miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Very gorey and kinda gross but really well written
‘Even through the walls of the room, the surgeon could feel the pressure of the heavy sky, and of everything beyond it.’
‘Why was it so difficult for him to express true gratitude, to speak freely, perhaps even let his eyes water at this earnestness?’
‘Perhaps that was why one died: so that one could finally fathom death.’
‘Somehow the prospect of the afterlife seemed to cause the surgeon less distress than he felt it should. Perhaps if he were less drained, the ghastliness of it might have overwhelmed him. But now, in this little room, surrounded by the apparatus of this mortal world, one of which was a prepared bed, the afterlife seemed like a distant calamity, to be confronted at a later, mercifully unspecified, date.’
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Body horror, Medical content, Death, Child death, Pregnancy, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, and Grief
dorothygrace's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Medical content, and Murder
menomica's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
“God is as hidden to the dead as He is to the living.”
Well, this book made me confront my own mortality and ponder what happens after death and what the afterlife is life (if there is one). So uhm, there’s that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Suicide
liezjo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It’s very different from anything I’ve read and the surgery scenes are eek but it’s fascinating and magical and tragic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Medical content
mimithorp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Death
angrybookworm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I wasn't sure how I felt about this book until I got to the end, and then I loved it but was also a bit confused by it. It definitely has me thinking about my own mortality and what it really means to be alive. It also taught me a lot about Indian culture in a really organic way that I loved. I had so many tabs and annotations of things I'd heard of but hadn't really read about in context or in a day to day life kind of setting - so that was really great, even if it wasn't the point of the book. Growing up Catholic-ish, I knew a lot of people that questioned the existence of god or the afterlife but until this book I never really knew whether people in other religions had the same questions or hesitations and it was so captivating to see the parallels between my life and religion and someone else's.
I highly recommend this book. It moves a bit slow sometimes and it can be a little creepy if you don't like medical procedures but it was so thought provoking and interesting the whole time.
I highly recommend this book. It moves a bit slow sometimes and it can be a little creepy if you don't like medical procedures but it was so thought provoking and interesting the whole time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Death, Murder, Medical content, and Medical trauma
dasha_musa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This was a dark and eerie book with literally gut wrenching content at times -- I've watched surgery in real life and will be going into the medical field, but the descriptions of operating on undead flesh were just not it for me (I don't think the body horror added as much to the story as it intended to). This book feels like it's simmering and simmering but it never reaches a boil. There wasn't enough drama and substance to the characters for me and I felt too disconnected (not enough to anchor the commentary/criticism on institutional corruption, morality, etc. for it to feel robust to the reader). The concept is very cool but I am not satisfied with the execution of it and the payoff was not there in the end. I was hoping the book would leave me reflecting in a pensive stupor but it missed the mark on impact.
I saw a different review in which someone suggested that perhaps this would have been better as a short story and I think that I agree.
I saw a different review in which someone suggested that perhaps this would have been better as a short story and I think that I agree.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, and Medical content
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Murder and Pregnancy
astroem's review
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Honestly, one of my favourite things about the book is how it never refers to any of the characters by name, they all have epithets that describe their occupation, age or status in society. I greatly enjoyed the references to Hindu mythology woven throughout the story as well as the philosophical explorations mixed with the medical thriller-esque writing of the medical scenes. The ending was a little odd, but it fit perfectly with the themes of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Medical content
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Grief
Minor: Sexual violence
yavin_iv's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Blood, Child death, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence
katselvocki's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
TW: graphic detail of medical procedures! I didn’t expect that, and the descriptions are fascinating but not for everyone.
I was pretty enthralled by this book, more than I expected to be! Though the conclusion fell a bit short for me in its vagueness, it doesn’t change that how much I was drawn into the rest. I appreciated getting to know Saheb and eventually his backstory, was intrigued by the afterlife discussion, and appreciated the commentary on bureaucracy. If I re-read books, this would be on my list to try to see what else I notice the second time through.
I was pretty enthralled by this book, more than I expected to be! Though the conclusion fell a bit short for me in its vagueness, it doesn’t change that how much I was drawn into the rest. I appreciated getting to know Saheb and eventually his backstory, was intrigued by the afterlife discussion, and appreciated the commentary on bureaucracy. If I re-read books, this would be on my list to try to see what else I notice the second time through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Murder
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