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strangelet'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? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
eliaa'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
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Transphobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
mrmike5686's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Abortion, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Hate crime, Antisemitism, and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Cultural appropriation
beccaand'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
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Abortion, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide and Transphobia
Minor: Vomit
osbormad'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: Sexism and Abortion
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual assault
beanjoles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
There was a lot to love about this story: a unique spin on time-travel; an interesting and personal exploration of the relationship between past and present selves; teenagers serial murdering unsavoury men who clearly get off on abusing women. As I am learning is typical for Newitz's writing, the prose is clear and evocative, and their facts are well-researched and presented.
But... I can't help but feel they tried to take on too much with this book, and ultimately it failed to come together in a way that I found satisfying.
The serial murder subplot feels like it should have taken place in another book entirely. For being such a keystone in the Tess/Beth relationship, it's given surprisingly little emotional weight outside of Beth feeling conflicted about their actions. It's not until too far into the book that we learn Tess actually Loves To Murder and that it's a key element of her personality (???), which seems like something important to give a taste of sooner than was done.
The concept of Comstockers vs Daughters of Harriet was actually the least compelling part of the book to me. If this had been fleshed out better, I might have been able to look past other flaws. The Comstockers' motive is essentially to ensure women are relegated to a life of servitude and subservience to men forever—genuinely frightening!—but the book can't quite decide if they're a well-organized pseudo-militia or a bunch of bumbling MRAs whose sole purpose in life is to make women stop being "sl*ts". I almost think the story would have been stronger without adding an opposition group of mustache-twirling but ultimately toothless megavillains. Like, what if it were just the Daughters fighting against the tide of history in their alternate universe? That's a story worth telling. And I think it would have helped Newitz clarify and explore some of their philosophical thoughts about Great Man Theory vs Collective Action. We got a lot of Telling about that but not as much Showing as I think should have been done.
No regrets on reading this, but I wish it had come together better in the end.
A note on the audiobook: I found the narrator's style to be a bit amateurish, overall, but there were some stand-out moments too and I felt she did particularly well reading Beth. It was cool to have a musical interlude partway through the story! I haven't experienced that in an audiobook before. Unique and fun!
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abortion
krhysling's review against another edition
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
hwaldooo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Abortion, and Murder
Minor: Incest, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
amalyndb's review against another edition
5.0
Basic premise is an alternate history, where reproductive rights are threatened from the far future via time travel. There's a whole lot more than that.
There is some potentially triggering subject matter. That may be an understatement.
Heed the warnings: I had a visceral reaction to some of this. I've read other stuff written in more explicit ways that didn't impact me as much. An observation, rather than a complaint. Will reread again in future when I feel able to.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
Brief within text overall, but there iselle_g's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Murder
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Suicide