espressoreader's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Car accident, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Xenophobia
booksandchocaholic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was very excited to be getting into this book and series. I have loved all of Mira Grant's previous works and was excited to continue making my way through her bibliography. This book certainly lived up to my expectations. It has been a while since I've read a whole novel by this author and it did feel very comforting to return to her writing style and storytelling.
I really enjoyed the overall plot of this book. It was such a fascinating concept. I love the way that Grant manages to balance the plot between the action, the goings on in the world and the direct impact this has on the characters.
The characters themselves were so easy to follow. Mira Grant always finds a way to give you a protagonist that is intelligent and strong but also under informed while still placing them believably at the centre of the action.
Sal was a compelling protagonist and her social interactions fascinating, frustrating and very realistic for such unrealistic circumstances.
The secondary characters were also incredible with her family, boyfriend and some lab techs thrown in there as well it was an excellent cast of characters carrying the story.
Mira Grant always does a great job of making complicated theories and plots feel easy to read without talking down to the reader. Her pacing is always on the go while simultaneously always making sure to have time to truly understand what is happening, get to know the characters and become deeply invested in what is occurring.
I loved how much this story managed to develop the science, the characters, their relationships and the plot in a seamless progression throughout the novel.
Grant has possibly one of the most grounded outlooks on the "sciences" she incorporates into her books. I can completely believe them from almost instantly. She does the groundwork swiftly, efficiently and thoroughly so I can then get on with the story and therefore have the same questions the characters do. She writes them SO that you can poke at the holes, because her characters are doing the same!
Pros
* Characters
* Pacing
* Intrigue
* "Sciences"
* Interpersonal relationships
Cons
* IF you're not interested in science (even fake ones) steer clear
* Can be frustrating because it contains a conservatorship of an adult
* Though I love it, the writing style is very straight to the point
Overall this was once again a huge success for me with this author. From where it ended up I'm really looking forward to picking up the sequel ASAP!
I really enjoyed the overall plot of this book. It was such a fascinating concept. I love the way that Grant manages to balance the plot between the action, the goings on in the world and the direct impact this has on the characters.
The characters themselves were so easy to follow. Mira Grant always finds a way to give you a protagonist that is intelligent and strong but also under informed while still placing them believably at the centre of the action.
Sal was a compelling protagonist and her social interactions fascinating, frustrating and very realistic for such unrealistic circumstances.
The secondary characters were also incredible with her family, boyfriend and some lab techs thrown in there as well it was an excellent cast of characters carrying the story.
Mira Grant always does a great job of making complicated theories and plots feel easy to read without talking down to the reader. Her pacing is always on the go while simultaneously always making sure to have time to truly understand what is happening, get to know the characters and become deeply invested in what is occurring.
I loved how much this story managed to develop the science, the characters, their relationships and the plot in a seamless progression throughout the novel.
Grant has possibly one of the most grounded outlooks on the "sciences" she incorporates into her books. I can completely believe them from almost instantly. She does the groundwork swiftly, efficiently and thoroughly so I can then get on with the story and therefore have the same questions the characters do. She writes them SO that you can poke at the holes, because her characters are doing the same!
Pros
* Characters
* Pacing
* Intrigue
* "Sciences"
* Interpersonal relationships
Cons
* IF you're not interested in science (even fake ones) steer clear
* Can be frustrating because it contains a conservatorship of an adult
* Though I love it, the writing style is very straight to the point
Overall this was once again a huge success for me with this author. From where it ended up I'm really looking forward to picking up the sequel ASAP!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Confinement, Car accident, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Chronic illness, Stalking, Violence, Gun violence, and Child death
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Vomit
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
“He wanted to heal me and turn me back into a woman I had no memory of being. I wanted him to let me be who I was, no matter how different I had become. Neither of us was getting what we wanted.”
Sal was in a car accident six years ago and no longer remembers her life before the tapeworm which saved her life. Now she has a boyfriend she loves, a family she mostly gets along with, and a lot of medical testing from the company whose engineered parasite made her current existence possible.
I like Sal as a narrator. She's good at communicating things clearly when she's aware of them as factors, and that's very helpful in a story where a lot of the narrative tension at first is from the gaps between what she wants to do, what she can do, and what people expect of her.
Nathan is a great partner for Sal, they work very well together and I'm so glad that their relationship isn't fodder for tension in this already pretty stressful situation. Sal's family is doing their best to connect with her but they fundamentally view her as a replacement for the Sally they lost. Sometimes they view this as an upgrade, and sometimes they seem to resent the changes. Beverly is a very good dog and I like how she's used in the narrative.
Sal is much slower to figure out some things than how quickly it's possible for the reader to put things together from the available information. I happened to know the "twist" beforehand, but this is a book where knowing it ahead of time didn't matter because part of the point is that Sal refuses to connect certain dots. This lets it accompany any pace of reader awareness, since the reveal will make sense no matter when an observer figures it out.
I've read a lot of this author's work, both as Seanan McGuire and as Mira Grant. I like this book's version of the abrasive, hermitic scientist in a secret lab doing experiments that a powerful group doesn't want her to, as well as the overly chipper girl who's extremely comfortable with gun and can murder with a smile. They're appropriate archetypes for this story, with enough to distinguish them in this setting that they're familiar without being copies of characters in her other work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Vomit, Deadnaming, Genocide, Mental illness, Excrement, Blood, Police brutality, and Ableism
Minor: Car accident and Sexual content
More...