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dreamer626's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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: Body horror
bookishconnections's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
As I got more into it, the storyline just seemed to fragment.
The author was talking about lots of different issues via the character and then when the real issue of how the centre work came through, I was surprised and kind of horrified but by the end it ended so abruptly, any progress or conclusion made was gone.
I would recommend this book for fans of Mexican Gothic, Earthling or Burnt Sugar because it is very claustrophobic and focuses on body horror as well as a very uncomfortable sexual situation that may trigger some people.
Some of the tangents in the book were just not developed as much as they could be but the narrator made this book incredibly engaging which is why I rated it higher than I would have otherwise.
Graphic: Body horror and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexual assault
millie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
my main problem with this book is that the author just doesn't know what it want to be : a thriller? contemporary? scifi? horror? they try to sprinkle a little bit of everything but just ends up not sticking to the wall at all or very clumsily.
i understand the metanarrative of it all and i think it was done very well and effectively, the idea of absorption and consumption pushed to the limits was sort of interesting? however i will say that being in anissa (the mc)'s head was an annoying and pitiful experience and i did not like her which is probably the point but yeah, for a 30-something woman i do find her quite gullible and influencable, doing all of this because of a crush? no thanks.
i just... i am sort of disappointed in a way that i can't seems to explain, except that this book didn't work for me, it may work for other people.
Graphic: Body horror and Cannibalism
Moderate: Death, Racism, and Rape
gardens_and_dragons's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I think this was fascinating look at (some kinds of) translation as a product of colonization and capitalism versus for love of other people. But also, I think that it was fairy predictable based on the themes and dialogue from one of the side characters. I enjoyed it mostly but did drop it down a bit because it meandered quite a bit and the story again, was a bit predictable once I thought about it more.
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia
thehannahclaire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Body horror and Cannibalism
Moderate: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Islamophobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
the_rainydayreader'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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexual content
emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Drug use, Pedophilia, and Medical content
sarahbberrigan's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Body horror
lizzym126'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, and Cultural appropriation
btaylorb's review
- 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
I thought the use of different languages throughout, in particular Urdu, the MC's first language, was really well executed. I listened to the audio version where the Urdu dialogue is read by the narrator, but as far as I can tell they're not always translated for the listener. Apparently, these sections are also not delineated by italics in the physical or ebook editions. I think this is such a clever way to create a sense of intimacy with the characters and reinforce some of what the book is exploring around language and communication. I don't feel at all like I lost anything by not understanding those few sections. In the final section of the audiobook, the author gives an interview where she talks about the idea that if you don't understand something, it might just not be meant for you, and that's okay - and this is sometimes a central point of the story.
Also noteworthy: There's one passage toward the end where a racial slur gets bleeped in the narration of the audio. I'm going to glance at the physical copy at my library, because I'm curious if it's similarly censored in some way in the text. I would love to know if this was an authorial choice or an editorial one for the audio edition; I'm hopeful it's the former because, given the premise, I think that's an interesting and powerful detail.
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Body horror, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, and Classism
Minor: Gore, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Islamophobia