An in-your-face take on the incarceration system. This book is not subtle in its comparisons to gladiatorial combat, slavery, and modern American prisAn in-your-face take on the incarceration system. This book is not subtle in its comparisons to gladiatorial combat, slavery, and modern American prisons. Indeed, the reason I ended up not using it for a poll in my book club was because it was so textual and we're currently living in a time where the veneer of civility is sure looking a bit thin on too many fronts for me to feel good about making people think critically or long about yet another battle we as a society need to fight.
CONTENT WARNING: (view spoiler)[ all of the abuses you can imagine of the prison system. Racism, sexism, queer antagonism, prisoner abuse, debasement, discussion of crimes including rape and incest (hide spoiler)]
Things I appreciated:
-The social call out. The prison complex is a personal bugbear and I am 100% here for scifi that is very little "fi" and loud about how people should be treated like people. And also loud about how exploiting people who are not being treated as people is both what is currently happening and vile.
-The nuance. If I'm staying now in the world, this book plays a lot with different ways of seeing gladiator matches among violent offenders. There are very few sympathetic folks here, but you still do want to sympathize with them because of who they become when they are literally fighting for their humanity.
-The writing. I found several passages beautifully composed.
-The characters and their choices. A wide assortment from a lot of different backgrounds with very strong voices throughout.
What I did not love:
-The ending. I don't think it followed. I think I get what it was trying to say, but I don't think it succeeded in its message. I think it was trying to say that these systems are so strong that even their victims enforce them, but this was not the moment for that. I would have loved the same nuance and humanity from the rest of the book to have presented itself here.
That being said, up until that point I found it poignant and well done....more
Class, say it with me. I don't like what? Romances. That's right! Guess what this is.
CONTENT WARNING: (view spoiler)[ PTSD, discussion of homophobia, Class, say it with me. I don't like what? Romances. That's right! Guess what this is.
CONTENT WARNING: (view spoiler)[ PTSD, discussion of homophobia, discussion of racism, genocide/refugeeism/diaspora, gun violence, gore, religion, war (hide spoiler)]
Why this wasn't DNFed:
-Charming. Until tongues came out, the dialogue was brisk and witty.
-Fun to see. Imagine if time travelers from all over gathered together in one time. What larks!
-History tie ins. The cool things that inspired this are true and interesting points in history extrapolated in intriguing ways.
What I did not like:
-Romance. Explicit sex and lots of quivering and whatever. Just not my cuppa.
-Secondary plot. It felt smushed, rushed, rigged, and altogether less important than either the history or the ugly-bumpin'.
Credit where it's due, this is a romance AND time travel (which I also do not like as a rule) and if I hadn't been desperate for books for my book club I would have never have even started this book but it still wrenched 3 stars from me. So if you do not want to turn into a puddle who has lost all ability to think thoughts when you read either romance or time travel, maybe you'll have better luck. ...more
I was very eager to read about an alternate future focused on what the indigenous populations might have done.
Unfortunately, the scope was very limiteI was very eager to read about an alternate future focused on what the indigenous populations might have done.
Unfortunately, the scope was very limited and not really explored, and the mystery was laughably obvious.
I wanted to know more about the living cities, the universal income etc. And I wanted a lot less villain monologue and people suddenly showing up all over the place....more
Gosh did I want this book to Say Something. I just don't think it ever did. I could probably give you a list of 10 books that contemplate war, the ludGosh did I want this book to Say Something. I just don't think it ever did. I could probably give you a list of 10 books that contemplate war, the ludicrous nature of nations, the nature of rebellion, and the fall into fascism better than this book
It was very earnest in its thoughts, even if they weren't enlightening, however.
I honestly am trying to remember much about this, but 2 months later, the big takeaway is that war never solves a problem, and that propaganda is the best tool of the state, no matter which state.
Maybe I'm just jaded, but nothing in here was shocking. A lot of it was grotesque, like the torture and depravity, but none of it made me think new thoughts.
Yeah, kid, this is what war looks like. Yeah, kiddo, revolutions fail.
