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transgarf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-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
5.0
This is probably my favorite book at the moment. The way the story unfolds is so interesting and complex. Each character had their own stories even if they weren't the main character and it was tangible. Its definitely a bit long winded and takes a while to pick up speed, but I don't think it would've been as impactful for me if it was fast-paced. It left me with so many conflicted emotions in the best way possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Grief, and War
Minor: Racism, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
magdie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I wanted to dnf several times, the most at the worm prison. I finished it only because it was recommended and borrowed from a friend. Potential spoilers although nothing specific.
To me, the characters felt pretty flat, the plot either dragging or extremely rushed, the translation (Slovak) was pretty mediocre if not outright bad. I must admit this is not my usual genre but it's not like I can't enjoy a good apocalypse story. This one, however, was not quite it for me. At around the Great Worm time I got pretty bored by the Artom gets in trouble, almost dies but by plot armor or Deus-ex-machina-like device is saved by absolutely no effort or merit of his own. It felt like a lazy story structure. It also quite destroyed the attempt at tension since I knew that mc WILL survive and the others probably won't. The world building was pretty nice and interesting in global although in some places (mostly society) still didn't feel quite real. But I liked the contrast and tension between old and young characters and their outlook at the world that the author managed to create.
Also, probably just a pet peeve of mine, but where were all the women? If I remember correctly there were altogether 2 named female characters, both with maybe half a page of screentime (if that)....
But the ending was pretty good, really made for that Humans will destroy everything given the chance.
291, 332, 340
To me, the characters felt pretty flat, the plot either dragging or extremely rushed, the translation (Slovak) was pretty mediocre if not outright bad. I must admit this is not my usual genre but it's not like I can't enjoy a good apocalypse story. This one, however, was not quite it for me. At around the Great Worm time I got pretty bored by the Artom gets in trouble, almost dies but by plot armor or Deus-ex-machina-like device is saved by absolutely no effort or merit of his own. It felt like a lazy story structure. It also quite destroyed the attempt at tension since I knew that mc WILL survive and the others probably won't. The world building was pretty nice and interesting in global although in some places (mostly society) still didn't feel quite real. But I liked the contrast and tension between old and young characters and their outlook at the world that the author managed to create.
Also, probably just a pet peeve of mine, but where were all the women? If I remember correctly there were altogether 2 named female characters, both with maybe half a page of screentime (if that)....
But the ending was pretty good, really made for that Humans will destroy everything given the chance.
291, 332, 340
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Minor: Genocide
ishouldbereading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I was really looking forward to read this because I love scifi, so I had great expectations. The scifi part of it was good. Not great or fantastic, but good.
Still I have such mixed feelings about this book.
It was soo slow paced and boring, so many descriptions and unnecessary subplots. Also character/plot holes - what happened to Hunter for example? It wasn't totally scifi, had some magic or fantasy moments that weren't explained, what happened in the tunnels in the start??
ALSO THE END? EXCUSE ME? WHAT HAPPENED THERE????? I NEED ANSWERS!!!
But I really liked the internal monologues of Artyom and I feel like a lot of people forget about this but he had such deep and meaningful thoughts, it was so great to read about it and tbh that's what saved this book for me.
Still I have such mixed feelings about this book.
It was soo slow paced and boring, so many descriptions and unnecessary subplots. Also character/plot holes - what happened to Hunter for example? It wasn't totally scifi, had some magic or fantasy moments that weren't explained, what happened in the tunnels in the start??
ALSO THE END? EXCUSE ME? WHAT HAPPENED THERE????? I NEED ANSWERS!!!
But I really liked the internal monologues of Artyom and I feel like a lot of people forget about this but he had such deep and meaningful thoughts, it was so great to read about it and tbh that's what saved this book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Violence, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Suicide, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bill369's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Someone I know mentioned this book and since it caught my attention I decided to read it.
My favourite character is Oleg, Anton's son. Oleg is very inquisitive of everything that he comes across and overall is just an innocent child. The part of the book he was in felt much less disturbing thanks to him and I just truly enjoyed his presence. Another honourable mention is Khan, who is this mysterious, wise, charismatic, old philosopher. His character is impressive.
The theme of the book was gripping. I enjoyed finding out about all the metro's secrets. The people were pictured well, in my opinion, and the book showed this darker side of us. The desperation, carelessness, fear and false hope were all present. The book managed to show all the different sides of the metro and I find that superb. Nevertheless, I prefer books, which are more about the main characters than their surroundings.
I loved the part in which they visited the Moscow State Library. The description, predominantly of all the vines present, made me want to see it, the tension made me want to read as fast as possible and the Librarians... Amazing! However, the lines I'll mention are from the conversation about fate between Artyom and Sergei Andreyevich. More specifically Seregi's little theory about fate. I believe it's an interesting thought. The lines are at the end of the eleventh chapter, in my print on page 249.
