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indeedithappens'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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, and Slavery
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bebidocrimes'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Pedophilia and Vomit
garbagebarge69'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
Not saying that plot is bad, or that it doesn't fit contextually; just like, how
Graphic: Addiction, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, Trafficking, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Torture, and Grief
imjustadow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
On the one hand, I loved Jack. Bisexual, anti-corporate, emancipator pirate lady? I'm all in, say less. Her life and experiences were very enjoyable to read and I really enjoyed her interactions with the other characters in her insane life.
But GOD, the stuff with Eliasz just kind of ruined everything for me. I don't like the way his "relationship" with Paladin played out starting from THAT chapter (if you've read it, you know which one I'm talking about). The fact that it was never resolved really made having any sympathy at all for Eliasz' quest to stop Jack next to impossible
Eliasz, at the end of the day, is a deeply homophobic cop who has no issue whatsoever with killing people to get what he wants. And more disgusting than that, he feels all of his actions are justified by him "following the law." He mentions that his time hunting down child traffickers was hell and that now that he was in patent law everything was simple and black and white, but that's such a one-dimensional state for a character to begin in, and never grow from as a person.
I loved the worldbuilding, the concept is fascinating, but I really ultimately did not enjoy this book, and I really really wanted to
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
At the end of the day, I would say that the stuff with Eliasz represents a more realistic depiction of someone with deeply internalized homophobia who never actually improves from that point. And if we're considering how some people in real life are, that's not abnormal. However, to write Eliasz's actions out to be anything other than a villain in the story and then to give him a "happy" ending, it just wasn't for me. The author made choices I wouldn't have, and that is their prerogative. I just really didn't enjoy the choices made for Eliaszsamdalefox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
There are HUGE topics introduced such as intellectual property rights and access to medicines, slavery/indenture, autonomy, robotic intelligence, corporate capitalism, and climate change and none are sufficiently explored. The novel simply needed to be longer with more depth to give us time to immerse ourselves in the jargon-overfilled world and actually get to know these characters and feel the lives they are living and the consequences of their actions. The whole thing came across more superficial that intended, especially considering the moral arguments around literally any one of the topics listed above. Even the goddamn romances were superficial. I found the ending pleasing in some areas, anticlimatic overall, and a bit confusing
Andystone's review sums it up:
"...The plot follows two different sets of characters, switching off every chapter until the climax where they meet… for all of one page. There was no discussion, no one learned anything and nothing was solved. By the time I got through 80% of the story, I worried that there wouldn’t be enough time to do something compelling to give a reason for the trials and tribulations of the previous couple hundred pages. Sadly, those worries were well founded...."
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Slavery
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Murder, and Colonisation
electricshe'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? It's complicated
4.0
I didn’t find the characters likeable—as in, I wouldn’t want to be friends with any of them—but I did find them interesting, varied, with clear motivation. I don’t think they developed much through the story (with the exception of Paladin, maaaaaybe) so that felt a bit lacking. I also thought that things fell in line very neatly for Eliasz and Paladin. They seemed to find just who/what they needed on the first try in every location they visited, which I thought pushed “fast-paced” into “somewhat unbelievable” territory.
Despite that, I really liked the story. I was interested in what it had to say about ownership, capitalism, AI, labour. It doesn’t try to solve this whole future world’s problems—or even wholly lay them out—which feels frustrating, but is simply not within the scope of the plot. I don’t think it shouldn’t examine them just because it can’t wrap them up neatly in a bow.
I liked the flashbacks to Jack’s younger years and how it fleshed out what was happening in the present. Even as I didn’t like the characters, I appreciated the glimpses we got of how they came to be who they were. I felt such intense dislike for Eliasz as the story progressed, but relished in their half of the story as we got to see his influence on Paladin. It’s all sort of messed up, and their ‘romance’ is meant to be uncomfortable. It reads like first love between teens—even in the dialogue—and it really makes me think of what will happen to them as Paladin comes into its autonomy.
Anyway, I could go on. I don’t think it’s perfect, but I did really enjoy it and think it leaves lots to think about. Worth the read, for sure.
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
quihi'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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia
studabomb's review against another edition
Moderate: Sexual content
caseythereader'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
miniingrid'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
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Violence