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ryleeneu's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
breadandmushrooms's review
adventurous
fast-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? It's complicated
2.75
echidna's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.5
Kind of an extraordinary book. So many layers to peel back. Vast in scope, fascinating in premise, lush with detail and executed well. Earlier this year I read The Covenant of Water, which has some similarities to this book in terms of South Indian setting and moving through swathes of time. But while that book is a hulking 776 pages, and a great book in its own right, Vara seems to achieve even more in a mere 370 pages. It's hard to believe.
There are so many moments in this book that are painfully human, visceral, all those buzz words about literary novels. Vara does not hold back on the small things; instead she breezes through the big shifts, the warping of the world that happens between King’s birth and death. Athena’ narration of the story sometimes dips into brief, elegant interludes summarizing philosophies or scientific history. There's just so much, and yet it doesn't feel that way as you read it.
That's not to say the novel is perfect. The futuristic parts of the book feel clumsy, the Shareholder Government oversimplified. But I thought it ultimately came off as allegory, an intentional choice to go with a representative world rather than a realistic one, so that Vara could focus on her main characters and their pasts. In my opinion the strongest parts of the novel are King’s story. Athena has her moments, but sometimes her journey just feels like a framework. King's story is a little too hard to interpret, and Athena’s is a little too easy.
I am still figuring out what I take away from this book. It's not a read that offers comfort, or hope. I briefly, mistakenly thought the future setting was utopic at first, but it becomes pretty clear that we're looking at hardcore dystopia. Certainly it comments on several of my top favorite topics - colonialism, capitalism, climate change. Technology as a tool of advancement and a tool of control. But of course we can't and don't stop there - family, wealth, autonomy, connection, bias, responsibility, betrayal, home, greed, human weakness… the list goes on. And of course, the titular immortality - the question of legacy. The book’s final line asks - “did it all mean nothing but itself?”
This book lost the pulitzer to Demon Copperhead, and I wanted to see if I agreed with that ruling. After reading it, they're just too different to compare. I think maybe Demon still wins for me, but only by a sliver. Demon hit harder, but this is the book I would like to reread more.
There are so many moments in this book that are painfully human, visceral, all those buzz words about literary novels. Vara does not hold back on the small things; instead she breezes through the big shifts, the warping of the world that happens between King’s birth and death. Athena’ narration of the story sometimes dips into brief, elegant interludes summarizing philosophies or scientific history. There's just so much, and yet it doesn't feel that way as you read it.
That's not to say the novel is perfect. The futuristic parts of the book feel clumsy, the Shareholder Government oversimplified. But I thought it ultimately came off as allegory, an intentional choice to go with a representative world rather than a realistic one, so that Vara could focus on her main characters and their pasts. In my opinion the strongest parts of the novel are King’s story. Athena has her moments, but sometimes her journey just feels like a framework. King's story is a little too hard to interpret, and Athena’s is a little too easy.
I am still figuring out what I take away from this book. It's not a read that offers comfort, or hope. I briefly, mistakenly thought the future setting was utopic at first, but it becomes pretty clear that we're looking at hardcore dystopia. Certainly it comments on several of my top favorite topics - colonialism, capitalism, climate change. Technology as a tool of advancement and a tool of control. But of course we can't and don't stop there - family, wealth, autonomy, connection, bias, responsibility, betrayal, home, greed, human weakness… the list goes on. And of course, the titular immortality - the question of legacy. The book’s final line asks - “did it all mean nothing but itself?”
This book lost the pulitzer to Demon Copperhead, and I wanted to see if I agreed with that ruling. After reading it, they're just too different to compare. I think maybe Demon still wins for me, but only by a sliver. Demon hit harder, but this is the book I would like to reread more.
kipperstein's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
babiefats's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There was such a violence to this book that definitely intrigued me. From the rawness of the writing style and the relationship of the reader to the voices, the experience of this violence was a weird mix of intimacy and jarring frankness.
From there the story itself dissolved into a muggy collection of thoughts, emotions, scenes, and pov. It became difficult to hold onto. While I do think this was done intentionally, I actually began to struggle with a writing style I loved in the fist third, and instead wished I had an anchor to guide me through this story.
From there the story itself dissolved into a muggy collection of thoughts, emotions, scenes, and pov. It became difficult to hold onto. While I do think this was done intentionally, I actually began to struggle with a writing style I loved in the fist third, and instead wished I had an anchor to guide me through this story.
blueliketheclues's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
linzomatic's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
amynakamura's review
adventurous
reflective
tense
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
4.25
arnoles's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I was really excited for this book because it has a lot of elements I normally love: multigenerational family story, multiple character perspectives, mystery, etc .... But it just kinda fell flat. I didn't find myself really caring about the characters or seeing the through line in all the different timelines and perspectives. I also feel like the very end of the book was where I started really feeling interested, then the plot became rushed and the book was over. I also feel I d left with just too many unanswered questions and didn't feel satisfied by the end. I do the find the concept of a "techno state" fascinating and absolutely terrifying, but the execution wasn't there for me.
katharim's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5