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josiee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
carojust'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
4.0
The build-up is slow, so don't give up on it. There are unconventional chapter setups and changes of POV that you adjust to.
I have mixed feelings on how time travel and the future are illustrated in this story. I caught myself being too picky about realism and tiny details (like, why is there an overpopulation problem when that clearly is not where we're trending?) -- but appreciated the focus on pandemics, very clearly inspired by COVID. It's like we progress, but our nature stays the same.
There's a moment where a character muses in front of an audience why we are so focused on pandemic literature. Our inherent narcissism is brought up, but dismissed quickly. I think that's so funny, given how this story is tied up.
You'll enjoy this if you normally like time travel / futuristic stories, pensive reads.
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gun violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism
summerb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Colonisation and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
mccluskyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Chronic illness and Terminal illness
starrysteph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
We cross huge spans of time in this novel, but the writing style stays the same. I wanted more differentiation between the voices of characters in 1912 and 2020 and far into the future. I also felt that there was a lack of creativity or perhaps "realism" when we go far into the future. Why are things EXACTLY the same as they are in 2020? Yes, people live on the moon, but there isn't any nuance here.
I also felt some frustration at the recklessness and thoughtlessness of Gaspery's decisions. It's hard to explain without spoilers, but the choices he made and the shifting of timelines felt too simplistic and didn't make sense. And in general, I didn't find myself making deep emotional connections to any of the characters. (And there was some content around Olive as a writer of pandemic stories that felt like a clear self-insert and was a little silly.)
Overall, I enjoyed the concept. I enjoyed the weaving together of the stories (though it became a little cliche by the end). I enjoyed the writing style. But once I zoomed in and thought a bit more critically about the material, I found myself disappointed.
CW: chronic illness, confinement, death, colonisation, murder, gun violence, suicide, war, alcohol, pandemic, sexism
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Gun violence, Sexism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Colonisation
oceanwriter's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
After the first time jump, I was disappointed to see we wouldn't be following Edwin through the entire story but I quickly got into the rhythm of the storytelling and the different people involved. Of everyone, I enjoyed Olive's portion the most even though I found Gaspery's the most fascinating.
The book picked up a lot in the second half and became impossible to put down. I did struggle through some of it though, the characters and settings all beginning to jumble together and getting my wires crossed. In hindsight, I would have aimed to have set aside time to read this in one sitting so everything remained fresh in my mind. Still, I enjoyed the book thoroughly.
I thought reading about pandemic life would be more difficult than it was. While it was central to the plot, it was more about the individuals and the loneliness that becomes the bigger plight. The essence of that was well captured.
Graphic: Chronic illness and Confinement
Moderate: Murder
amelianotthepilot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
TW: has a pandemic
Graphic: Chronic illness and Confinement