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theloveroflovers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
If you wanr to read the book, listen to the audibook instead.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Car accident
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
robyn_fenix's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
pumpkinbisque's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
i don’t think it’s fair to reduce this book to “ooga booga technology bad” because there were several points in which i found myself thinking “okay, that *could* work, but…” and i got the impression that was the point. i think this book could be more accurately described as a “technology dangerous” book; we are (obviously) not at the level of surveillance and control that is described here, but it’s clear that eggers has feelings about how social media and technology in general are beginning to get a little scary.
i found mae relatable for the first half of the first book. i just graduated from college myself, and i empathized with her desperation to not get stuck in the first job available to her. however, the longer i spent with mae, the more irritating i found her. she resented her ex-boyfriend for acting “morally superior” to her by caring about privacy and helping her parents to the hospital, so she retaliated with some pretty nasty fatphobia whenever she got upset with him. even though she never directly spoke these thoughts to him, it was a little grating to read her calling him “fat” and “an ugly moose” and allowing other people around her to call him “Sasquatch”. i don’t know. that felt like the turning point to me where i really started to hate mae.
as the novel progressed, i predicted how things would have turned out (
i think eggers has a lot to say about the work/life balance, as i found that aspect most appealing. the campus itself brought to mind companies like google and apple who have these incredible (free) amenities offered to their employees in order to ensure they spend as much time as possible at work and therefore are more likely to work around the clock (or close to it). i enjoyed annie’s character for a while, and i found bailey to be convincingly convicted about his moral ideals. most of the other characters fell super flat for me. the sex scenes were weird and unnecessary, mae’s relationship with her parents felt off, and the kayaking thing was also one of the more compelling aspects of the book which eventually disappeared.
i’m giving it a 2.5 because i read it quickly and mostly had a good time. mr. eggers, please consider writing some creative nonfiction on the topics of work/life balance and of surveillance. i liked what you were saying, i just wished it wasn’t filtered through fiction.
Graphic: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Murder
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Murder
If you enjoy books where you like to root for the main character, pass.iridaceae's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Stalking, Murder, and War
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail