analenegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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'd known of the HBO show but I hadn't ever watched it, and I'm glad I haven't. This book is so engaging, beautiful, and made me think so much about what makes humanity.
It's simultaneously an easy read because of how well-written it is, but also so hard to read in a post-2020 world where COVID fundamentally changed so many things. So much of the book was familiar; Mandel has a keen understanding of how we as a society react to things. Some of the standouts include a dedication to theater and the arts, a dedication to preservation, and relying on religion to the point of madness. All of these things were seen in our pandemic as well as in this book.
I cannot recommend it enough, and I will probably be thinking about it for a long time after reading.
It's simultaneously an easy read because of how well-written it is, but also so hard to read in a post-2020 world where COVID fundamentally changed so many things. So much of the book was familiar; Mandel has a keen understanding of how we as a society react to things. Some of the standouts include a dedication to theater and the arts, a dedication to preservation, and relying on religion to the point of madness. All of these things were seen in our pandemic as well as in this book.
I cannot recommend it enough, and I will probably be thinking about it for a long time after reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Alcohol, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Violence
naomi_k's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Confinement, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Trafficking
Moderate: Kidnapping, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide
wildflowerragdoll's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't know what will stop me loving this book. Fair warning it may cause anxiety symptoms as it deals with topics of being alone, death, global apocalypse, cults and the harmful effects of organized religion. But I love its commentary on humanity and the prospect of something good coming out of chaos.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
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