sektaufeis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
"… very odd really enjoyed the beginning but went off the rails. But still I would take messy gay sci fi over better heteronormative misogynistic sci fi "
I wasn't doing really good while reading this and the story is quite depressing. There are a lot of good ideas but for me these did not connect. After a strong start the story got more messy by the chapter and the ending seemed kind of unfinished. I had hoped for more world building and deeper character development.
Spoiler
How the seep talked to the people was really cringy for me. Or maybe just not my kind of humor?Kind of sad cause I was excited about a trans* protagonist without trans being THE problem - which was the case - but the story did not catch me.
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Transphobia and Sexual content
sabrinahughes's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Alcoholism
katherineshawwrites'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
4.0
I love the weird world we find ourselves in at the start of the story, and Trina is a very relatable and endearing MC. The story is a hugely thought-provoking 'what if' scenario - which I am a huge fan of - and I think I could quite easily sit and ponder how I might respond to the Seep for some time. Trina's loss and grief is understandable and heart-wrenching, but once she embarks on her 'quest', the rest of the story flies by in a flash, and the whole thing has more of a short story feel to it than a full novel. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I expected a more fleshed out story, and what we get is extremely light on plot.
I did enjoy the book very much, and I would recommend it, but I was left wanting more, and would love to read more stories in the world of the Seep.
Moderate: Death and Alcoholism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
philamot'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
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, and Alcoholism
Minor: Gun violence
aely's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Racism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Sexual content, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Body horror, Medical content, Transphobia, War, Death, and Dysphoria
tigger89'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
Rather, this is a story that deals primarily with grief, as we follow Trina mourning not just the loss of her wife but also that of the world she remembers. She rejects the Seep, choosing to do things the old way whenever possible, a perspective that leaves her unable to cope when confronted with new views on death and rebirth. Her devotion to the old ways is ultimately so destructive that it puts her own health at risk, an apt metaphor for what humanity is doing to our planet and each other with the way we live. It's a sad story, but beautiful as well.
The one thing I thought was a little odd was how Trina's heritage was handled. She's half Jewish and half Native American. My apologies, if the nation was specified I've forgotten it and can't locate it now. While her Jewishness is reflected upon somewhat in the narrative, her Native American heritage didn't seem to be explored to any degree beyond her name: Trina FastHorse Goldberg-Oneka. Now, I'm not trying to say that a character's heritage has to be important to the plot. Of course they can just be Jewish, or Chinese, or Ojibwe, or whatever. What stood out to me here was the lopsidedness of it, where one half of her identity was recognized in the story while the other was kind of just...there. Perhaps this is a fault of the reader, that I didn't know enough to recognize the moments when it was made relevant. It's very possible.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Abandonment, Addiction, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Death and Suicidal thoughts
remimicha'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
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Medical content, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Body horror
mosshaunt'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
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Transphobia, Sexual content, and Suicide
brittni_in_ink's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Minor: Gun violence, Abandonment, Grief, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
abiofpellinor'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
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism