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emelynreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Starts off strong, hooks you with funny silly bits but not enough tension happens as we build to "the new world". There's a take in this book about nostalgia being a bad thing, and that was interesting.
In short, it was aight.
In short, it was aight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
samtate's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
helloitsjulz's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
She had her notebook with her, the one with daisies printed on the front. As long as it was there, there was a chance she might write something inside of it, and as long as it was art it didn’t count as real life.
Incredibly entertaining, unique, and plausible story with a plethora of insightful commentary throughout. Deeply enjoyed.
Incredibly entertaining, unique, and plausible story with a plethora of insightful commentary throughout. Deeply enjoyed.
westcdf's review
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
celineks's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
januarysnine's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Despite how outlandish the premise may seemingly be, it's probably one of the most likely outcomes and realistic depictions of what life would be like after such a what-if apocalyptic scenario. The ways people coped and dealt with their lives, their problems, in relation to the loss of animals in their life and even unrelated to it, had that certain kind of hollow and shallow undertone that holds true to the strange depression or loss of motivation for life that exists now. This story feels so realistic in an almost shameful way - yes, we would probably take to plants as the new pets, yes, we would pay people to reenact nostalgia even if it's strange and incomprehensible, yes, we would quit individualism and join a cult-ish movement to justify having ridiculous, out-of-touch-with-reality takes, yes, we do let our emotions get the better of us, yes, we aren't always inclined to have ambition or care much for what it means to be "good" when you're far too lonely. Though I liked none of the characters and this story wasn't really plot-driven, it caught my attention in a way that made me unable to take my eyes off the pages, curious to see how it all unraveled.
lit_laugh_luv's review
5.0
[4.5 stars] Mood Swings feels like a love letter to the chronically online millennials raised by Tumblr. It achieves the perfect blend of speculative storytelling so closely rooted in realism it hardly feels like fiction. It’s satirical, campy, and barmy in the best of ways; I had high expectations going in, and was certainly not disappointed in the slightest!
The novel takes place in a pre-apocalyptic and desolate society where animals have rebelled against humanity and forced a mass lockdown of society. From there, Barnet weaves through hallmarks of modern society: the gig economy, climate change, cancel culture, and zealous billionaires. She voices a lot of valid criticisms of power structures and society without feeling academic or direct, which is hard to pull off.
The book loosely follows four central characters navigating the changing world, and how their paths intertwine. Central to all their narratives is the invention of a time machine which offers humanity the ability to undo their mistakes. We learn how each character intends to capitalize on this, but also the broader societal implications. A rebel/activist group known as the Moon Bethlehems emerges and becomes a central focus in the latter half of the book.
Mood Swings encapsulates so much of the disenchantment and apathy most of us feel in late-stage capitalism but does it with such craft. Taking a bleak topic and embedding humor (my personal favourite was Montreal being listed as a trigger warning
The novel takes place in a pre-apocalyptic and desolate society where animals have rebelled against humanity and forced a mass lockdown of society. From there, Barnet weaves through hallmarks of modern society: the gig economy, climate change, cancel culture, and zealous billionaires. She voices a lot of valid criticisms of power structures and society without feeling academic or direct, which is hard to pull off.
The book loosely follows four central characters navigating the changing world, and how their paths intertwine. Central to all their narratives is the invention of a time machine which offers humanity the ability to undo their mistakes. We learn how each character intends to capitalize on this, but also the broader societal implications. A rebel/activist group known as the Moon Bethlehems emerges and becomes a central focus in the latter half of the book.
Mood Swings encapsulates so much of the disenchantment and apathy most of us feel in late-stage capitalism but does it with such craft. Taking a bleak topic and embedding humor (my personal favourite was Montreal being listed as a trigger warning
jomzjomzjomz's review
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
I liked this. It gave a sort of “Girls” vibe. Extremely flawed characters, apathetic but somehow still dramatic, living through climate change apocalypse. But I wanted to stick with them, and see where they went. The ending was sort of a fizzle.