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ghostbird12's review against another edition
5.0
ummmmmm yeah i will be thinking about this for the rest of my life
insanely creepy, i loved it
POOR NIKO…wtf…i am so sad knowing orion ended up without him even though that was the point of the book lol. my only complaint is i wish we had gotten more development and insight into niko
v excited to re read and i expect i will enjoy it even more the next time.
loved how the format of the book tied into the ending…truly stunning
edit: just read the info page about my book…IS THERE a copy where orion swims through with niko lol?? or keeps his original niko?? now very interested in the possible endings.
insanely creepy, i loved it
v excited to re read and i expect i will enjoy it even more the next time.
edit:
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
An inventive and creepy queer horror thriller about a gay college student and his straight(ish?) best friend who find a baffling, neverending world accessed through the floor of their house. At first they think it's just a weird second basement with empty rooms and appliances and floor angles that don't make sense, but they soon discover that it's much more dangerous. At the same time their complicated friendship is tested to a breaking point.
Very cool meta-narrative details: given that the book deals with themes of parallel universes and alternate timelines, the author has published the book as various copies that slightly differ from each other. My copy, for example, had a note at the end explaining some of the differences, such as the way my narrator expressed himself (more wordy and less slang), that the final fight took place in a certain room, and the characters found a certain space in the "Downstairs", etc. What a fascinating, unique spin!
Very cool meta-narrative details: given that the book deals with themes of parallel universes and alternate timelines, the author has published the book as various copies that slightly differ from each other. My copy, for example, had a note at the end explaining some of the differences, such as the way my narrator expressed himself (more wordy and less slang), that the final fight took place in a certain room, and the characters found a certain space in the "Downstairs", etc. What a fascinating, unique spin!
adamcordner's review against another edition
5.0
I recently finished my side-by-side reread of Subcutanean. The differences between two versions can be so subtle and so huge - such significantly different moments of characterisation. Both my copies had overall a very similar plot but, judging from the info provided at the end about my copies, it seems there's versions out there with drastically different backstory and endings. I really want to seek these out, and would genuinly consider buying another copy just to see what's different.
It's amazing that even on a reread of a book where I generally knew what to expect, I couldn't put this book down (again). I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the next big difference and I couldn't put it down. Both times I read through this book I think it took me less than a week, I was so engrossed.
Also I can't get over how great the writing here is in relation to Ryan's sexuality and the complexity of his and Niko's relationship. One of my absolute favourite depictions of a gay protagonist in any media I've seen.
I would 110% recommend this book to anyone who is even a little bit interested in reading it.
It's amazing that even on a reread of a book where I generally knew what to expect, I couldn't put this book down (again). I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the next big difference and I couldn't put it down. Both times I read through this book I think it took me less than a week, I was so engrossed.
Also I can't get over how great the writing here is in relation to Ryan's sexuality and the complexity of his and Niko's relationship. One of my absolute favourite depictions of a gay protagonist in any media I've seen.
I would 110% recommend this book to anyone who is even a little bit interested in reading it.
madelineb's review against another edition
4.5
This took me a long time to finish... Version 42780 "This is something you probably won't understand unless you've lost a parent. You have to put things away when that happens. Something is gone and parts of you went with it, in ways that aren't always obvious."
annact's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia and Outing
Minor: Self harm, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
sekushipantsu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
360noelscope's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
The premise of this book is what drew me to it, along with Aaron’s other work. The deliberate unsettling nature of knowing this was the only book that read exactly this way contributed to the themes of the actual work in ways I did not expect. It’s well worth checking out if you’re interested in experimental storytelling!
theseliterarydelights's review against another edition
4.0
Reading of Seed #41589 completed 10/28/21:
Feeling very fortunate to have been able to swap copies with a friend and be able to experience this story in a new way. There were so many differences between them (including character development, completely new scenes, and manner of speaking between the two MCs, as well as of the narrator) that shifted tone for me. While the plot overall follows all of the same beats, I thoroughly enjoyed feeling like I was reading the story of one of the parallel universes (side note: there were also certain scenes, dialogue, and narration that destroyed my heart even more than my original copy did).
Re-read of Seed #40677 10/14/21:
How did this emotionally destroy me even more the second time around?
Feeling very fortunate to have been able to swap copies with a friend and be able to experience this story in a new way. There were so many differences between them (including character development, completely new scenes, and manner of speaking between the two MCs, as well as of the narrator) that shifted tone for me. While the plot overall follows all of the same beats, I thoroughly enjoyed feeling like I was reading the story of one of the parallel universes (side note: there were also certain scenes, dialogue, and narration that destroyed my heart even more than my original copy did).
Re-read of Seed #40677 10/14/21:
How did this emotionally destroy me even more the second time around?
echoreads's review against another edition
5.0
If I read this stand alone with no concept that there were other copies different from this, it'd be a 4* at best (I did quite enjoy my version, especially the ending and the reveal, and as an easily spooked person, the earlier parts of the book had me scared to read at night). However, the overall experience reading this book in parallel with friends, reading a chapter a day and discussing each chapter in detail, was a novel experience I don't think I will have the pleasure of experiencing again. I also loved the theme of no same copies applied to the plot of the book.
Initially, I thought this book would be more like "choose your own adventure" where different copies got different stories. Instead, it's about the same story but how it's told is different (and details here and there differ). It may seem inconsequential but I like to see it as an analogy to reading in general, like reading a translation of a book, or to a greater extent, even the same copy because words can have different meaning to different people.
Initially, I thought this book would be more like "choose your own adventure" where different copies got different stories. Instead, it's about the same story but how it's told is different (and details here and there differ). It may seem inconsequential but I like to see it as an analogy to reading in general, like reading a translation of a book, or to a greater extent, even the same copy because words can have different meaning to different people.