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kayteeem's review against another edition
After the first couple of chapters, I was expecting it to be an entertaining murder mystery. Instead, I got the DaVinci Code crossed with Tom Clancy crossed with an Italian restaurant menu. I had hopes for the Venetian Second Life, but something about the techie stuff didn't really ring true -- seemed to be awfully proud of all its buzzwords without smoothing them into the characters. Add in a bit of human trafficking and, well... really not my sort of book.
By the time all the threads started coming clear, I was far enough in to want to finish it up for the plot, and hopes that there would be a few more of the bits I found interesting.
Overall: not really for me.
By the time all the threads started coming clear, I was far enough in to want to finish it up for the plot, and hopes that there would be a few more of the bits I found interesting.
Overall: not really for me.
nlane2's review against another edition
3.0
⚠️ TW ⚠️ : R*pe
I was really excited to start reading the book, the plot sounded great so I had high hopes. However I can't say I was gripped throughout the book until the last quarter but even then, the ending felt very rushed. It felt like there were either a lot of edits made to shorten the book and detail was omitted or the author lost their way, personally I felt there was a lack of direction in the plot throughout the book, the author was trying to do too much and make it sound really complex (potentially intentionally trying to misdirect the reader) however for me it came across as a scattergun approach of topics wanting to be included without a logical approach and/or structure.
One of my biggest issues in the book was about half way through when r*pe was mentioned almost constantly until the end. Didn't add anything to the story by mentioning it that much and felt wholly unnecessary. The repetition of sexual assault I can imagine could be quite triggering for survivors and therefore I wouldn't recommend reading this book. Even if you didn't know a man wrote this book, you'd be able to tell from the laissez faire mentions of r*pe throughout.
To make matters worse, Kat warns Tapo that she'll be filing a formal complaint against him not because of their predictable affair but because he/his wife won't let her continue working with him on the case despite her being one of the main protagonists of the story (albeit quite briefly). It felt like the author panicked with the storyline, created a female protagonist but is still incredibly old fashioned regarding in gender roles and feminism.
Don't get me wrong, there were times throughout the book where I was still surprised and intrigued and that's why I've rated it 3 stars, but it wasn't gripping or descriptive enough for me, there were a lot of character holes and predictable storylines and a lack of depth to each storyline. In summary, I won't be reading anything else from the Carnivia trilogy.
I was really excited to start reading the book, the plot sounded great so I had high hopes. However I can't say I was gripped throughout the book until the last quarter but even then, the ending felt very rushed. It felt like there were either a lot of edits made to shorten the book and detail was omitted or the author lost their way, personally I felt there was a lack of direction in the plot throughout the book, the author was trying to do too much and make it sound really complex (potentially intentionally trying to misdirect the reader) however for me it came across as a scattergun approach of topics wanting to be included without a logical approach and/or structure.
One of my biggest issues in the book was about half way through when r*pe was mentioned almost constantly until the end. Didn't add anything to the story by mentioning it that much and felt wholly unnecessary. The repetition of sexual assault I can imagine could be quite triggering for survivors and therefore I wouldn't recommend reading this book. Even if you didn't know a man wrote this book, you'd be able to tell from the laissez faire mentions of r*pe throughout.
To make matters worse, Kat warns Tapo that she'll be filing a formal complaint against him not because of their predictable affair but because he/his wife won't let her continue working with him on the case despite her being one of the main protagonists of the story (albeit quite briefly). It felt like the author panicked with the storyline, created a female protagonist but is still incredibly old fashioned regarding in gender roles and feminism.
Don't get me wrong, there were times throughout the book where I was still surprised and intrigued and that's why I've rated it 3 stars, but it wasn't gripping or descriptive enough for me, there were a lot of character holes and predictable storylines and a lack of depth to each storyline. In summary, I won't be reading anything else from the Carnivia trilogy.
tobyyy's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This was a mostly enjoyable read, a military slash legal thriller slash murder mystery.
