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beltari'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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Child abuse
inkylabyrinth's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Confinement and Pedophilia
mlewis'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Eating disorder and Infidelity
house_of_hannah's review against another edition
3.0
I did end up overwhelmed by how many different POVs we are given here. Instead of being numbered, each chapter is titled with a town name. Some we only see once, others several times. We see new POVs almost right up until the end, so it would take me a few paragraphs sometimes to remember who the people are.
The first chapter is essentially what you first think is going to happen in a situation like this. Also, imagine my surprise when the first chapter is titled South Bend, which is only 30 minutes from my hometown, and a place I've been a million times. Definitely makes it more real, but that was one town the book only visited once.
We do get a variety of situations throughout the story, but I don't believe any of them are happy endings. Since there are so many POVs, it also feels like we are viewing the stories from a distance (maybe in our own Kentuki ?). For me I think I would have have been more interested in delving into some of these stories deeper, and understanding the characters a bit more, instead of having some of the one off POVs.
You definitely need to have a sense of disbelief going into this, as the entire concept is something that just would not work in reality. The legality of it is extremely sketchy, security would be a nightmare, but all countries agreeing on something like this would just never happen.
Overall this just ended up as an average read for me. I felt most of the POVs stayed too surface level, as the connections with the Kentukis would be cut right as things were getting interesting. There are two more books by this author that I am interested in reading though, so I will be checking out more of her writing.
Moderate: Confinement, Pedophilia, and Sexual content
Minor: Death, Infidelity, and Kidnapping
kaabtik's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A very unique premise that was executed well. The beauty in it was that it gave the readers enough of a glance of the world from all angles, but still keeping the story within that of the characters. It mirrored reality in a way that didn't come off as pretentious or too on the nose, which I appreciated. Also had me changing and fixing up my digital footprint lololol.
BOTM Discussion:
Q1: Kentuki
Do you think that something similar to the kentuki could ever exist in the real world? Would you like it to be?
Q2: Owner or dweller?
If the kentuki were real and you were to receive one (you can't say no!), would you prefer to be a dweller or to own one? Why?
Q3: The stories
Do you think the stories were easy to follow? Which ones did you like more? The creepy ones, the ones that gave just a glimpse of a connection, the sad ones...
Q4: Characters
Which character (or characters) did you like best?
Q5: The vibes
One thing I really enjoyed of this book was the subtle creepiness that emerged from time to time. What about you?
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Death of parent, and War
allyjshand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual content
jhbandcats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Kentukis are cute little animals on wheels. People elsewhere in the world control them, seeing through the camera in the eyes. You can be either a keeper, who owns the little animal, or a dweller, who controls it with a tablet, moving around and interacting with the keeper.
The thing is, dwellers can't communicate with the keeper. There's translation software so the dweller can understand the keeper speaking - but the keeper only, not anyone else in the room - but no official way for the dweller to communicate. Some keepers use Ouija boards or Yes / No / Don't Know / Ask Another Question plots on the floor, and some keepers hold up signs with phone numbers and email addresses in hopes the dweller will get in touch.
These things are all over the world. In upscale areas, 25% of households have at least one kentuki, and the numbers are growing. Now imagine the worst possible types of dwellers - who are these unknown people hiding inside the kentukis, watching you in the bedroom and bathroom, seeing your important papers in your office? Are they sweet little old ladies or are they pedophiles? And what about the keepers? Who would want a technological spy in their home, even if it's benign?
Very, very thought provoking and, to be honest, terrifying. An excellent book.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
horizonous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Pedophilia
◦ Death = Family membermangofandango's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, and Kidnapping
This book doesn't get particularly detailed or graphic except when describing, briefly, a scene of animal suffering. But it does refer at least obliquely to pretty much any variation on "the dangers of the internet" and "why you want to be careful with your privacy in an online setting", so if references to CSA, trafficking, violence, abuse, etc would be upsetting for you, you may want to proceed with some caution.whatellisreadnext'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
They're not pets. Not ghosts or robots. These are kentukis, and they are in your home. They're everywhere. They're watching you...
I really enjoyed this absolutely bizarre book, that didn't feel that far off a realistic future for humanity. Kentukis are little robot animals, that people either buy and choose to be watched, or buy a server and end up the watcher. I loved how the book was structured, showing us the links all over the world. Giving some characters only a few pages, before a watcher drove a kentuki into a water fountain because their owner was insufficient, or coming back again and again to characters whose link lasted more than a few hours.
It had me contemplating about how voyeuristic the Internet is in general. How we post our lives and talk to strangers on a daily basis. This whole book felt like a comment on the sinister side of the Internet, and how it could evolve to be even more intrusive.
Little Eyes really got me thinking, and I adored how it wasn't afraid to go to dark places. I've had Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin on my TBR for way too long and shall definitely be picking that up soon.
Graphic: Confinement