lleullawgyffes's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
there are a lot of interesting concepts here, which is the problem: there are too many interesting concepts here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
sraymartin's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Murder
unnaturalhistory's review
4.0
This was not an easy read. Not due to content, or poor writing, it was just... dense. I don't know exactly how I feel about it, but I'm glad I read it. 4/5.
competencefantasy's review
4.0
This is one that it hard to rate because its just so dang weird. How do you score something when the imagery is like nothing you've ever seen. So I have 3 comments
a) the reading level of this is super advanced
b) the prose remind me of new weird but is probably not maybe I think
c) I kind of wish it was a studio Ghibli film
a) the reading level of this is super advanced
b) the prose remind me of new weird but is probably not maybe I think
c) I kind of wish it was a studio Ghibli film
patchworkculture's review
3.0
A somewhat confusing jumble of motherhood, war, destruction, God, and nature set in a time with advanced machines and technology, deep space, and new planets.
causticcovercritic's review
2.0
This is a weird one. Wild mix of big ideas, AI, Christian mysticism and some sadly ropy 1950s-style SF. Full--too full--of ideas. Every time I'm about to give up on it, some strange and intriguing thing surprises me and gets me back in. A bit of a dog's breakfast. Wonderful cover, though.
rakoerose's review
4.0
This was a dense and intense read but honestly what else could you expect from a Seiun Award novel? I suspect that the difficulty comes not from the translation; this is just a harder book to grasp and takes a lot of focus.
”You’re not ordinary, are you?” said Shiver.
“Look who’s talking,” answered the girl.
I really enjoyed the concepts this novel displays and develops, with such great themes on motherhood, religion, and empathy. It’s also incredibly feminist (which is cool for something originally published in 1990). The surreal world that Ōhara exposes through the book is one I find myself wanting to know even more about and I think this would be interesting to reread later in life.
Jonah/#3 as a character kept me entranced by the story and following her hundreds-of-years journey. Her unabashed interest in everything around her and the intense desire to understand was relatable and mirrored a lot of my own feelings about the world around me. By the end of it all I felt the same protective feelings like I didn’t want to let her go, similar to her own Mama.
It was cool, and weird, and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I’m so glad it was translated, as otherwise I’d have never gotten an opportunity to experience this wild ride of a book!
”You’re not ordinary, are you?” said Shiver.
“Look who’s talking,” answered the girl.
I really enjoyed the concepts this novel displays and develops, with such great themes on motherhood, religion, and empathy. It’s also incredibly feminist (which is cool for something originally published in 1990). The surreal world that Ōhara exposes through the book is one I find myself wanting to know even more about and I think this would be interesting to reread later in life.
Jonah/#3 as a character kept me entranced by the story and following her hundreds-of-years journey. Her unabashed interest in everything around her and the intense desire to understand was relatable and mirrored a lot of my own feelings about the world around me. By the end of it all I felt the same protective feelings like I didn’t want to let her go, similar to her own Mama.
It was cool, and weird, and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I’m so glad it was translated, as otherwise I’d have never gotten an opportunity to experience this wild ride of a book!
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