The one thing that dinged my overall rating down from 4 stars was this sentence: “After his kidnap, he’d been diagnosed as having a form of autism which amongst other things made him incapable of empathising with other people” (p.364).
Ummm. WHAT.
1) People with autism/autistic people FEEL EMPATHY. I am so tired of hearing this stupid stereotypical assumption that neuro-atypical people are incapable of empathy just because they don’t demonstrate it the same way that neurotypical people do.
2) You don’t “develop” autism after a traumatic event. It’s not PTSD. Don’t make it sound like the two are linked.
And then later in the book, the brilliant hacker character is talking with an eminent psychiatrist who confronts the hacker’s “inability” to have close personal connections and suggests medication and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) to address that.
Again — NO!!! CBT may be helpful to address fallacies and cognitive distortions related to not having close personal connections/relationships. Also helpful to address any self-esteem issues or loneliness/depression related to the world being an unforgiving place for people who are not neurotypical. But for someone with autism, to actually address the concrete lack of meaningful relationships? Social skills training and psychoeducation and DEFINITELY NOT MEDICATION unless it’s for a comorbid issue like clinical depression or anxiety (which was not made explicit in the book, so it’s just me extrapolating now).
Why do people try to use therapy, psychiatry, and related things in a book without actually doing their damn research? It’s NOT THAT HARD to find sources for the information I’ve provided. God. A huge pet peeve of mine is authors who skimp on their research and because mental health is a “popular topic,” they decide that the articles they’ve read on Facebook or Buzzfeed are sufficient. Ugh.
This was a mostly enjoyable read, a military slash legal thriller slash murder mystery.
The one thing that dinged my overall rating down from 4 stars was this sentence: “After his kidnap, he’d been diagnosed as having a form of autism which amongst other things made him incapable of empathising with other people” (p.364).
Ummm. WHAT.
1) People with autism/autistic people FEEL EMPATHY. I am so tired of hearing this stupid stereotypical assumption that neuro-atypical people are incapable of empathy just because they don’t demonstrate it the same way that neurotypical people do.
2) You don’t “develop” autism after a traumatic event. It’s not PTSD. Don’t make it sound like the two are linked.
And then later in the book, the brilliant hacker character is talking with an eminent psychiatrist who confronts the hacker’s “inability” to have close personal connections and suggests medication and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) to address that.
Again — NO!!! CBT may be helpful to address fallacies and cognitive distortions related to not having close personal connections/relationships. Also helpful to address any self-esteem issues or loneliness/depression related to the world being an unforgiving place for people who are not neurotypical. But for someone with autism, to actually address the concrete lack of meaningful relationships? Social skills training and psychoeducation and DEFINITELY NOT MEDICATION unless it’s for a comorbid issue like clinical depression or anxiety (which was not made explicit in the book, so it’s just me extrapolating now).
Why do people try to use therapy, psychiatry, and related things in a book without actually doing their damn research? It’s NOT THAT HARD to find sources for the information I’ve provided. God. A huge pet peeve of mine is authors who skimp on their research and because mental health is a “popular topic,” they decide that the articles they’ve read on Facebook or Buzzfeed are sufficient. Ugh.
karenavila85's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Raing: 2.5
I have mix feelings about this novel. I enjoyed it, found it interesting and some parts were exciting that I couldn't put the book down. However, the plot line was too confusing for me. I felt like there were too many stories to keep up with. What started as a murder case about a priest turned into military cover up/violence against women/organized crime/internet fiasco. I'm sure it was all mixed in to throw you off but I'm really not sure I really understood it. The ending hints that the story continues but this is as far as I will go. As much as I loved reading about aspects of Italy and Carnivia, I'm not really interested in following Kate Tapo. She's so arrogant, rude, and selfish. I usually cheer for women detective because they do not take any crap from men but once she got caught up in her love affair, which I saw coming, I felt no sympathy or remorse for her.
