A review by bublet011
The Book of Etta by Meg Elison

adventurous dark 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

3.0

Large time jump from the first book makes the story feel more alien than desperate compared to the first book. Which is interesting in how the main character describes things we know as panic attacks, split personality disorders, and lgbtq. The world building works very similar to the first book which I liked. The main character travelling and experiencing how people reformed their societies which are unique and interesting to consider.

The main character was somewhat annoying to me with how black and white they saw the world having clearly been so well traveled already in the beginning. As the story progresses it becomes more clear why they are that way and the character arc starts to make more sense.

My main issue with the story is the side characters. They talk to the main character in a way that poses them as intelligent and considerate of circumstances outside their own. However, as soon as they're posed with real world problems they insist on the dumbest decisions.