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A review by full_of_flowers
Tentacle by Rita Indiana
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
3.0
If you appreciate The Tempest, Emily St. John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility, or Philip K. Dick's VALIS trilogy, you may enjoy the shifting and strange structures here. Many interesting thoughts on identity, disaster, and the battle between our agenda and those chosen for us, among other themes.
I was uncomfortable with the book's use of slurs; although this gets some context as the book unfolds, it doesn't feel justified or like it's accomplishing anything. Through such language, it exhibits characters' hateful attitudes without challenging them in a meaningful enough way. Additionally, there are moments that delve into very difficult topics, such as sexual violence and the treatment of marginalized communities, without proper acknowledgement or care. I do wonder if some of these issues read somewhat differently in the original Spanish, and may be interested in reading that version at some point.
I was uncomfortable with the book's use of slurs; although this gets some context as the book unfolds, it doesn't feel justified or like it's accomplishing anything. Through such language, it exhibits characters' hateful attitudes without challenging them in a meaningful enough way. Additionally, there are moments that delve into very difficult topics, such as sexual violence and the treatment of marginalized communities, without proper acknowledgement or care. I do wonder if some of these issues read somewhat differently in the original Spanish, and may be interested in reading that version at some point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Transphobia