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valjeanval's review against another edition
- 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
It feels like the message of the book is a good one, but for me that message superseded the actual writing, and made the story as a whole fall a bit flat for me. It still won the Hugo, and while it wouldn't have been my pick, I see why it got the nomination. The aliens are good, the plot once you're off of Gaea station is intriuging, and the pace is sharp. As a rule though, I just kept coming back to the fact that I didn't really enjoy spending time with any of the characters, and that this was one of the dumber dystopias out there, built more to highlight reality's flaws than because it makes sense for the world-building.
So yeah, I'm going with 4 stars because it was better than a lot of things I give three stars, but overall kind of meh.
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and War
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Abortion, and Pregnancy
abarnakwn_ourcolourfulpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Genocide, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pregnancy
pdxpagemaster's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
This is now the standard for all space operas. The richness of relationships, the varied flaws in characters, the need to overcome self to be able to save who you love, the pain of leaving spaces that indoctrinated you and the relief of finding your true self on the other side.
Genuinely, every space opera slated book now pales in comparison for me. These rich characters and dynamic setting bending fabrics of time and space was so clever and new. Absolutely brilliant.
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
cdomonoske's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
ldenehy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Pregnancy
miavrml's review against another edition
4.5
Over all a 4,5/5 because it was a bit too slow in some parts of the book where i was a bit bored.
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and War
shannonbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
ablanket42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Incest, Pedophilia, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
homodyne_reads's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
I found the choice to have someone so nasty and radicalized (at least at the beginning of the book) to be immensely successful in this book. No small feat to have a truly engaging unlikable and unreliable narrator. I do feel sympathy for her, and her perspective really made me think about fascism, among many things. I'm almost considering reading some of the recommended non fiction.
I loved it, it was heartbreaking, and I was tempted to turn away around the 50% mark, it got so dark. And it was dark again after. But I'm glad I continued.
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault