starccato's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Body horror, Child abuse, Murder, Death, Gore, Grief, Police brutality, Violence, War, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Medical trauma
frantic_vampire's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, War, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Gaslighting, and Torture
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, and Terminal illness
rkreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed the world building and the nature of this dystopian future. Unfortunately, to the author's credit, it didn't feel very far off from something that could actually happen, considering the world that we live in the way certain companies have a very real dominance. I think both the world building (both in game and irl) and charicter development are were this book really shines.
There were times that the plot felt a little dragged out/ the book felt a bit long but overall I really enjoyed it and felt that it was very well constructed.
I think this book is going to get a lot of comparison to books like READY PLAYER ONE and WARCROSS, which makes sense to me but I think it is important to go into it knowing that the "game" part of the book takes a back seat to the irl stuff and that it is basically non existent in the 2nd half of the book. I think that was a very good choice on the part of the author but it is important that people don't go into it with the wrong expectations.
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Child death