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zainacoll's review
5.0
when all the tension bubbles up and nothing that is really something spurs individually arrived upon mob frenzy.
i also have procured my new favorite quote:
“Her endeavor was misguided and wrong and maybe plain crazy, akin to someone waking up one day and deciding he's going to scale Kilimanjaro because he can't stop imagining the view from the top, the picture so arresting and beautiful that it too soon delivers him to a precarious ledge, where he can no longer turn back.
And while it's easy to say this is a situation to be avoided, isn't this what we also fear and crave simultaneously, that some internal force which defies understanding might remake us into the people we dream we are?”
i also have procured my new favorite quote:
“Her endeavor was misguided and wrong and maybe plain crazy, akin to someone waking up one day and deciding he's going to scale Kilimanjaro because he can't stop imagining the view from the top, the picture so arresting and beautiful that it too soon delivers him to a precarious ledge, where he can no longer turn back.
And while it's easy to say this is a situation to be avoided, isn't this what we also fear and crave simultaneously, that some internal force which defies understanding might remake us into the people we dream we are?”
dannyclarke's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual assault
elizabethfisher's review
4.0
This is a very unique read and not like any other dystopian fiction I've read before. The story starts quite slow but then ends up covering a ton of ground. Blink and they'll all be somewhere new. The writing is extraordinary and the imagery vivid. Some of the narration is done in first person plural, a choice that seems odd and may be off-putting, but I ended up quite enjoying it as it lends itself well to the idea that some collective is following Fan's story and are deeply invested in its outcome. I will probably be thinking about this read for quite awhile and am looking forward to Lee's 2021 release.
curiouslyjade's review
3.0
Promising but ultimately disappointing. Vivid descriptions of scenes here and there, an interesting New China take on dystopia, and a solid attempt at the in-story narrator weren't enough to make up for what felt like a lack of focus and direction, in my opinion.
kdawn999's review
5.0
This is how you do a dystopia. Reading all of the recent YA breaking into this genre makes me respect Lee even more for delivering a unique and compelling look at the world. This is a book with something to offer. This is a voice that's not merely adding to the noise.
spencerdance's review
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ryleeneu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
jennmcg's review
2.0
2.5 stars, I guess. I'm finding it difficult to put my thoughts on this book into words. Somehow it read like a 350-page introduction to something else. It was chewy and hard to get through, and yet it felt oddly empty. That said, it wasn't terrible. But I can't say I loved it. I'm still deciding if I even really liked it. This is probably the most unhelpful review ever. McG out.
theemeraldgirl23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
theemeraldgirl23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Goddamn this was a slog to get through. While I appreciated the attention to detail that went into every aspect of the novel, it was slow and the ending left me unsatisfied with Fan's own brother wanting to sell her out and her never ending up finding Reg.
The novel was also the epitome of men writing women. Why does B-Mor care so much about Fan if she was just average and why is it explained like that is exactly the reason why they care? It just felt so weird that an entire city cared about the life of a girl who was no one special, but perhaps that's what the message is. I guess I didn't really get it.
Points for the representation though, it has quite a bit of that at least.
The novel was also the epitome of men writing women. Why does B-Mor care so much about Fan if she was just average and why is it explained like that is exactly the reason why they care? It just felt so weird that an entire city cared about the life of a girl who was no one special, but perhaps that's what the message is. I guess I didn't really get it.
Points for the representation though, it has quite a bit of that at least.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Blood, and Infidelity