What a wonderful rendition of The Tempest. I wanted just a bit more from it, but it was a brilliant, beautiful twist on a classic that makes it fresh What a wonderful rendition of The Tempest. I wanted just a bit more from it, but it was a brilliant, beautiful twist on a classic that makes it fresh and important in its own way....more
Really, really interesting. Unfortunately (and I can't tell if this was a narration issue or a pacing issue) the premise requires some amount of tediuReally, really interesting. Unfortunately (and I can't tell if this was a narration issue or a pacing issue) the premise requires some amount of tedium. That makes it both more authentic and, well, more tedious.
CONTENT WARNING: (view spoiler)[ racism, sexism, sexual assault, and a particularly upsetting crime against the treatment of the dead. (hide spoiler)]
Things to admire:
-This whole book is constructed in service of a conceit. Not for a second does it stray from the conceit, and I think that's very skillfully managed.
-The point of the stories. This book tackles being an immigrant, a Brown woman, a bisexual, the inherent socialization of growing up female and particularly a Brown upper-middle class woman, feminine friendship, and the idea of multi-culturalism from so many lenses.
-Great voice. The voice of this woman was authentic, vulnerable, and felt true. She's not perfect, she's not showing off her MFA, she's just a woman with her own strengths and weaknesses, foibles and follies. And she doesn't shy away from them, in fact including us in her journey to do better.
-Immersion learning. If you've ever studied another language to fluency, you know that the ultimate step is immersion. You must, must, surround yourself in culture and immediacy of the language in order to get from competency to fluency. This addresses that need in an interesting way.
Things that were not my favorite:
-The conceit of the Centre. Without spoiling, the book requires rambling, introspection and less than reputable accuracy. This is both its beauty and its downfall. For me, it was more downfall than beauty, but I can't tell if that's the writing or the narration as I listened to it. I thought the narrator did a good job, but compared to my friends who eye-read it, I was harsher in my critique, so possibly that was a factor.
Overall, I think it was well done, but lacked finesses to make it as brilliant as I think it could have been. I'd consider more by this author, but I'm not running out, so a solid 3....more
I count books as "read" if I make it to at least 50%. The release I got from DNFing this book was greater than any our gal Mal got.
ITime of death: 51%
I count books as "read" if I make it to at least 50%. The release I got from DNFing this book was greater than any our gal Mal got.
I had few expectations from this book, but it disappointed them all. If you want a book about ghost sex, without any of the erotic bits, pick this up! Otherwise, it's entirely forgettable, and that's a sin I don't think you can just pray away....more
Second attempt with this author. Thought I was getting along better. A fun look at academia in space.
But it's like you can feel in the book where the Second attempt with this author. Thought I was getting along better. A fun look at academia in space.
But it's like you can feel in the book where the outline stopped and the making it up as she went part of the book happened. Suddenly things stop making sense. Suddenly all the plot points from the first half of the book are irrelevant. Characterization goes to absolute hell.
I think this is a great book for tweens and teens experiencing the essential loneliness of being in puberty. There's a point, I think, a la "The BreakI think this is a great book for tweens and teens experiencing the essential loneliness of being in puberty. There's a point, I think, a la "The Breakfast Club" when all maturing kids realize that what is expected of them, the environment their peers and the adults at school create for them, and their own burgeoning sense of self, and those three go into conflict. This was a lovely, fairytale-laced look at common traumas in kids" lives from bullying to poverty to sexual assault.
The only reason I don't give it five stars is that I can't tell if something was missing from the translation, my understanding of the fairytales invoked or just being [redacted] years removed from these concerns, but something about it just didn't quite grab me. Also, the beginning is quite prolonged, while the action parts are rushed.
CONTENT WARNING: (view spoiler)[ sexual assault, child abuse, suicide, childhood cancer, loss of a loved one, loss of a child, alcohol use (hide spoiler)]...more
Honestly, not my favorite. This reads a lot like the patronizing feeling of "I remember what it was like to be your age." Weirdly mature for the youngHonestly, not my favorite. This reads a lot like the patronizing feeling of "I remember what it was like to be your age." Weirdly mature for the young sections and surprisingly jejune in the more mature sections.