I have mix feelings about this novel. I enjoyed it, found it interesting and some parts were exciting that I couldn't put the book down. However, the plot line was too confusing for me. I felt like there were too many stories to keep up with. What started as a murder case about a priest turned into military cover up/violence against women/organized crime/internet fiasco. I'm sure it was all mixed in to throw you off but I'm really not sure I really understood it. The ending hints that the story continues but this is as far as I will go. As much as I loved reading about aspects of Italy and Carnivia, I'm not really interested in following Kate Tapo. She's so arrogant, rude, and selfish. I usually cheer for women detective because they do not take any crap from men but once she got caught up in her love affair, which I saw coming, I felt no sympathy or remorse for her.
niwrad93's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
karieh13's review against another edition
3.0
As a mystery/thriller, I enjoyed “the abomination”…once I (sort) of got past what the title refers to. The idea that a woman priest, or even a woman dressed as a priest was referred to as an “abomination” – just really bothers me. That is a word that should be used to describe the worst acts imaginable. The most inhumane, terrifying, cruel, destructive things ever. It seems very wrong that a woman giving her life to God and to helping others gets put in the same category.
“And if a bishop decides to ordain a woman, then as soon as that woman has received the Sacrament of Holy Orders she is a priest, in the eyes of God. A heretic one, perhaps; even an abomination.”
And yet – once the book moves further into the questions surrounding the death of a woman dressed as a priest – I couldn’t help but be drawn in. The main female characters are interesting and pretty well drawn. I wouldn’t say there is anything fantastically original about them – but their strength and determination to find those responsible for that crime (and numerous other ones against other women) went a long way towards making up for the sexist and misogynistic themes. And when the book introduces a new angle – and adds another layer to the story - part of the bigger picture is revealed. The greater mystery of which this crime, this conspiracy is just a small part. (Which one would assume will be further explored in the next books of this trilogy.”
The book ends on a strong note. One of the central characters, Kat Tapo of the Carabinieri) sums up her frustration with the system. With the treatment and experiences of women throughout time. “She said slowly, “It’s not you, Aldo. It’s the system – the way it assumes that it’s me, rather than you, who’s got to be shunted off sideways.”…..”and my own grandmother, who fought alongside male partisans in the war but was made to go back afterwards to baking cakes and having babies. It’s the women who aren’t allowed to be priests, because the Church looks at a two-thousand-year-old tradition of misogyny and calls it Holy Law. “
The treatment of women, not the clothing they wear nor their quest for dignity and respect, is the abomination.
“And if a bishop decides to ordain a woman, then as soon as that woman has received the Sacrament of Holy Orders she is a priest, in the eyes of God. A heretic one, perhaps; even an abomination.”
And yet – once the book moves further into the questions surrounding the death of a woman dressed as a priest – I couldn’t help but be drawn in. The main female characters are interesting and pretty well drawn. I wouldn’t say there is anything fantastically original about them – but their strength and determination to find those responsible for that crime (and numerous other ones against other women) went a long way towards making up for the sexist and misogynistic themes. And when the book introduces a new angle – and adds another layer to the story - part of the bigger picture is revealed. The greater mystery of which this crime, this conspiracy is just a small part. (Which one would assume will be further explored in the next books of this trilogy.”
The book ends on a strong note. One of the central characters, Kat Tapo of the Carabinieri) sums up her frustration with the system. With the treatment and experiences of women throughout time. “She said slowly, “It’s not you, Aldo. It’s the system – the way it assumes that it’s me, rather than you, who’s got to be shunted off sideways.”…..”and my own grandmother, who fought alongside male partisans in the war but was made to go back afterwards to baking cakes and having babies. It’s the women who aren’t allowed to be priests, because the Church looks at a two-thousand-year-old tradition of misogyny and calls it Holy Law. “
The treatment of women, not the clothing they wear nor their quest for dignity and respect, is the abomination.
madzior57's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
somebunny23's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
alex_norval's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0