Scan barcode
laurareads87's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
And What We Can Offer You Tonight packs a lot into a novella-length work: richly described setting, enough world-building to know what's going on while leaving a lot of the societal background vague, beautiful writing, and some complex themes. Mohamed can definitely write, and I'm very much looking forward to reading more from her.
What didn't work for me in this one was the character development. Everyone felt very two-dimensional and, in conflict with the story's themes, characters were entirely defined by their social roles. I feel like characters' social positions -- rich sexist man, exploitative brothel owner, etc. -- are here treated like they're personality traits: there doesn't seem to be a lot else going on even with the main characters.
What didn't work for me in this one was the character development. Everyone felt very two-dimensional and, in conflict with the story's themes, characters were entirely defined by their social roles. I feel like characters' social positions -- rich sexist man, exploitative brothel owner, etc. -- are here treated like they're personality traits: there doesn't seem to be a lot else going on even with the main characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Torture