thewritebooks's review against another edition
Bizarre and beautiful and exactly what everyone needs. Not even close to what I was expecting, and everything I didn’t know I wanted to read.
annadeedeee789's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book reminds me of The Stranger by Albert Camus in the way it is written. There is slight world building with the alien beings known as "The Seep" but the real focus is on the main character, Trina who is dealing with the loss of her wife and how to shape her identity outside of the comfortable life that she created. Though the book does mention details of her life prior to the alien intervention, the book primarily focuses on Trina, now in her 40s, and the anxieties that come with change and growth, especially in this new Seep-focused world.
sunflowers_and_storms's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
juliancmajor's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
69goose69's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aethermoss's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
coombsreads's review against another edition
Not the right timing or book for me right now.
mxpringle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
I loved how real this book felt in terms of its insights on human nature. I need more books by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Addiction
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child abuse
notthatbecca's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting look at utopia and what makes us human. Easy to read and hard to put down
philososquid's review against another edition
3.0
The premise and the world in this book were sooo cool. I was intrigued right away, and thought the aliens in this world were unique and interesting.
I liked the characters and the different ways they interacted with the aliens in the first few chapters. But as the book went on, it got less interesting to me.
Honestly, I was a little disappointed with how the main character, Trina, interacted with the Seep and the world around her after the first few chapters. I think there was so much potential to do something really unique, but in the end, Trina basically realized that "it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." That message is played out, in my opinion, and there was no nuance or unique spin to it in this story. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in a world with such a cool concept, I think there was a lot of potential to make it unique. So when that didn't happen, I was disappointed.
I thought that this book would make me think about technology or the future in a new way, but in the end, it just had a rather ordinary message delivered in an ordinary way. Albeit, in a really cool setting, but that wasn't enough to save it for me.
I liked the characters and the different ways they interacted with the aliens in the first few chapters. But as the book went on, it got less interesting to me.
Honestly, I was a little disappointed with how the main character, Trina, interacted with the Seep and the world around her after the first few chapters. I think there was so much potential to do something really unique, but in the end, Trina basically realized that "it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." That message is played out, in my opinion, and there was no nuance or unique spin to it in this story. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in a world with such a cool concept, I think there was a lot of potential to make it unique. So when that didn't happen, I was disappointed.
I thought that this book would make me think about technology or the future in a new way, but in the end, it just had a rather ordinary message delivered in an ordinary way. Albeit, in a really cool setting, but that wasn't enough to save it for me.