sektaufeis's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
to cite another review:
"… 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.
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.
"… 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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Transphobia and Sexual content
mxpringle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-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
I loved how real this book felt in terms of its insights on human nature. I need more books by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Addiction
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child abuse
aely's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
It was a good book, I’ll give it that. It made me reflect on my own life, which is always a good thing, in my opinion. I just didn’t care all that much about the characters, other than the boy and he didn’t end up playing that much of a role in the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopia and living in the present. I didn’t connect much with the characters, but I didn’t dislike any of them either. It was a good book, just not a great one.
Content Warnings
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
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
This book was incredible. I can't think of any other piece of media I've consumed that has featured a middle-aged trans women who isn't particularly femme as the protagonist, so that alone was unique. I also enjoyed the take on a utopia, where you can see how much better things are while at the same time spotting the cracks where maybe there's something less-than-perfect under the surface. Yet there isn't some grand conspiracy to uncover. This isn't the story of how the alien invaders were unmasked and repelled. The utopia is presented as a good thing, probably(though, like all good speculative fiction, it does leave you wondering a little).
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Abandonment, Addiction, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Death and Suicidal thoughts
remimicha's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Medical content, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Body horror
brittni_in_ink's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
A story about a middle-aged trans woman dealing with an alien invasion and the loss of her wife. But what if that alien invasion made society better, and what if her wife chose to literally start her life over? These are some of the fascinating ideas that form this beautiful novella about humanity and grief, embodiment and autonomy. I loved that we're told things about the aliens and their impact on a need-to-know basis, and have some time jumps to adjust to with the main character. Just excellent writing and a sense of a personal journey throughout. It moved me beyond words.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Abandonment, Grief, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
hendrixpants's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
Minor: Racism
valodniece's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
This is a weird one, and I'm not quite sure what to think of it? I think I like it. But I'm not entirely sure I get the whole message. Some of it, sure. About the importance of being able to feel grief and feel unhappy and how those are parts of the human experience that shouldn't be erased, but I also feel like there was more I was supposed to take away from it...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Abandonment
Moderate: Racism and Gun violence
asexualandriod's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Drug use, Alcohol, and Addiction
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Racism, and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual content
The content warnings for drug use and addiction are in reference to the alien lifeforms that are present in the book. They are microscopic, in things like food and water, and their elevated presence exhibits similar symptoms to highs from drugs. The narrative surrounding the aliens is often framed as an addiction.cheye13's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Gun violence, Gore, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, and Drug abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Racism, Medical content, and Body horror
The Seep is spoken of as a drug/narcotic.