mrmarshall591's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is a very quick read/ listen and it is definitely adventurous and funny but there is a lot that goes underdeveloped.
Amazing job in terms of diverse characters and intersectionality. One of the main characters (Jules) for example, is a neurodivergent black, nonbinary child of immigrants.
Speaking of Jules, I related to them so much especially with their constant “that’s so cool!” with their mind going from one thing to another, and how they feel they always mess things up.
Short books are perfectly fine and while we did learn enough to get a picture of who Ava and Jules are, we knew they’d been in a relationship and why they broke up but I still for the most part could not establish any sort of dynamic between them other than their connection through work and bickering recently broken up partners.
I like how the ending is left open in this case which is something that does not always feel right to me. I definitely would read a sequel or other related book.
Also completely unrelated to my rating, I was laughing reading the reviews and how almost everyone mentioned Ikea yet I completely was oblivious to that having been the setting 😅. I know of Ikea and think I have been to one once but don’t remember much.
Amazing job in terms of diverse characters and intersectionality. One of the main characters (Jules) for example, is a neurodivergent black, nonbinary child of immigrants.
Speaking of Jules, I related to them so much especially with their constant “that’s so cool!” with their mind going from one thing to another, and how they feel they always mess things up.
Short books are perfectly fine and while we did learn enough to get a picture of who Ava and Jules are, we knew they’d been in a relationship and why they broke up but I still for the most part could not establish any sort of dynamic between them other than their connection through work and bickering recently broken up partners.
I like how the ending is left open in this case which is something that does not always feel right to me. I definitely would read a sequel or other related book.
Also completely unrelated to my rating, I was laughing reading the reviews and how almost everyone mentioned Ikea yet I completely was oblivious to that having been the setting 😅. I know of Ikea and think I have been to one once but don’t remember much.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Cursing, Blood, Medical content, Emotional abuse, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
rhi_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Transphobia, and Death
skeuomorphism's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
a really entertaining read! loved the portrayal of jules and ava's relationship. the painfully awkward and raw post-breakup times were really well-written. and the description of litenvärld which sounds like a potent corporate-flavoured mix of ikea and meow wolf's omega mart. kinda wish the book was longer so that we could all learn more about the litenverse and am i so glad about defekt's existence!
food for thought
Spoiler
+ i'm not going to pretend that i am So Normal about ambiguous/open endings. they leave you stranded on a cliff above what if sea but the view is so so sexy!!!! like this ending. when i got to the chapter where ava went to jules' i was terrified that it'd be deus ex machinaed with them coming out of a wormhole but no. instead the story tenderly hands the reins to ava. which says something VERY LOUDLY about the theme of fate, relationships, and character development, etc.food for thought
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Transphobia
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
rhall19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia and Blood
jballin47's review against another edition
adventurous
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
A great novella, short and fast-paced to get anyone out of reading slump. The dystopian Ikea multiverse setting has real Aperture Science vibes which makes for a fun and sometimes terrifying backdrop for a queer couple dealing with the fallout of their break-up amidst saving a grandmother. Like many good novellas, this one wastes no time over-explaining its lore and focuses heavily on its loveable protagonists.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Transphobia
alyxinthestars's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia and Violence
Minor: Death
huntress's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Mental illness
Moderate: Transphobia and Death
mosshaunt's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
it was cute! i don't have many thoughts beyond that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Transphobia, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cultural appropriation and Sexual content
honeyvoiced's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia
jpitts's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Queer recent-exes working at an IKEA(ish) and being forced to search for an elderly customer who wandered into a wormhole in the store, traveling through fucked up alternate dimension IKEAs and coming to terms with the end of their relationship in the process? Hell yeah dude are you kidding?? This rules.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Transphobia