jennijen's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another delightful, fun, quirky, weird novella in my favorite wormhole generating labyrinthian blue box store. My only complaint is that I want MOAR!
tennilles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.75
atintera's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
this book is cute, with a solid story and good dialogue/connection between characters. it’s not nearly as thought provoking as Finna, and ultimately felt a little too flat.
tangleroot_eli's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Well-written and with an even stronger anti-corporate message than Finna. More body horror than I prefer, but that's my deal, not the book's.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Bullying
Moderate: Murder, Blood, and Violence
sadiebedford's review against another edition
dark
funny
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
emmacatereads's review against another edition
5.0
Nino Cipri's follow up to FINNA is a delightful spiritual sequel that can still stand on its own while still calling back to some of the best things about its predecessor. You really don't need to have read FINNA to enjoy this novel, but it was fun to return to this world after reading Cipri's debut. Defekt tackles the horrors of late-stage capitalism, clone ethics, identity politics, and the power of human connection all in a neat 144 pages. Oh, and did I mention that it's uproariously funny, too?
Defekt follows Derek, a minor character from FINNA and a highly enthusiastic employee of the insidious LitenVärld home furnishing company (think an evil IKEA) that is normal store that just happens to have wormholes to parallel universes occasionally breaking through. Through these come a variety of sentient, otherworldly pieces of furniture. When Derek accidentally stumbles upon one of these creatures, he inadvertently finds himself reassigned to an inventory division made up of none other than a crack-team of alternate universe Dereks assigned to find and exterminate these anomalies.
Derek himself if a wonderful, if self-depreciating narrator, whose journey to create an identify for himself beyond the company line becomes (literally) a reflective experience, as he learns more about himself through the lives and voices of the people he could have been. Each of the Derek's has a unique identity and Cipri has taken care to give each of them their own personality while emphasizing the underlying threads that bind them as one. The tension between what is comforting and safe versus what is right is beautifully explored, as is the difficulty of accepting change as a positive experience. Overall this was a charming novella and a humorous take on the horrors of retail management.
Defekt follows Derek, a minor character from FINNA and a highly enthusiastic employee of the insidious LitenVärld home furnishing company (think an evil IKEA) that is normal store that just happens to have wormholes to parallel universes occasionally breaking through. Through these come a variety of sentient, otherworldly pieces of furniture. When Derek accidentally stumbles upon one of these creatures, he inadvertently finds himself reassigned to an inventory division made up of none other than a crack-team of alternate universe Dereks assigned to find and exterminate these anomalies.
Derek himself if a wonderful, if self-depreciating narrator, whose journey to create an identify for himself beyond the company line becomes (literally) a reflective experience, as he learns more about himself through the lives and voices of the people he could have been. Each of the Derek's has a unique identity and Cipri has taken care to give each of them their own personality while emphasizing the underlying threads that bind them as one. The tension between what is comforting and safe versus what is right is beautifully explored, as is the difficulty of accepting change as a positive experience. Overall this was a charming novella and a humorous take on the horrors of retail management.
vasha's review
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Vomit, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Body horror, and Bullying
Minor: Islamophobia, Murder, and Sexual content
theybedax's review against another edition
5.0
I found myself highlighting half of the text. This novella spoke to me on a spiritual level. Cipri is a master wordsmith that knows how to create worlds that highlight and showcase what's wrong with ours while giving us hope that we too can fight against it.
abenteuerlichesoul's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
3.5
amynbell's review against another edition
3.0
Follow the rules, make the customers happy, and report any signs of hemorrhaging to corporate. To Derek, the job is easy enough. It's almost as if he was made to do it. He doesn't remember anything before November, doesn't really have any friends, and lives in a shipping container behind the store.
The store is like an upscale IKEA, selling $3000 egg chair toilets that, coincidentally, later becomes a character in the story. Yes, the furniture comes alive and rearranges itself in LitenVärld. The store keeps losing customers through wormholes. And it turns out that the members of the night crew are all variations on Derek.
This book definitely reminds me of [b:Horrorstör|13129925|Horrorstör|Grady Hendrix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414314217l/13129925._SX50_.jpg|18306052]. I think it would certainly suit fans of Horrorstör.
I think perhaps I wasn't in the mood for a bizarre, absurdist book when I dug into this one. I also didn't realize it was #2 in a series when I agreed to review it for Netgalley. However, it does stand alone pretty well. It just wasn't my full cup of tea. However, I did appreciate the message of not being willing to sacrifice your all for a crappy job that really doesn't care about you.
The store is like an upscale IKEA, selling $3000 egg chair toilets that, coincidentally, later becomes a character in the story. Yes, the furniture comes alive and rearranges itself in LitenVärld. The store keeps losing customers through wormholes. And it turns out that the members of the night crew are all variations on Derek.
This book definitely reminds me of [b:Horrorstör|13129925|Horrorstör|Grady Hendrix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414314217l/13129925._SX50_.jpg|18306052]. I think it would certainly suit fans of Horrorstör.
I think perhaps I wasn't in the mood for a bizarre, absurdist book when I dug into this one. I also didn't realize it was #2 in a series when I agreed to review it for Netgalley. However, it does stand alone pretty well. It just wasn't my full cup of tea. However, I did appreciate the message of not being willing to sacrifice your all for a crappy job that really doesn't care about you.