-The mythology. Really fun to see Lipan folktales writ large!
-The family love. I still really appreciate books for kids with supportive grown ups in it. It's such a nice and important shift from the Disney orphan epidemic I grew up with.
-Friendship. No romance plots! And yet there were many complex and frought relationships!
Things I didn't love:
-Narrators. Okay first of all, bias out in the open. I listened to this and the one narrator tried to do voices he couldn't do so they all came out scratchy and nasal, and the other one was using generic YA voice and not really paying attention to the words, so the cadence didn't match the book's. If you read this, I recommend doing so with your eyes.
-Young Nina. She wrote a journal when she was 10 with sentences like "[quote], he said to her, his words harsh." Completely false as a kid.
-Meeting Oli and friends. Again, this was meant to just be happy, there was no natural reaction to stories coming to life or magic-wielding animals seeing the sun for the first time.
-Really snippy with mom. This kid guilt tripped her mom no end, and we didn't really see how the mother/daughter relationship or the family's lack of money impacted the characters really at all except in how unkind they were about it with each other.
-Weird internet culture references. There are some things in here that really date the book and make it hard to share with the right audience, like references to furries. I think that's sort of age specific as to when it's titillating, and that's also the age that's least likely to ask their parents if spirits are like furries, so I'm not sure how this situation arose, and it was odd to read.
It was quick and cute and fun, and I still really like this author, but the whole thing rang false to me....more
I liked a lot of this book. I thought the interweaving stories from different perspectives was exceedingly clever. The prose I found, to borrow a termI liked a lot of this book. I thought the interweaving stories from different perspectives was exceedingly clever. The prose I found, to borrow a term, workmanlike, but it told a compelling story.
-The setting. Historical fiction that isn't European based is novel enough in an English language book that I found this different in an interesting way.
-The connective tissue. I think this book is very smart in its framing.
-The characters. I dare you not to feel things for them!
Things I did not love:
-Romance. If period shapeshifting fantastastical detective romcom were a genre, this would hit every trope in that made up space. I liked the lovers and I wish them well, but not even they could make me happy that in the end there was kissing.
-Lack of honesty in the writing. What it boils down to is that I didn't believe the trek everyone undertook to get from the story start to its conclusion. It just wasn't sufficient.
Still delightful, and worth a read for the scenery and the different folks we meet, even if the author keeps making departures from the story for loin-centric purposes....more
The first chapter or two of this were delicious, throwing us into a far future world that was not Earth, and not any real city, but that felt like a lThe first chapter or two of this were delicious, throwing us into a far future world that was not Earth, and not any real city, but that felt like a lot of real cities. I think it needed a bit more editing to tidy up the middle, but it was a fun read.
CONTENT WARNING: (view spoiler)[ torture, discussion of rape, political assassination/secret police, ecological collapse. (hide spoiler)]
Things that stood out:
-Personhood discussion. I think this one did a pretty good job of showing how hard it is for us to admit that people who are not like us are still people. I am pretty sure that octopuses, elephants, dolphins and whales are people, which means that I do everything in my power to give them the same treatment as I would a human. I can hear folks saying "how can they be people since..." and I can also hear people telling me "there's no way you actually treat them like people, you capitalist omnivore." This book is basically that discussion without too much moralizing.
-Myths and the use of the narrator. Despits its wackadoo future scifi vibes, it also has a delightfully saturated feeling to it, as it mimics the shape of myths in a way I enjoy.
What detracted for me:
-My own life. I want to take a second to remind future me and anyone else reading this that I didn't dedicate myself to it the way I normally do when I'm reading a book. Because I was reading it at a time when I was very busy and had other things I also had to finish, it's hard for me to say for sure if I dragged my feet because I didn't love it, or if I didn't love it because I kept breaking immersion. Salt grains, etc.
-Monologues and summaries. Two of my all time least favorite forms of exposition are the monologue from a character who COULD have told us things before but did not, and summaries of things in ways that don't tie in to the rest of the story. For example, if they're writing in a journal, I'd expect some things to be a bit cursory and others to be more intricate. If, however, your narrator is a storybot programmed to tell memoirs, I expect a consistent voice and approach. We did not get it here.
