Reviews
A Highly Unlikely Scenario, or a Neetsa Pizza Employee's Guide to Saving the World by Rachel Cantor
finlaaaay's review against another edition
2.0
This book had some good ideas in it, but it was painful to read. My first petty complaint was that the author didn't use any quotation marks around speech. Then there are just weird turns of phrase everywhere, as if she's trying to show off her vocabulary... but it's like, why would you say "fossicked for lucre" when you could say "scrabbled for cash"? Or why would a society supposedly set in the future use cubits as a standard unit of measurement, and "versts" (which I had to look up, it's a long-obsolete Russian unit) instead of kilometres?
I dunno, as I say there were a few interesting things in it, but for those and other reasons the whole thing just felt like reading someone's fever dream. Also, the title is so undescriptive it's annoying.
I dunno, as I say there were a few interesting things in it, but for those and other reasons the whole thing just felt like reading someone's fever dream. Also, the title is so undescriptive it's annoying.
oohsarracuda's review against another edition
3.0
While I was reading this, I was thinking I might give it 4 stars, only because I couldn't give it 3.5 and I think the book has an unfairly low rating. It was good, and I liked it, but I didn't "really like" it, so I couldn't. I think maybe a book like this wants to be longer - I wanted more world-building, more detail about this not-too-distant future, more details about the fast food theologies and how it can to be that way. I just wanted more. And I agree with a previous reviewer who said they really wanted to read more about Carol, and her story - for sure.
honu_girl's review against another edition
4.0
Really, more like 3.5 stars. I'm not sure what drew me to this title while browsing digital books available at TPL. It's a bizarre book - an alternate reality where Fast Food businesses are religion/employer and more, with a large dose of Jewish mysticism thrown in. Even now, it's difficult to describe. But, I enjoyed this, and was often looking up references to better understand. Not sure I can recommend, but if you're in the mood for bizarre, then go for it.
lesbianwolves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
quietdomino's review against another edition
3.0
Scratches your Douglas Adams craving plus adding a bonus dose of Jewish mysticism and is over in about an hour.
karynhansen's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bmahaffy's review against another edition
3.0
I think I had some cultural barriers to reading this book as I know little about Jewish culture. That combined with the tendency in some modern writing to create speculative worlds with no supporting backstory, and you end up with what feels like an okay story that could have been a great one with a bit more work. I really wanted to like it, I really did like it, but couldn't help but feel that I was looking at the story through a translucent window. I wanted for clarity and backstory and depth.
aresoracle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
elysareadsitall's review against another edition
3.0
This story is odd. It's like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets Jewish mysticism meets fast-food Twitter wars.
We romp through different time periods. Isaac the Blind guides our clueless hero from the past, and they have to rescue the world after the hero's nephew accidentally freezes it.
It was definitely interesting. If it were a longer book, I wouldn't have finished it, and I probably would have shortened it even more. Even still, I would probably read another book by the author just for the weirdness factor alone.
We romp through different time periods. Isaac the Blind guides our clueless hero from the past, and they have to rescue the world after the hero's nephew accidentally freezes it.
It was definitely interesting. If it were a longer book, I wouldn't have finished it, and I probably would have shortened it even more. Even still, I would probably read another book by the author just for the weirdness factor alone.