is an interesting exploration of how AI could be weaponized by both powerful people and vigilantes. It's a cautionary tale about being too trusting of technology with regard to the collection and sharing of private data.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer and Infertility
amal_101's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Miscarriage, and Car accident
loysydneyweissman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
xwritingstoriesx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism
themoodreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Slavery, Vomit, Dementia, Trafficking, and War
hufflesnoot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Infertility
macaronsandmermaids's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cancer, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts