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A review by gw7
The Actual Star by Monica Byrne
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
dnf 160/576
Compared to Cloud Atlas and aptly so, didn't like that one either.
It was only after getting this far and looking through reviews that I decided to dnf. I found all of the characters annoying and boring and they all think they're the only smart person left on the entire planet. I get that this is (kind of) the POINT of this book- cycles and how things change, but essentially we're all still talking about the same ideas... but so what? I don't care if characters are insufferable in that way, if the author is aware of that, but I don't know if that's the case. Every chapter for 160 pages EVERY character is explaining very simple and basic things like they're the ONLY one thinking it and the FIRST to EVER think it. I just don't care about anything and it sounds like it doesn't get better the way I would want it to in my mind.
But i do mean the first line: if you like Cloud Atlas, you might like this. I just REALLY HATE stories like this, as it turns out. I actually found this better than Cloud Atlas personally (which I also dnf'd)
Finally, as a trans and queer own voices review, a note on gender/sexuality as written...
...eh.... why???????????????? I FULLY understand the move towards a more historically minded, non whitewashed view of gender and sexuality, fully realised in a social media style setting of 3012... but... no... kinda... really... no. Like it's... (fine)... but totally pointless and unrealistic and... not actually 'liberated' AT ALL... which the characters *kind of* point out (but, duh, again) but then they also *don't* point it out and understand it.... are all of these characters 12 and has all of humanity recently awoken from a 100 year coma, is my question. I dunno... fine... but... why???????? And, no. But whatever, but no.
Also, sure incest icky, but historical, it was just how those scenes and EVERYTHING about the whole sex/gender/whatever-the-fuck-was-going-on was described was just not a nice vibe. Like... 'fine' though??? Like, not icky WRONG... but icky, why are we focusing here? And focusing here CONSTANTLY in EVERY. FLIPPIN. CHAPTER????????????????
Compared to Cloud Atlas and aptly so, didn't like that one either.
It was only after getting this far and looking through reviews that I decided to dnf. I found all of the characters annoying and boring and they all think they're the only smart person left on the entire planet. I get that this is (kind of) the POINT of this book- cycles and how things change, but essentially we're all still talking about the same ideas... but so what? I don't care if characters are insufferable in that way, if the author is aware of that, but I don't know if that's the case. Every chapter for 160 pages EVERY character is explaining very simple and basic things like they're the ONLY one thinking it and the FIRST to EVER think it. I just don't care about anything and it sounds like it doesn't get better the way I would want it to in my mind.
But i do mean the first line: if you like Cloud Atlas, you might like this. I just REALLY HATE stories like this, as it turns out. I actually found this better than Cloud Atlas personally (which I also dnf'd)
Finally, as a trans and queer own voices review, a note on gender/sexuality as written...
...eh.... why???????????????? I FULLY understand the move towards a more historically minded, non whitewashed view of gender and sexuality, fully realised in a social media style setting of 3012... but... no... kinda... really... no. Like it's... (fine)... but totally pointless and unrealistic and... not actually 'liberated' AT ALL... which the characters *kind of* point out (but, duh, again) but then they also *don't* point it out and understand it.... are all of these characters 12 and has all of humanity recently awoken from a 100 year coma, is my question. I dunno... fine... but... why???????? And, no. But whatever, but no.
Also, sure incest icky, but historical, it was just how those scenes and EVERYTHING about the whole sex/gender/whatever-the-fuck-was-going-on was described was just not a nice vibe. Like... 'fine' though??? Like, not icky WRONG... but icky, why are we focusing here? And focusing here CONSTANTLY in EVERY. FLIPPIN. CHAPTER????????????????
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
Moderate: Murder