Reviews

This was tragic. And not only in the "this is a tragic dystopian world that MC lives in" but also "this book could've been so much but was actually just a waste of my time" tragic.

I wanted to like this book so so much and I think that's why I kept reading cause I was hoping at some point something would turn and I would say aha! this is why everyone hyped it up but alas that never came.

In fact, in some ways it definitely got worse as I went on. For about 200 pages I wasn't sure what the end goal of this story was, and once I realized what it was, I was so disappointed. The reactions of most characters to a big reveal in the end felt so unrealistic and that the author simply didn't want any more major conflict.

Speaking of characters, I do want to agree that I loved how much representation was in this book. I think people should be represented as diverse as they are in real life. However, many of the characters felt like the author was just checking a box and they didn't have any depth to them. They began to muddle in mind and I found myself asking "wait which character is this again?" Out of all the complex characters that could've been discussed more, the main 3 characters are white guys?

I also had many issues with the writing in this book. It felt a lot like a fanfiction I would've read in middle school. And I acknowledge that this is definitely something a younger audience may enjoy, but it bothered me to no end. I found myself rolling me eyes at some of the cheesy lines that felt out of place. I also did not care for how many bible verses were thrown about. I'm sure the intent was to show how ingrained the verses were in Benji's life but it became so repetitive and I felt it took away from the actual story because it would take me out of the scene that was being played. I also noticed some inconsistencies in the story that, although minor, really took my reading to a screeching halt as I stopped and skimmed back a few pages to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding.

Overall, I feel like I could've gotten over the cheesy writing style if the story and characters were actually worth enjoying. I hate to give it a one star because I think it's a great step in the right direction to having trans & autistic characters as MCs but this did not due anyone justice.

amachattie's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

My god, this body horror really got to me. It's not often a book can make me feel physically ill. That said, it's a well-written, solid dystopian novel and I was very attached to the characters.