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fujo_cat's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Full review: https://fujoreads.tumblr.com/post/751380744419573760/the-echo-wife-by-sarah-gailey-review
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read after a reading slump. The audiobook was especially nice to listen to, with the whole pacing and personality to the narrator’s voice.
I wasn’t expecting to become friendly with who I thought at first to be one of the main antagonists, and I certainly wasn’t expecting such character development from our MC. All done and said, this was a great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Abortion and Sexism
Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual violence
belacqua's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
This book reads like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Thrilling plot developments and well developed characters had me zoom through it in one sitting. It has a very hopeful message about escaping abuse and finding the strength to rise above limitations forced on you by those who want to see you fail. Martine is such a well written and sympathetic character who shows that initial preconceived notions put on her by others can't define who she chooses to become. Evelyn has a strong story arc that sees her overcoming horrific emotional abuse to find the strength to break the cycle of others cruelty and betrayal to begin extending grace that she was never given. All of it told in a compelling Sci-fi story that will keep you hooked.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Infidelity
eachz's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I really struggled on and off with finishing this book but ultimately I landed on the side of liking it. A lot of the things that bothered me or seemed confusing early on made a bit more sense when all the pieces started to click together in the end. It was hard at times to get through the first ~half but I think the author ultimately did a good job of exploring the themes they were aiming to explore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
Moderate: Blood, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Murder
loftyace's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse
thewileyseven's review
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Brutal and uncompromising and excellent. Are there some holes in it? Completely. Is that the point? Not even a little. Wow. I am awed and shaken by this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, and Domestic abuse
nerdy_reader_9571's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual violence
morag's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book is a bit of an acquired taste, and I'm not sure that I acquired it by the end. If you love reading books with horrible main characters you are meant to hate, you'll love this. If not, this is going to be upsetting from start to finish.
I do think this book is relatively successful at what it sets out to do. It explores cycles of abuse, misogyny (both external and internal), and, obviously, the ethics of cloning. Martine's storyline really pulled me in, and every revelation about what her life was like got me more and more invested. The place she ended up in by the end still sticks with me. I wanted to pry the book open, pull her out of it, and weld the door shut after her. That speaks volumes for the effectiveness of Gailey's writing.
That being said, the main character, Evelyn, is written as a cold, uncaring asshole, and that is done so effectively that it makes the novel hard to read. If you need your main characters to be even remotely likable or empathetic, you will not like this one. I do understand that Evelyn is intended to be this way, but on a personal level, it was just too much. I couldn't stomach a second read of this.
Overall, this is a brutal examination of misogyny, abuse, and personhood. It won't be for everyone, but if you're ready for a tough read, it'll deliver.
I do think this book is relatively successful at what it sets out to do. It explores cycles of abuse, misogyny (both external and internal), and, obviously, the ethics of cloning. Martine's storyline really pulled me in, and every revelation about what her life was like got me more and more invested. The place she ended up in by the end still sticks with me. I wanted to pry the book open, pull her out of it, and weld the door shut after her. That speaks volumes for the effectiveness of Gailey's writing.
That being said, the main character, Evelyn, is written as a cold, uncaring asshole, and that is done so effectively that it makes the novel hard to read. If you need your main characters to be even remotely likable or empathetic, you will not like this one. I do understand that Evelyn is intended to be this way, but on a personal level, it was just too much. I couldn't stomach a second read of this.
Overall, this is a brutal examination of misogyny, abuse, and personhood. It won't be for everyone, but if you're ready for a tough read, it'll deliver.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Child abuse
Moderate: Infidelity, Medical content, Murder, and Medical trauma
socialpsysteph's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sarah Gailey has become an insta-buy author for me. I love her writing style and find her stories intriguing with the perfect touch of weirdness. When I saw this sitting on the shelf at The Book Rack, I knew I had to get it; A scientist who perfects cloning technology only to have her husband have an affair with a more obedient clone of herself? Yes, please! Basically, every character was disliked but it didn't matter, it was like a trainwreck that I couldn't look away from. There were some deeper themes here around domestic violence, abuse, and grooming, so be aware of that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Pregnancy
sbauer2894's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Infidelity, Blood, Medical content, Domestic abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, Violence, Misogyny, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Infertility, Abortion, Vomit, and Car accident