logan_mcoien's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
forever_fantasy's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ginapicart's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kmcilroy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jazzypizzaz's review against another edition
4.0
any book with a major plot point involving a character shoving a chili pepper up her vagina, on purpose, for pleasure (& more) has my full and undivided attention. entertaining and thought-provoking the whole way through
sanmeow's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? Yes
3.5
the core of the sun is a dystopian novel set in an alternate reality in finland, where the government oversees love, sex, desire, and such. eloi are something akin to a subtype of women, except their only purpose is sex with the goal of birthing children. other women are morlock - they're more intelligent, sterilized, and they have actual jobs.
vanna is the main character, who's supposed to be an eloi but she's secretly not, and she's on a mission to find her sister who's disappeared. she starts selling an illegal substance (chili peppers) with the help of a man called jare. the title of the novel refers to a type of chili pepper called the core of the sun, which has stronger effects than a regular pepper. vanna has to choose between a life of selling illegal chili peppers and escaping finland, or continuing her search for her twin sister.
i thought this book was intriguing and quite entertaining for sure. the author is definitely a creative person and i applaud her for coming up with this whole world.
the concept of eloi is weird and unsettling - women who aren't deemed intelligent enough so they're trained in household chores, pleasing men, and having children. it's meant to be unsettling, of course. chili peppers being an illegal drug was quirky and quite silly to think about, but that's expected of a satirical book.
i think the author did a good job of exploring some concepts such as the human psyche, eugenics, politics, etc. i do think the strength of this novel lies within its ideas and concepts, way less the plot and the characters. the characters especially could've been developed more. the construction and pacing were a tiny bit off, but it didn't bother me too much, though i still think this could've been just a little shorter. i enjoyed the writing style but i feel like the author should've leaned into satire more.
vanna is the main character, who's supposed to be an eloi but she's secretly not, and she's on a mission to find her sister who's disappeared. she starts selling an illegal substance (chili peppers) with the help of a man called jare. the title of the novel refers to a type of chili pepper called the core of the sun, which has stronger effects than a regular pepper. vanna has to choose between a life of selling illegal chili peppers and escaping finland, or continuing her search for her twin sister.
i thought this book was intriguing and quite entertaining for sure. the author is definitely a creative person and i applaud her for coming up with this whole world.
the concept of eloi is weird and unsettling - women who aren't deemed intelligent enough so they're trained in household chores, pleasing men, and having children. it's meant to be unsettling, of course. chili peppers being an illegal drug was quirky and quite silly to think about, but that's expected of a satirical book.
i think the author did a good job of exploring some concepts such as the human psyche, eugenics, politics, etc. i do think the strength of this novel lies within its ideas and concepts, way less the plot and the characters. the characters especially could've been developed more. the construction and pacing were a tiny bit off, but it didn't bother me too much, though i still think this could've been just a little shorter. i enjoyed the writing style but i feel like the author should've leaned into satire more.
rosenaughtin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
janedoelish's review against another edition
5.0
Sinisalo creates a weird dystopia that seizes upon well-known predecessors without turning into a mere pastiche or re-tread. There's something decidedly *Finnish* about the entire novel, something that eludes definition as much as the images of a shamanic journey.
If the novel had stuck to depictions of the totalitarian sexist state alone, it might have failed to escape the shadow of more well-known dystopian fictions. But with the introduction of an entirely new element of resistance against such power (and the insistence that it's not just escapist navel gazing), Sinisalo creates a scenario that is entirely her own, and deserves recognition.
If the novel had stuck to depictions of the totalitarian sexist state alone, it might have failed to escape the shadow of more well-known dystopian fictions. But with the introduction of an entirely new element of resistance against such power (and the insistence that it's not just escapist navel gazing), Sinisalo creates a scenario that is entirely her own, and deserves recognition.