-Needs editing. This needed a haircut. It started going off the rails in a way that felt more like not knowing when to kill your darling than it did something inventive and engaging for me.
Really upset at this book. The author has a lot of interesting things to say about AI, neural programming, and the often lopsided game of tug o' war wReally upset at this book. The author has a lot of interesting things to say about AI, neural programming, and the often lopsided game of tug o' war with science as an end to itself on one end, the war machine on the other, and people wanting to maximize pleasure sort of bopping around between the two.
But then he thought "nah, that's not cool enough, some sexual assault should fix that up."
CONTENT WARNING: (view spoiler)[ sexual assault, graphic descriptions of gang rape, child abuse, cults, serial killers, gangs, torture, soldiers, loss of loved ones, unethical medical experimentation. (hide spoiler)]
Things that were cool:
-The programming parts. Cool to think about how connections work, how hacks work, how programs spread and so on.
The rest:
-Rampant casually terrible things. Video game violence type stuff. It starts with a man conning a woman by using software to get her to sleep with him, and then due to a programming failure he assaults her, and it goes downhill from there. He then also conducts illegal experiments on brains without consent. That's the good guy. Several dudes are given the stories of women's rapes which they then "use" to fuel their own vengeance.
Could it have been good? Yes. But I refuse to be numb to this trope and therefore this was painful for me to read....more
Extremely very cute. A book about learning to love yourself and find your tribe. I always love books about kids who are "different" in some way with lExtremely very cute. A book about learning to love yourself and find your tribe. I always love books about kids who are "different" in some way with loving parents. Life is hard even if you are loved, and this did a good job discussing gender identity, queerness, racism, bullying and neurodivergence in a compassionate way.
I especially liked how people talked to each other, asking for consent for things like hugging, finding ways to communicate what would and would not help regulate emotions, and the support offered without strings.
It's still a romance, which is the only reason it's 4 stars for me. I think it succeeded on what it wanted to do, I just don't love love stories. But, if you like Dante and Aristotle Discover the Universe or Cemetery Boys, add this to the list!
Also, Vico Ortiz is one of the narrators and I flippin' love their style.
It was...fine. Inoffensive, interesting enough, the pay off was enjoyable, but I don't think it's terribly novel. It's essentially a Sherlock/Watson AIt was...fine. Inoffensive, interesting enough, the pay off was enjoyable, but I don't think it's terribly novel. It's essentially a Sherlock/Watson AU and I very much enjoy those, but it's not really moving the meter.
The world. We've settled a few parts of Jupiter! Because we also screwed up Mars! Jupiter feels delightfully and terribly too large, which I appreciate.
-The relationship. Former roommates turned lovers turned colleagues. Complicated and familiar and very honest feeling.
-The tone. If you like any of the Sherlock TV shows, this is reminiscent of them.
Things that let me down:
-The plot. A bit one note and moustache twirly.
-The twists/case breaks. Again, fairly linear.
It was fun, short and engaging, just not the sort of thing to blow your hair back....more
Insta-recommend for kids and people who enjoy MG books. THIS is what I'm talking about. A great bridge to get us to a point where kids save the woWow!
Insta-recommend for kids and people who enjoy MG books. THIS is what I'm talking about. A great bridge to get us to a point where kids save the world, a loving take on loss and family, a reminder that ability is not limited by any sort of cultural marker, and even more so about how our stories are our survival. Absolutely brilliant, loving, and approachable.
CONTENT WARNING: (view spoiler)[ loss of loved ones, brainwashing/lack of agency, extremism, horror elements like being trapped without ability to communicate. (hide spoiler)]...more
A delightfully rendered version of so many myths from all over the Americas. I really enjoyed the flow because it bounces back and forth between peoplA delightfully rendered version of so many myths from all over the Americas. I really enjoyed the flow because it bounces back and forth between peoples, so you get to see a sort of evolution from creation myths to explanatory tales to cautionary ones to ones just for entertainment, in the way all oral traditions often bounce around.
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