katequiet'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: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War, Child abuse, and Classism
whichwitch's review
- 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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Physical abuse, and Blood
Minor: Drug abuse and Suicide
leannanecdote's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, War, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Death, Abandonment, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Murder, Racism, Self harm, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Trafficking, and Vomit
emily_mh'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
4.5
Graphic: Classism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Racism, Drug abuse, Body horror, Drug use, and Addiction
Minor: War, Child abuse, Sexual content, Colonisation, Suicide, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Medical content, Miscarriage, Vomit, Ableism, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Transphobia, Terminal illness, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Minor: nuclear warfare, volcanotraa's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, War, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Classism, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit
blackcatkai'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? Yes
4.0
me: i dont like time travel
book: how about parallel universes?
me: .... go on
seriously, i didnt know how i was going to feel about this book going in as scifi is really not my go-to genre but i kept seeing it around and then my spouse told me how good it was so i finally gave it a try. and oh did Micaiah Johnson have me ENTHRALLED. this was fun, funny, shocking, stressful, and just wonderful. the pacing was just a smidge bit off for me in parts, but i am so glad i read it and i absolutely will read the next book when it comes out, thank you.
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Classism, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Body horror, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide and Grief
readenpiper's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Classism, Murder, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit
ronjaorsomething'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? Yes
5.0
Spoiler
AND THE ENDING OMG it was perfect. The way it was very much a happy ending but not at all the way you'd expect. I was so happy that Cara ended up with Dell but still worked in Ash.Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, War, Suicide, and Addiction
actionleaguemeow's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide
emilyinherhead'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
4.5
If this is how death finds me, at least it will be different. I have died a hundred ways, but never in defense of another. Not until now.
I make a list of what I need to accomplish, which is long. Then I make a list of people I can trust, which is short. By the time I finish planning, the candle is out, though the smoke still hangs heavy like a ghost.
Cara is a traverser in a multiverse where there are 382 Earths—she can travel to any of these that no longer contains a living version of herself. Over the course of several routine data-collection "pulls," she learns things about her past, her family, and her employer that prompt some tough decisions and a plan that will save lives.
The premise of this book hooked me immediately! I mean, the ramifications of knowing that hundreds of your alternate selves are dead on their respective planets—wow.
This is science fiction, but it feels very rooted in our world and our issues; through Cara's story, and with incredible skill and finesse, Johnson explores topics like race, class, income inequality, sex work, and religion. The character development is great, too. Cara is bisexual, but it's just part of her life, not a plot point or learning moment or coming-out story or traumatic sob fest. I loved her relationships with her mentor, Jean, and her watcher, Dell, and found the characters of Nik Nik and Adam to be especially fascinating.
There are a few twists and turns in the plot, and they are spaced out very well instead of all heaped on toward the end, which made for a propulsive reading experience. Every time I picked it back up, I was fully and quickly immersed. I feel like I'm still learning to like sci-fi, but this book made it easy.
Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Suicide