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wordsareworlds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really liked the exploration of being mixed race, and the complicated feelings of being diaspora, specifically around language. I related so strongly to the portrayal of anger and isolation of grief after losing a parent, along with how the MC latches onto this one tv show so much that it is simultaneously embarrassing and heartbreaking. The nuance of his relationship with that fictional TV show was so good, and I saw so much of myself looking desperately for representation and connection in the media of a place that so often felt like it tolerated me at best. The last 40% or so is a whirlwind of time loop chaos, and Chong's writing really lends itself to the cinematic style there and in the TV show "recaps."
Onto the downsides. The pacing is rather choppy and slow. Some of that's on purpose but also obvious information is withheld for way too long and I think Chong could have gone further into the spec fic elements a lot sooner. There are some elements in this that felt very "written by a man," especially when it comes to Min and their relationship. Side characters overall are flat, although ymmv on how much of that is purposeful because of the MC's self-absorbtion and disconnects from reality. The main company in this book is a thinly-veiled Theranos, complete with renamed Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani. The plot hinges on the specific consequences of their actions much more than the overarching ones, and I wanted a lot more from the Blue storyline on that front.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I'll definitely be looking for more from this author, with the hope that it gets a blurb that much better fits the actual contents.
Recommended for people who enjoy a character-driven scifi that explores grief and how much that can warp a person's life, and fans of movies like Vanilla Sky or David Lynch.
Graphic: Dementia, Car accident, Grief, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Racism
Minor: Domestic abuse
mirandyli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Death, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Murder
aliciawithoutkeys's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
eleanora's review against another edition
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Dementia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, and Racism
Minor: Violence, Murder, Drug use, Sexual content, Blood, and Ableism
Bo has a scene where there is a stick stuck in his hand and his wrist is also broken. Brandon and his boss have a toxic faux friendship where drug use is common. Blue and his family have a history of verbal aggression, if not abuse, and he struggles to maintain/fix his connection to his family- there is a tense Christmas Dinner scene. Blue is nonverbal but this is "fixed" with some sort of implant in his neck.evelphysicist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Drug use
mayamariemartin's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief
queergoth_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Dementia
Moderate: Car accident and Medical content
lego28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Grief, and Gaslighting
imds's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, Dementia, Body horror, Gaslighting, Drug use, Sexism, Grief, Racism, Death of parent, Gun violence, Abandonment, and Torture
Minor: Biphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Suicide