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amorphousbl0b's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Deeply depressing.
You will often be irritated with how reluctant characters are to take seemingly obvious corrective actions, to tell one another how they feel, to do the logical thing. That's because Ishiguro barely wrote characters; he just wrote people. Almost all of your problems probably resulted from you doing dumbass things. And the narrator's perspective seems to gloss over many of their more kind or intimate moments, because focusing on the arguments and the troubles is just how our memories act.
The slow burn of this book's reveals are masterfully executed. I don't want to allude to a single one of them, not even those in the first act of the story, lest I spoil the experience I had of walking into this book expecting one thing and slowly realizing it was a horror novel.
You will often be irritated with how reluctant characters are to take seemingly obvious corrective actions, to tell one another how they feel, to do the logical thing. That's because Ishiguro barely wrote characters; he just wrote people. Almost all of your problems probably resulted from you doing dumbass things. And the narrator's perspective seems to gloss over many of their more kind or intimate moments, because focusing on the arguments and the troubles is just how our memories act.
The slow burn of this book's reveals are masterfully executed. I don't want to allude to a single one of them, not even those in the first act of the story, lest I spoil the experience I had of walking into this book expecting one thing and slowly realizing it was a horror novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Bullying
lisalovesbooks2's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was very disappointed in this book and had to force myself to finish it. I had heard that it was a very good book from multiple sources but definitely didn’t agree with that opinion. The story line dragged on, I didn’t care for the characters and was wishing that they would all be completed already so that I could stop reading. I’m not sure what people see in this book. I definitely didn’t see it and don’t recommend reading it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Toxic friendship
emilywemily6's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was underwhelming and I think this author just might not be a great fit for me. This writing style is intriguing and kept me interested for more, but it felt like nothing happened (very character focused yet with little character growth; plus no big reveals). I knew from early on in the book what was going on and I never learned anything more than what was easily extrapolated. It took zero imagination and I was disappointed that even with so many subtle promises of a reveal, I was never rewarded. Sci-fi? Who is she? I would call this more of a speculative, coming-of-age fiction. I wanted WAY more world-building and answers to what was happening, why the world got that way, and how they even accomplished it. This book was melancholic and languid and I think it will stay in my mind for a while, but since we didn’t get any world building and few perspectives from the wider world, the subtle thoughts on humanity lacked substance. Many people have found meaning in the minutia of Kathy’s memories but it lacked the oomph I want in a story like this. Lots of Kathy’s internal musings without any real growth or change in understanding throughout the whole book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia and Infertility
nightstitch96's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Homophobia
ambivalentneb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
elderwoodreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Read this on recommendation from a friend and I'm so glad I did. Normally I'm weary of highly awarded literary authors as I fear their work will go over my head but this was the perfect level for what I wanted. I plan on reading all of Ishiguro's backlog at some point.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Toxic friendship
Minor: Infertility, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and War
chireadsandchill's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Sexual content, Grief, and Pregnancy
augustst's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Toxic friendship
annie_brewer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
(BASIC NOTES) Writing style is haphazard and diary-like which I found jarring sometimes, but the characters are intracately constructed. Plot is a bit jumpy which was sometimes confusing, but the ending which tied up meaning was beautiful and devastating...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Infertility and Sexual content
jvbook_reader's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Medical content