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avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Addiction
Moderate: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, and Ableism
lex_y's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Classism, Chronic illness, Drug use, and Bullying
Minor: Blood
anxiousnachos's review
3.5
3.5 stars. I had been craving scifi and picked this book out of my TBR jar. It’s a very Black Mirror, watch tech tear a family apart across many years kind of story. I thought the start and ending were both fabulous, tense and well paced. The middle section felt a little bogged down and repetitive, I feel it could have been cut back a bit? The family relationship dynamic was really wonderful, you get to see 4 POVs in this, the two moms, the brother and sister, and I thought this was just a really wonderful perspective to actually see from, to see the impact of events from each individual in a family.
Another stand out was the rep: the disability rep!! Two main characters have disabilities, one has epilepsy, one has a sensory processing disorder. Two of the main characters are sapphic and there’s a trans side character too. Wonderful to see all of this, I was particularly impressed with the way disability was explored as the central idea within the novel, how the brain tech affects the main characters, either by causing their disability in the case of David, or by resulting in the social exclusion of Sophie because she can’t get the tech due to her epilepsy. It was very interesting, and felt like a more family-driven Black Mirror but finishing it, and writing this review several days after I finish, I already kind of feel like I’ve forgotten it?
Content warnings: epilepsy, ableism, ableist slurs, war, military, sensory processing disorder, bullying, drug use, addiction, amputation
Another stand out was the rep: the disability rep!! Two main characters have disabilities, one has epilepsy, one has a sensory processing disorder. Two of the main characters are sapphic and there’s a trans side character too. Wonderful to see all of this, I was particularly impressed with the way disability was explored as the central idea within the novel, how the brain tech affects the main characters, either by causing their disability in the case of David, or by resulting in the social exclusion of Sophie because she can’t get the tech due to her epilepsy. It was very interesting, and felt like a more family-driven Black Mirror but finishing it, and writing this review several days after I finish, I already kind of feel like I’ve forgotten it?
Content warnings: epilepsy, ableism, ableist slurs, war, military, sensory processing disorder, bullying, drug use, addiction, amputation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug use, War, and Medical trauma
fatalisticshrug's review
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
There’s a new device that helps you multitask and be more efficient. Do you get it, not knowing if there are any side effects? Do you wait, risking to get left behind along with the people who can’t get it due to health issues? What if your children want one? What if it turns out it might not be right for everyone?
Great book, but also hard for me to read at times because the description of the malfunctioning device sounds so similar to how my migraine brain works sometimes.
Great book, but also hard for me to read at times because the description of the malfunctioning device sounds so similar to how my migraine brain works sometimes.
Science fiction, but easy to imagine we’re only a few years away from something like this. Haunting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
kristenelle's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm so unsure how to rate this one. The concept of the technology that this story is about is really cool and also really prescient. I like how a family of four was used to show a wide range of experiences with the tech. The storytelling is very personal and slice of life. The writing is excellent. However, the pacing was often excruciatingly slow and at times the story went very dark (I was getting triggered). I spent a lot of this book feeling bored or triggered, but I really liked the ending and it won me over. The characters are really human and lovable. The situation is worth considering. Very much a mixed bag for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Medical trauma
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Drug use
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Job termination
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