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emilliampere's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Misogyny, Abortion, and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit, and Cultural appropriation
jhbandcats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is topical, having been published in 2019, three years before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. It describes a 1993 and a 2022 where abortion has never been legalized, and time travelers work to edit the timeline in favor of women’s rights. Of course, the people who deny rights to women are just as busy trying to edit the timeline to crush women and turn them into breeders. (It feels all too real in that sense.)
Engaging story, valiant characters, salient topic - an excellent book.
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Abortion, Murder, and Alcohol
rafaelsampaio'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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Deadnaming, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
thesawyerbean'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? It's complicated
4.25
However, where this book falls short is I’m not sure the vision of the fundamental aspect, the time travel and its mechanics, were as defined and clear as they should have been. I did have to suspend belief and go along with it at certain points because it did seem like they flouted their own predefined rules in order for the plot to continue. By the end, although it was satisfying and a satisfactory end, there were still so many questions left unanswered - the characters and I were both left asking ‘who knows?’. In certain ways it made it more convoluted than it already was trying to justify some of the plot points.
Overall this book was good and definitely worth a read. A powerful feminist sci-fi novel, full of historical context and loveable characters, with an overarching plot-line we can all feel impassioned about.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
my_forest_library'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abortion, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, and Antisemitism
thepermageek'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
If yr looking for a fast-paced, feminist/riot grrrl-themed novel about needing to fight the time-travelling patriarchy than look no further!
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Blood, Abortion, and Murder
Minor: Transphobia
leweylibrary'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
4.75
I want to point out that this is a rare book in which there are queer and gender nonconforming people and it doesn't revolve around romance at all, just them existing and doing badass time travel stuff which is dope.
It's really cool that this alternate history does incorporate so much real history. I really enjoyed the social commentary parts about reproductive rights, gender roles, the patriarchy, etc., and the murder and serial killer parts were also really enjoyable.
I think the only struggle I had, and some of this may have been because I had to read it in smaller chunks over more time that I would've liked, but I had a hard time keeping track of characters and storylines sometimes. The settings changing so much in time and place could be a bit unsettling to adjust to, and the how of this time traveling is never really explained, so that was a bit confusing. Also, I know we did officially find out very clearly that
Overall, I can't fault this book too much in my mind because it was truly really fun, and that last line in the acknowledgements is going to stick with me.
Quotes:
- Nothing is inevitable, and you always have to go back farther than you expect. (282)
- ...I don't tell them everything about the timeline I remember. I don't want them to know how close we are to that other version of history. I want them to have hope. (282)
- It wasn't that I didn't believe in great men anymore. But now I could see that every great man was actually a tiny piece of something much larger: A movement, an institution, or possibly a set of loosely interconnected people. Maybe the only real difference between the Great Man perspective and the Collective Action one was that great man had followers instead of communities. (309)
- Collective action means that when someone does something small or personal, their actions can change history too. Even if the only thing that person ever does is study ancient rocks, or listen to a friend. (309)
- I remember a world where abortion was legal in my country. I hope you do too. (347)
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Abortion
hannahbailey'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
3.0
It was an interesting concept but sometimes the pace was slow. I felt like it was building up to a big moment that never happened. It had a good plot twist, however I felt more connected to Beth than Tess -- there should've been more from her emotionally.
An opportunity was missed to flesh out the characters/plot/world-building which was a shame. I feel like we could've learned more from the future, although the fact that we didn't could be the author's very warning against time travel and meddling with time.
TW: murder, sexual violence, child abuse (incest), abortion, transphobia, suicide
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Incest, Misogyny, Suicide, Transphobia, Abortion, and Murder
kerriw's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, I enjoyed it! Though I did the audiobook and the narrator’s voice was not my favorite.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Medical trauma, and Abortion
Minor: Mental illness, Racism, Transphobia, and Vomit
aardwyrm'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
4.0
The book does a good job of juggling time travel and changing realities, slipping in needful details and surprises. Plot is really its strongest point. There's some occasional clunky dialogue; character speak out loud the same way they internally monologue, and infodump their emotions once in a while. But the worst this'll do is throw you out of the text a minute. It's an intensely, deliberately political book, which may not be everyone's choice, but it's an effective, well balanced time thriller, too.
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism