ka_cam's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
I loved this rumination on grief, porous boundaries between self and other, compassion and empathy, surveillance and morality, memory and history/narrative, art and AI. I thought the frequent second person narration really worked for me, especially to create the fluidity between the psyches/characters and reader(s)- making an immersive exploration of who are You and who are They, what is person/narrative/fiction and what happens when all those mix in new ways (via absorbing others memories) or old (translation, reading, and watching TV). I liked how dead narrators were brought in through their writings and recordings. I’d love to read this with a group, definitely a good candidate for re-reading. The style won’t be for everyone but it really did it for me with where I’m at rn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Police brutality, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion and Rape
Additional content warnings: self immolation, hunger, drought
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