The lines are:It may happen that
something happens to you that forces you to perform specific actions and make
specific decisions, keeping in mind you have free will, and can do this or that.
But if you make the right decision, then the things that happen to you
subsequently are no longer just random, to use your word, events. They are
caused by the choices that you made. I don’t intend to say that if you decided to
live on the Red Line before it went communist that you’d be stuck there and that
corresponding events would happen to you. I’m talking of more subtle matters.
But if you again were to find yourself at the crossroads and once more made the
needed decision, then later you will be faced with a choice that will no longer
seem random to you if, of course, you realize and can understand it. And your
life will gradually stop being just a collection of random events; it will turn into.
. . a plot, I suppose, where everything is connected by some logical, though not
necessarily straight, links. And that will be your fate. At a certain stage, if you
have travelled sufficiently far along your way, your life will have turned into a
plot to the extent that strange things will occur that are unexplainable from the
point of view of naked rationalism or your theory of random events. Yet they
will fit very well into the logic of the plotline that your life has by then turned
into. I think fate doesn’t just happen, you need to arrive at it, and if the events in
your life come together and start to arrange themselves into a plot, then it may
cast you quite far . . . It is most interesting that a person may not even suspect
that this is happening to him, or may conceive what has happened based on a
false premise, by attempting to systematize events to match his own worldview.
But fate has its own logic.
I didn't like the ending. Despite things turning out well it was strange. I don't really know how to describe it, but I didn't like it.
I have very little attachment to the characters. I didn't cry and I felt tension only in some parts. There were some cool thoughts and Artyom's mind was described in detail, however, it's all too unfamiliar. I can't relate and so I don't feel close to the characters. I think it's a good book, however, it's just not one of my all-time favourites. Considering everything I think my star evaluation is on spot.
https://metrovideogame.fandom.com/wiki/Metro_Wiki – link for the Metro Wiki
My favourite character is Oleg, Anton's son. Oleg is very inquisitive of everything that he comes across and overall is just an innocent child. The part of the book he was in felt much less disturbing thanks to him and I just truly enjoyed his presence. Another honourable mention is Khan, who is this mysterious, wise, charismatic, old philosopher. His character is impressive.
The theme of the book was gripping. I enjoyed finding out about all the metro's secrets. The people were pictured well, in my opinion, and the book showed this darker side of us. The desperation, carelessness, fear and false hope were all present. The book managed to show all the different sides of the metro and I find that superb. Nevertheless, I prefer books, which are more about the main characters than their surroundings.
I loved the part in which they visited the Moscow State Library. The description, predominantly of all the vines present, made me want to see it, the tension made me want to read as fast as possible and the Librarians... Amazing! However, the lines I'll mention are from the conversation about fate between Artyom and Sergei Andreyevich. More specifically Seregi's little theory about fate. I believe it's an interesting thought. The lines are at the end of the eleventh chapter, in my print on page 249.
The lines are:
something happens to you that forces you to perform specific actions and make
specific decisions, keeping in mind you have free will, and can do this or that.
But if you make the right decision, then the things that happen to you
subsequently are no longer just random, to use your word, events. They are
caused by the choices that you made. I don’t intend to say that if you decided to
live on the Red Line before it went communist that you’d be stuck there and that
corresponding events would happen to you. I’m talking of more subtle matters.
But if you again were to find yourself at the crossroads and once more made the
needed decision, then later you will be faced with a choice that will no longer
seem random to you if, of course, you realize and can understand it. And your
life will gradually stop being just a collection of random events; it will turn into.
. . a plot, I suppose, where everything is connected by some logical, though not
necessarily straight, links. And that will be your fate. At a certain stage, if you
have travelled sufficiently far along your way, your life will have turned into a
plot to the extent that strange things will occur that are unexplainable from the
point of view of naked rationalism or your theory of random events. Yet they
will fit very well into the logic of the plotline that your life has by then turned
into. I think fate doesn’t just happen, you need to arrive at it, and if the events in
your life come together and start to arrange themselves into a plot, then it may
cast you quite far . . . It is most interesting that a person may not even suspect
that this is happening to him, or may conceive what has happened based on a
false premise, by attempting to systematize events to match his own worldview.
But fate has its own logic.
I didn't like the ending. Despite things turning out well it was strange. I don't really know how to describe it, but I didn't like it.
I have very little attachment to the characters. I didn't cry and I felt tension only in some parts. There were some cool thoughts and Artyom's mind was described in detail, however, it's all too unfamiliar. I can't relate and so I don't feel close to the characters. I think it's a good book, however, it's just not one of my all-time favourites. Considering everything I think my star evaluation is on spot.
https://metrovideogame.fandom.com/wiki/Metro_Wiki – link for the Metro Wiki
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Cannibalism, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and War