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thenovelmaura's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm actually shocked this one is a novella because my main critique is that it should have been shorter! I think I would have preferred reading the short story version since it would have conveyed the main concepts in a more succinct format. Overall, I loved how deeply this book made me think about human consumption and the fact that we're painfully close to living in Garbagetown ourselves. Tetley was the best kind of narrator for a journey through this bleak, ruthless world: a relentlessly optimistic girl who truly loves the post-apocalyptic trash heap that she lived on. The deeply depressing themes and setting are offset by hilarious details like how the people in Garbagetown get their names.
Again, I wish the storyline hadn't been drawn out quite so long, and the twist ending wasn't very satisfying, for some reason I can't put my finger on. (A side note for audiobook fans: the narrator's voice was quite grating and it took me a long time to get used to her affected cockney accent, although I understand why they chose to go that route with the narration.) This was a recommendation from a dear friend, and while I didn't love it as much as she did, I agree that it was an intriguing, worthwhile read!
Again, I wish the storyline hadn't been drawn out quite so long, and the twist ending wasn't very satisfying, for some reason I can't put my finger on. (A side note for audiobook fans: the narrator's voice was quite grating and it took me a long time to get used to her affected cockney accent, although I understand why they chose to go that route with the narration.) This was a recommendation from a dear friend, and while I didn't love it as much as she did, I agree that it was an intriguing, worthwhile read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death
Minor: Drug use
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
So, so sad, but somehow also not. I'm amazed at the depths of this book. If I read it again, I imagine I'd discover something new.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse
maryellen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, and Grief
Moderate: Physical abuse and Injury/Injury detail
bex_knighthunterbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
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
4.5
I loved this hopeful story of a girl living on the great pacific garbage patch after the climate apocalypse. The writing was very stylised, which helped Tetley's personality come through and felt realistic for a setting generations into the future, where words have different meanings. I was a little confused at times, but ultimately really enjoyed reading this. The story is more slice-of-life than plot-heavy, which I did like, especially as Tetley's outlook is so positive and charming, and yet we still get to see character growth between the two parts. But, there were also a few twists I didn't anticipate which worked wonderfully. The world building was also mesmerising with strikingly beautiful and absurd imagery, which meant the story felt like a mix between sci-fi and magical realism or fairytale, with a dash of humour. It was also really powerful, with many points that made me think - particularly on the themes of hope (the different places it can be found and the dangers it can bring), consumption and ownership. Would recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Cursing, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Sexual content
krys_kilz's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is definitely a modern day, post-apocalyptic Candide. It makes me want to reread it alongside Candide, so I can compare them more thoroughly.
Because the story is somewhat satirical, I did struggle with portions because I often take things literally. Despite that, there is a lot of razor sharp social commentary packed into this novella including musings on the nature of hope, the desire for easy answers and leaders who offer them, the allure of denial in apocalyptic times, and the movement of power and how it corrupts relationships. I thought the foil of Tetley and Goodnight Moon's characters as well as the foil of Garbagetown and the Mars colonies were exquisitely done and not heavy handed. The world building was incredible and I loved the thoughtfulness of each chapter title.
My only major critique would be some of the disdain towards the Fuckwits felt a little universalizing and problematic in some aspects. For example, there were several fatphobic comments comparing fatness to excess and decadence. Also not all humans participated equally in an extractive and destructive relationship with the earth - this erases histories of colonialism, imperialism, and domination of all kinds.
Overall, this is a very clever story and it will stick with me for a long time.
Because the story is somewhat satirical, I did struggle with portions because I often take things literally. Despite that, there is a lot of razor sharp social commentary packed into this novella including musings on the nature of hope, the desire for easy answers and leaders who offer them, the allure of denial in apocalyptic times, and the movement of power and how it corrupts relationships. I thought the foil of Tetley and Goodnight Moon's characters as well as the foil of Garbagetown and the Mars colonies were exquisitely done and not heavy handed. The world building was incredible and I loved the thoughtfulness of each chapter title.
My only major critique would be some of the disdain towards the Fuckwits felt a little universalizing and problematic in some aspects. For example, there were several fatphobic comments comparing fatness to excess and decadence. Also not all humans participated equally in an extractive and destructive relationship with the earth - this erases histories of colonialism, imperialism, and domination of all kinds.
Overall, this is a very clever story and it will stick with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Violence
Moderate: Death
misty_muskrat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
This might be my favorite book of the year! Don't read if you can't take many, MANY curse words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Emotional abuse
perditorian's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Torture
Moderate: Animal death and Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug use
archaicgambit's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was incredible. I'm shocked by how lush the world was in such a short amount of time. The non-linear storytelling led to perfect reveals. Tetley is such a charming protagonist, and though the prose is very much Valente, and has a voice of it's own, as does Tetley.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Physical abuse
fdallachy's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was a pretty solidly middle of the road book for me. It kept me interested, but it's not especially memorable. It has the kind of broad-brush social satire about human wastefulness that makes it more tiresome than incisive, and the endless references to everyone pre-flood as 'Fuckwits' are irritating in a social-media-smug-self-righteous-everyone-but-me-is-an-idiot kind of way. For a few brief moments the author explores the idea that human nature is constant and that those who survive would fall into the same patterns of behaviour as their predecessors (although mostly in the afterword, which is a little late), but there's no real development or nuance to these ideas, so this ends up largely a 'told you so' novella which will mostly be read by people who already agree with its message.
