amandaklap'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
1.75
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Violence
tvnguyen's review
- 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
5.0
Spoiler
I did not think that the ending was going to be an AI cult, but I am here for that plot twist. Also the gore description of bodies exploding was easily quite terrifyingGraphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Racism, and Gun violence
cassie7e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
However the politics and desire to seem progressive are stark, and come up in places that just don't flow naturally with the story, like the author needed to jam them in even when they weren't really relevant to the story. Especially when things like climate change are thrown into lines of exposition, all tell and no show, no inherent link to the plot beyond "the world is already doooomed!!" which is just not compelling on its own. This to say that this book is not escapist, and may annoy you even if you agree with its values like I do. If I'd known how despicably polictical the arc would be I might not have picked this up, or at least been better prepared when things got darker fast.
This book also hits closer to home because it describes so so well how people reacted to COVID, before it even happened. In retrospect this isn't surprising; the COVID reactions and White Mask reactions stem from movements and ideologies already stoked in years leading up. But this may make it extra real for readers sensitive to pandemic stories.
Surprise aro/ace mention right at the start! Love seeing this exist in more books. But it doesn't really come up again, and the one other time it's referenced it doesn't really seem to be an accurate understanding of what asexuality is.
One of my least favorite audio narrators, makes every character sound aloof and cocky and judgy or hesitant and whiney.
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Confinement, Grief, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Addiction, Cursing, Dementia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Medical content, Pedophilia, Vomit, and Child death
rely's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Antisemitism, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Classism, Cursing, Misogyny, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
bidufta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gore, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Rape, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Terminal illness, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
emviolet's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Racism, Rape, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Violence, Torture, and Homophobia
gwimo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Murder, Suicide, Sexual content, Sexism, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Dementia, Death of parent, Rape, Racism, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Violence, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Self harm, Pregnancy, Outing, and Gun violence
jenny_d'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? Yes
1.75
Spoiler
I feel like the rape scene in the bunker could have been a fade-to-black kind of thing instead.Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
brigidc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Graphic: Rape, Racism, Torture, Pregnancy, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Gore, Death of parent, Confinement, Body horror, Blood, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Violence, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Hate crime, and Death
I read this a year ago and added all the content warnings I could remember (over 20) but there were probably some I forgot. In addition to a (minor/vague spoiler)luckykosmos's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
That being said, this is a wonderful book when it comes to examinations of leadership and faith. Science and religion weren't pitted against each other, but there were different interpretations of the situation based on whose perspective we were in, and for this reason, Matthew's perspective was my favorite - watching him falling into something he didn't believe, and contending with the different ways he lost Autumn or Bo. Watching Bo's radicalization as Matthew lost his faith was interesting - though, again, the exact nature of that radicalization, the white supremacists, felt weak.
I hated the ending. I hated the final reveal with Black Swan. I can't decide if it was decided from an ecofascist angle, or a poorly optimized artificial intelligence (though this could give it too much credit), but from how the past few months have gone and the ecofascist conversations at the beginning of the pandemic, I could not suspend my disbelief long enough to justify it. Maybe I would have a different perspective eight, nine months ago. I wish I saw in this book what authors I love saw, but I don't think Chuck Wendig was the author to tell this story, and I don't think it dropped at the right time.
(I may have rated this higher if it were shorter, but to feel so lukewarm after almost 800 pages is disappointing)
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Chronic illness, Rape, Sexual violence, and Torture
Minor: Adult/minor relationship