Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina

2 reviews

lixard's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

i liked the
unreliable narrator
aspect! i thought it was pretty well done
however, most of the plot seemed so clever, with little going wrong after the reveal, that it didn't seem satisfying. i feel like as soon as we got the reveal, everything else was already planned before the book started that it felt very quickly and easily resolved, even though i would expect a lot of planning in the before-times
i really liked the idea of the set up and reveal - though maybe a better way to execute it to appeal to me would've been a misstep in the
giving her memories back
and the confusion it brought about - or just each one happening separately so her piecing it together would've been more gradual. or even! seeing connor execute the plan while she's still hazy about it and then needing to connect the dots herself.
just something that made it more high-stakes instead of just for plot twist and then smooth sailing
i did like the romance - it was not overdone but sweet enough in their interactions and they had Self-Control and weren't just horny teens <3

good quotes:

This morning I'd smiled at a fellow prisoner, a dark-haired, brown-skinned girl dressed in white detainee shirt and pants. She'd seemed so frail, so defeated, that I'd wanted to cheer her up. Then I'd realized I was looking in a mirror.

"What, no smile?" I asked flippantly. "Not even to acknowledge my plucky resilience, my gutsy defiance in the face of overwhelming odds?"
He retained his statue-like composure for a second longer. Then his lips twitched, and he did smile, a sudden flash of brilliance that sparkled his eyes like light over water. "Ashala, please eat the protein bar."

"You can't transform a society for the better with violence, Ashala. Only with ideas."

"I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that in that other future, the one where you're an artist, I would trust you with my life. But in this future - Connor, in this future, I'm trusting you with my soul."

Content Warnings

christalbotheindl's review

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adventurous hopeful tense fast-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

4.0

Content Warnings

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