Reviews tagging 'Acephobia/Arophobia'

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

3 reviews

violerwolf's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

While I enjoyed the concept and broader ideas explored in the book, including Turnbull’s iconic mosaic narratives, the prose fell a bit flat for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Police brutality, Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Acephobia/Arophobia, Grief, Cancer, Suicide, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

Minor: Alcohol and Transphobia

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Transphobia, Violence, Abandonment, and Gore

Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Stalking, and Torture

allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There is some serious world-building mindfuckery on display in this book. The writing is spare and stunning, drawing up images, emotions, and philosophical questions with apparent ease. The narration style confused me at first, not because it is poorly done but because it intends to obscure. We have a seemingly invisible observer as a first-person narrator popping in and out of third-person narration surrounding interconnected but distinct people and plots. I found this an intriguing approach, especially because each person was magnetic even as they were enigmatic. My favorite character was Ridley, an anarchist and worker-owner of a co-op bookstore, who also happens to be an ace trans man. The different characters lead us through the moments where they are pivotal actors or key witnesses in a historic shift for humanity. There is something more natural about this multifaceted approach than following in the wake of a single hero who sees and does everything herself.

I'll keep the discussion of plot brief because I don't want to ruin the experience of seeing the mysteries unfold as the author intends. The gist is this: in the near future, humanity fractures open at the revelation of monsters among us, leading to violence, hatred, and the unveiling of long-pursued secret agendas. The conflicts among many factions will sow chaos on a massive scale.

This eerie fantasy has elements of physics and monster lore spread across a vast landscape, only the first tentative venture in what will require greater exploration. It covers harsh and relevant topics of structural violence, capitalism, abuse, and drug addiction while also peering into philosophical debate about choice and meaning that will take significant time and thought to percolate.

Thanks to Blackstone and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this cleverly woven tapestry of a book, out 9/7.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Grief, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Self harm, and Pedophilia

Minor: Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Transphobia