dmcaleer's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jackharveyc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book more than I thought i would. This book moved at a steady pace. The dystopian setting made the scenes of world building more interesting, trying to puzzle out what Koli is describing because some words have been lost is a part of a dystopian setting I enjoy. Now for Koli himself. The story is told by a future Koli so the reader can see how this character grows. This set up also made me care a lot more about him as a character. Then there is Monono, a much needed comedic relief in such a bleak world! The writing style of this story is so beautiful. There sometimes is such a crazy juxtaposition of sound advice and metaphors characters can give each other vs. all the ways Koli is just a silly boy, especially in this setting where survival is everything. All in all, I really enjoyed this story. I consumed it via audio and the narration was mostly great.. I will be reading the second one!
kevin_king's review against another edition
4.0
I love M.R. Carey's writing style so much I feel like I could just live in these words. I like this story and enjoy the characters enough to stay interested but it's the writing that keeps me coming back.
mprov80's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
emberrolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
daretodream03's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
anastasiaf's review against another edition
3.75
Interesting enough - I like the idea of a weird world.
I like that we get pay off for some mysteries relatively quickly - ex. whatever is following Koli about midway through the book
Really visceral reaction to the underground people and just wanted the story to stop being there (I could also smell the stink and feel the gross of being there)
I love the diversity of characters
I think I had a better time than some others as I listened to the audiobook which helped with the language.
soundy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
Torn between 3.5 and 4 but liked it enough to start the second book in the series immediately upon finishing. Like other books by Carey, it's sometimes hard to follow until you have the aha moment. Still not there but intrigued for sure.