Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

19 reviews

schnaucl's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I really enjoyed this book.  I believe it's a standalone, but I would absolutely read more novels with these compelling characters. 

Nearly all the characters introduce themselves with their preferred pronouns, and those that don't are considered exceptionally rude.  It's both a little jarring and exactly how you hope it will be in the future.  It also makes me wonder if readers in the future will find all the books where people don't do that equally jarring.   Insults that are gendered are called out in  way I don't typically see, or think about.

The books also deals with socioeconomic class and people who are comfortable who grew up with wealth and people who didn't that reminded me of that line Mad Men's Betty Draper says about Don not understanding money.

I'm not a drinker, but I liked the drink recipes that start each chapter, and Gimlet, is of course, a delight.

Definitely read all of the author's notes at the end. 
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jupitermond's review against another edition

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

3.5

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astropova's review

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

4.5

Loved it! The setting was so cool and the mystery/investigation had so many twists and turns.

Though I was starting to get a little annoyed with Tesla constantly bulldozing over people - like I get that you don't trust the security officers, but you should at least listen to your own retired detective spouse, since knowing how this all works is his literal job. There were so many moments when "very smart" Tesla was missing something important while she was ranting at people. And then she gets self-conscious about not acting "too privileged" - you either do or don't care how you appear, you can't have it both ways. It felt a little disingenuous and annoying, since otherwise she was such a cool character.
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e_flah's review against another edition

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

3.0

The Spare Man is a murder mystery set on a glamorous interplanetary cruise ship. I loved the rich world Kowal created that brimmed with details like including one's pronouns in an introduction is considered standard and the rich are the only ones with access to food printers in their staterooms but are the ones least likely to eat printed food. The characters were relatable and lovable with believable flaws. The pacing was a bit uneven for me but I overall enjoyed The Spare Man.
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crownoflaurel's review

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mysterious tense slow-paced

3.0

Everything I loved about this book wasn't necessarily the actual plot and writing....
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athryn's review

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

4.5

I buzzsawed through this in 2 days. Really fun, inspired by 1930s screwball comedies (you can tell from the title) about a murder mystery on a Space Cruise Ship on the way to Mars. I will say that I found the main character to be a little grating with her pile of issues, but I still enjoyed it and the rest of the characters (especially Gimlet!) to be great. Plus, there's a cocktail recipe at the start of each chapter. 
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katjonzz's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.0

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chessakat's review

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

4.25

A Sci-Fi Murder Mystery? Yes, please! This was such a fun romp of a read. A mystery that kept me guessing (so many viable suspects!), cocktail recipes at the start of every chapter, an adorable service dog, and a glamorous honeymoon cruise to Mars - what more do you really want in a book? If you like noir conventions but space settings, run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore or library for this book. Mary Robinette Kowal is one of my favorites!
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uranaishi's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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