The main character, Tetley, does develop but most of the others around her get very little time and it's very difficult to understand any of them well enough to actually like them. The most convincing relationship is between Tetley and a prototype Alexa-like smart device, which I suppose is perhaps intentional! Overall, although it seems like the author wants Tetley to be a positive, unshakable character who sees the joy in life no matter what happens, this ends up feeling like a cynical misanthropic story in which a misunderstood central character discovers that other humans are, at best, unreliable and, at worst, unforgivably selfish, and that you're better off talking to animals, plants, and half-finished AIs.
The main character, Tetley, does develop but most of the others around her get very little time and it's very difficult to understand any of them well enough to actually like them. The most convincing relationship is between Tetley and a prototype Alexa-like smart device, which I suppose is perhaps intentional! Overall, although it seems like the author wants Tetley to be a positive, unshakable character who sees the joy in life no matter what happens, this ends up feeling like a cynical misanthropic story in which a misunderstood central character discovers that other humans are, at best, unreliable and, at worst, unforgivably selfish, and that you're better off talking to animals, plants, and half-finished AIs.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
The main character can legally be abused by others in their community in any way short of murder. Although most of the descriptions are brief and vague, there are many potentially triggering comments throughout.readundancies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? No
4.75
I'm at a bit of a loss for words to explain exactly how much I feel for this novella.
There were so many themes tackled from what it means to hope, to pharmaceutical usage, to the environment, to humanity's need to persist within it's own selfishness, etc.
Catherynne M. Valente has created a world borne out of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with all of its wonderfully whimsical regions like Pill Hill and Electric City and Aluminimopolis and it made both the saving grace and last stand of humanity, with St. Oscar the Grouch as their patron. And I loved it. I wanted to see it in 3D, to feel the heat from the candles burning in Candle Hole, to see the wondrous plays on the barge that was Brighton Pier, to wander the gasoline gardens of Engine Row. The world-building was not poetic in its prose, but it was eye-catching and evocative and bluntly brilliant and I could've stayed within it's confines learning more about it as time past me by without a care in the world.
I still want to.
But the real delight of the story lies in it's narrator: Tetley Abednego. Tetley is the kind of character that is the embodiment of hope because she never gets down on herself when the going gets rough (and the going gets ROUGH for her, real rough). She was always herself, cheerful, honest to a fault - *always* to a fault - and underestimated and undervalued, constantly pushing on to the beat of her own drum, often to her own detriment (mostly to her own detriment) for the greater good. I simply adored her.
The story in both parts has two sort of timelines which culminate to an end that is neither awe-inspiring nor disappointing. It's just this wonderful little peek into a speculative future that is more reminiscent than meant to impart teachings.
My heart is so full of this tale and Tetley and I never really wanted to step out of it. Instead, I will just have to get a physical copy of this book and read it over and over again like I never left.
So I end this review with a reverent salute to the author:
Thank you, Madame Valente, for my instruction.
There were so many themes tackled from what it means to hope, to pharmaceutical usage, to the environment, to humanity's need to persist within it's own selfishness, etc.
Catherynne M. Valente has created a world borne out of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with all of its wonderfully whimsical regions like Pill Hill and Electric City and Aluminimopolis and it made both the saving grace and last stand of humanity, with St. Oscar the Grouch as their patron. And I loved it. I wanted to see it in 3D, to feel the heat from the candles burning in Candle Hole, to see the wondrous plays on the barge that was Brighton Pier, to wander the gasoline gardens of Engine Row. The world-building was not poetic in its prose, but it was eye-catching and evocative and bluntly brilliant and I could've stayed within it's confines learning more about it as time past me by without a care in the world.
I still want to.
But the real delight of the story lies in it's narrator: Tetley Abednego. Tetley is the kind of character that is the embodiment of hope because she never gets down on herself when the going gets rough (and the going gets ROUGH for her, real rough). She was always herself, cheerful, honest to a fault - *always* to a fault - and underestimated and undervalued, constantly pushing on to the beat of her own drum, often to her own detriment (mostly to her own detriment) for the greater good. I simply adored her.
The story in both parts has two sort of timelines which culminate to an end that is neither awe-inspiring nor disappointing. It's just this wonderful little peek into a speculative future that is more reminiscent than meant to impart teachings.
My heart is so full of this tale and Tetley and I never really wanted to step out of it. Instead, I will just have to get a physical copy of this book and read it over and over again like I never left.
So I end this review with a reverent salute to the author:
Thank you, Madame Valente, for my instruction.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Violence