Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
23 reviews
brucethegirl's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Something I loved about this book was the general sci-fi cozy of it. There are so few "cozy" sci-fi books, and it was just such a nice relaxing read about space travel and aliens. Chambers also excels in the cozy sci-fi genre as a whole with her sophomore series, Monk and Robot, which I read first. I love how the characters, even ones who already know they love each other and consider each other family, are still learning and trusting ever more. How they all begin to acknowledge they're more than just co-workers, they are a family flying through space together.
I will say there was one point towards the end that really calls into the question the right to make decisions over your own body, regardless of the harm such choices make to those around you. It's a little bit of a complicated situation, and I won't get into details, because spoilers. But if body autonomy is a big trigger/issue for you, I WOULD suggest skipping this one.
That said, I don't even know how to fully talk about this book. Not without giving away any other spoilers, but just in terms of nothing big ever actually happens. I would even argue nothing ever happens until the very end. This isn't a book to read when you want complicated love triangles, or dashing galaxy saving pirates, or anything of the like. Who love the idea of a cozy book, but don't enjoy fantasy or mystery. This is a book for those who love popping on Firefly or Cowboy Bebop in the background.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality
loss of body autonomySpoiler
a character who is of a species that can live hundreds of years without a culturally accepted parasite that shortens their life to a few dozen is offered a cure that will remove the parasite but refuses it. Wanting to die with the parasite. Another character forces the cure onto the alien refusing to let the team suffer anymore loss after the AI program they were friends with is reset, removing all memory of their friendships.toastedoats42'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
5.0
Moderate: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Death, Murder, Racial slurs, Violence, and War
anjasshelf'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
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Colonisation, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Drug use
ekcd_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
It’s an incredibly slow book, plot wise, and the few plot events we do see dont make sense. The characters have odd reactions - socially and culturally. And god knows Becky Chambers lives to talk about how different all her aliens are. There is a weird fixation on sex and sexual differences in the book which could have been a fun exploration in sexuality if it was done well but instead it felt like she was patting herself on the back for coming up with such sexually diverse races/species. Several times in the book she says outright “yeah XYZ is so different from humans” and like that’s it.
I feel like I read a different book than all the critics (formal and informal) who have such high praise. This read like a YA novel or children’s cartoon that feeds the reader emotions with a spoon. I’m fact, most of the world building in general is fed to the reader with a spoon- it’s explicit and heavy handed OR it’s nonsense words that are never explained or expanded on. It’s clear the author uses letters and characters who are librarians to shoehorn in world building she wasn’t creative enough to build into the narrative. No nuance, no complexity. Just a feel good mill, which I personally do not like. I want moral ambiguity and conflict in my space opera.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Colonisation, Deadnaming, Police brutality, Drug use, Grief, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, War, Death, Genocide, and Classism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Blood
eni_iilorak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Confinement, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Blood, Racism, Violence, War, Medical content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cursing
razzberry_pi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lots of interesting ethics and parallels to the real world in terms of religions, police brutality, xenophobia and more.
some of the ethical problems especially related to
Spoiler
medical autonomy of a characterGraphic: War
Moderate: Police brutality, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content
aceofknives's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Terminal illness, Police brutality, and Confinement
Moderate: Vomit
cookiecat73'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Torture, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Medical content, Violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Incest, Classism, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Vomit, and War
calamitymeat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Spoiler
In the beginning of the book, Sissix is telling Rosemary about the other members of the crew and brings up Ohan, referring to him (his pronouns change by the end of the book) with they/them pronouns. Rosemary makes a mental note of Sissix using what she considers "plural pronouns". Later, when she is unsure of what pronouns to use for him, she refers to him using xe. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic to see neopronouns used in a physical, published book, but I am ASTOUNDED that they/them has completely phased out as a neutral pronoun.At least, that is what you are led to believe. Later on in the book, Rosemary refers to someone using they/them pronouns, despite using he/him to refer to the same person earlier in the book. I am 1000% positive because i went back and checked and JENKS uses they/them to refer to someone whose gender he doesn't know. Conclusion? Rosemary is transphobic and only uses someone's proper pronouns when it is convenient to her.
Minor: Police brutality
lipstickitotheman'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Car accident, Confinement, Colonisation, Ableism, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Police brutality, and Violence