emmalewins's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Enjoyable and satisfying, but I felt the ending was a bit rushed
salomlamouette's review against another edition
adventurous
Je suis… déçue par ce tome… Et ça m’embête de l’avouer parce que NK Jemisin est une formidable autrice qui a écrit des sagas génialement bien pensés et écrites et celle-ci, en comparaison, me paraît plus brouillonne, plus simple. Il y avait moins cette dimension allégorique/métaphorique subtile qu’elle maîtrise à merveille dans ses œuvres précédentes, c’était plus rentre-dedans. Et puis j’ai plus été happée par la relation entre Niik et Manny qu’autre chose, je dois l’avouer ahah
zlinkous's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
owenreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
A very good book, that I didn't love in the same way as [book:The City We Became|42074525] - I think I may have hyped this half up too much for myself.
I will have to, at some stage, go back and listen to them as one. I think that will help make sense of the many pieces I had forgotten.
I will have to, at some stage, go back and listen to them as one. I think that will help make sense of the many pieces I had forgotten.
whitgilk's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I love this idea of avatar cities. I can practically see it myself looking around. Such a creative idea for a book.
lunar_reader8273's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
borichu's review against another edition
DNF @ 20%
Who’s got two thumbs and requested an ARC of the second book in a duology not realising it was the second in a duology? THIS GAL!
So before diving into The World we Make I had to hunt down a copy of The City We Became, and I have to express my sincerest apologies to the publisher because if I’d already read book 1 I probably wouldn’t have requested book 2. I enjoyed CWB but struggled with the heavy-handedness of the thematic messaging, something which usually gets stronger in later books in a series rather than lesser. Which was exactly the case with WWM, and why I very regretfully decided to set it aside so early.
Jemisin is an extraordinarily strong, talented and intelligent writer, and while I share her political views and strongly agree with the messaging she puts forward in this duology, for me the delivery is just too much. There’s nothing objectively wrong with how front and centre and turned up to 11 everything is, and it’s certainly not unrealistic—in many ways the most powerful part of this series is how much everything she puts on page when it comes to bigotry and intolerance is painfully true to life, even without cosmic interdimensional forces placing their hands on the scales—but when the worst of all possible human behaviour keeps showing up in every possible situation I can’t stop myself disengaging emotionally even when according to the internal logic of the story it all does make sense. For me the tipping point was when a race hate rally—naturally—turned violent, and the paintball guns were—naturally—filled with actually destructive frozen pellets, and while the cops were present, they were—naturally!—ignoring the whole affair and on the side of the racists, and the situation is—naturally!!!—defused by a MAGIC RAP BATTLE. Every part of this scenario is tragically believable (bar maybe the rap battle), but taken together, and when every other comparable scenario takes a similar route, I just have to tap out.
I definitely don’t *not* recommend this book, or this duology. They’re extremely well written, full of so much love and passion, and accomplish exactly what they set out to do. For many readers it’s exactly the punchiness of the message that will appeal. Honestly, they read very written for screen, and I think that made-for-TV nature will be a big plus for a lot of people. And I will say that while Jemisin’s messaging is extremely unsubtle, I didn’t find it crossed over into obnoxious talking-down territory, which is all too common with other authors. It simply wasn’t for me.
Many thanks to Little, Brown UK and NetGalley for the eARC! And sorry again for smash-requesting when I saw the name ‘NK Jemisin’ without double checking the book’s series status.
Who’s got two thumbs and requested an ARC of the second book in a duology not realising it was the second in a duology? THIS GAL!
So before diving into The World we Make I had to hunt down a copy of The City We Became, and I have to express my sincerest apologies to the publisher because if I’d already read book 1 I probably wouldn’t have requested book 2. I enjoyed CWB but struggled with the heavy-handedness of the thematic messaging, something which usually gets stronger in later books in a series rather than lesser. Which was exactly the case with WWM, and why I very regretfully decided to set it aside so early.
Jemisin is an extraordinarily strong, talented and intelligent writer, and while I share her political views and strongly agree with the messaging she puts forward in this duology, for me the delivery is just too much. There’s nothing objectively wrong with how front and centre and turned up to 11 everything is, and it’s certainly not unrealistic—in many ways the most powerful part of this series is how much everything she puts on page when it comes to bigotry and intolerance is painfully true to life, even without cosmic interdimensional forces placing their hands on the scales—but when the worst of all possible human behaviour keeps showing up in every possible situation I can’t stop myself disengaging emotionally even when according to the internal logic of the story it all does make sense. For me the tipping point was when a race hate rally—naturally—turned violent, and the paintball guns were—naturally—filled with actually destructive frozen pellets, and while the cops were present, they were—naturally!—ignoring the whole affair and on the side of the racists, and the situation is—naturally!!!—defused by a MAGIC RAP BATTLE. Every part of this scenario is tragically believable (bar maybe the rap battle), but taken together, and when every other comparable scenario takes a similar route, I just have to tap out.
I definitely don’t *not* recommend this book, or this duology. They’re extremely well written, full of so much love and passion, and accomplish exactly what they set out to do. For many readers it’s exactly the punchiness of the message that will appeal. Honestly, they read very written for screen, and I think that made-for-TV nature will be a big plus for a lot of people. And I will say that while Jemisin’s messaging is extremely unsubtle, I didn’t find it crossed over into obnoxious talking-down territory, which is all too common with other authors. It simply wasn’t for me.
Many thanks to Little, Brown UK and NetGalley for the eARC! And sorry again for smash-requesting when I saw the name ‘NK Jemisin’ without double checking the book’s series status.
olliesleeps's review against another edition
5.0
I cried finishing this book because i didnt want to leave the story so soon
enbyglitch's review against another edition
5.0
Masterful as always. Love the characters, the world, the plot and the examination of real issues. Sad to hear that Jemisin is calling this series at two books, but sympathetic to her struggles finishing this one and grateful for the effort she put in.
I don't know if the primary and secondary antagonists really had a common thread between them, but I certainly appreciated the depths to which Jemisin explored each in turn.
What a pair of books - will definitely return for the infinite inspiration to be found in these pages.
I don't know if the primary and secondary antagonists really had a common thread between them, but I certainly appreciated the depths to which Jemisin explored each in turn.
What a pair of books - will definitely return for the infinite inspiration to be found in these pages.
renwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- 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
4.5