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sumeeradealwis's review against another edition
4.0
3.8/5
—————
There is so much to say about this!!! I liked how it was gender neutral because it demonstrated that it is very easy to enjoy a story, a novella, without the constrictions of the societal norms floating in our socialised brains, influencing our perception of particular characters. But on the other hand I think gender is really important and instead of wiping it out, this novella could have been written to be inclusive and representative of gender rather than annihilating it completely.
Xev was a really interesting character. Their development from a rule following goodie-two shoes to someone who wanted to break the status quo and defy expectations is a typical trope that I enjoy very much. I really liked Xevs ability to form relationships with their friends like Marsh and the new synth and also their expression of emotion felt very real and heartwarming to me.
One of the few issues I had with the novella was that the story didn’t quite flow together as nicely as it should have. By this I mean the chapters didn’t feel connected, especially toward the end and the general plot was very rushed. I feel like the world could have been so much more intricate and detailed if there was more emphasise placed upon it. Though I will say this novella is incredibly well written and I had some wonderful moments reading it.
I found my eyes widening in the creation of tension filled chapters, my heart racing with anticipation. Hellman did not disappoint with the intense scenes that truly depict the brutality of his world. I was so gripped, I read it one day!
I do recommend you go and have a read!!! It comes out on the 26th of September!!
—————
There is so much to say about this!!! I liked how it was gender neutral because it demonstrated that it is very easy to enjoy a story, a novella, without the constrictions of the societal norms floating in our socialised brains, influencing our perception of particular characters. But on the other hand I think gender is really important and instead of wiping it out, this novella could have been written to be inclusive and representative of gender rather than annihilating it completely.
Xev was a really interesting character. Their development from a rule following goodie-two shoes to someone who wanted to break the status quo and defy expectations is a typical trope that I enjoy very much. I really liked Xevs ability to form relationships with their friends like Marsh and the new synth and also their expression of emotion felt very real and heartwarming to me.
One of the few issues I had with the novella was that the story didn’t quite flow together as nicely as it should have. By this I mean the chapters didn’t feel connected, especially toward the end and the general plot was very rushed. I feel like the world could have been so much more intricate and detailed if there was more emphasise placed upon it. Though I will say this novella is incredibly well written and I had some wonderful moments reading it.
I found my eyes widening in the creation of tension filled chapters, my heart racing with anticipation. Hellman did not disappoint with the intense scenes that truly depict the brutality of his world. I was so gripped, I read it one day!
I do recommend you go and have a read!!! It comes out on the 26th of September!!
mirrormemory's review against another edition
4.0
4/5
Blade Runner meets Psycho-pass with some Ghost in the Shell thrown in to taste.
I received this book free for review from Inspired Quill.
The world that Hallam created absorbed me nearly from page one. The dirty, grimy, dark cyberpunk atmosphere that one reads in this story is addicting and I found myself wanting to read more about it. Without question, the best part of this story is the word it takes place in.
The gender-neutral pronouns were a little difficult to get used to but after about 10 pages (for me at least) the reading becomes easier.
Where the story loses some stars for me is the pacing and character development. While I was intrigued by the idea of the ending, and there were a couple quotes that I absolutely loved, it felt a little rushed compared to the rest of the story. Some of the characters also felt a little flat. Marsh and Tecks felt so similar they could have been the same character.
Overall, this story was a fun ride that I still think of days later and will continue to think of in the future. The questions posed are deep and provoking and linger in your thoughts. I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a cyberpunk story that explores deeper questions.
Blade Runner meets Psycho-pass with some Ghost in the Shell thrown in to taste.
I received this book free for review from Inspired Quill.
The world that Hallam created absorbed me nearly from page one. The dirty, grimy, dark cyberpunk atmosphere that one reads in this story is addicting and I found myself wanting to read more about it. Without question, the best part of this story is the word it takes place in.
The gender-neutral pronouns were a little difficult to get used to but after about 10 pages (for me at least) the reading becomes easier.
Where the story loses some stars for me is the pacing and character development. While I was intrigued by the idea of the ending, and there were a couple quotes that I absolutely loved, it felt a little rushed compared to the rest of the story. Some of the characters also felt a little flat. Marsh and Tecks felt so similar they could have been the same character.
Overall, this story was a fun ride that I still think of days later and will continue to think of in the future. The questions posed are deep and provoking and linger in your thoughts. I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a cyberpunk story that explores deeper questions.
charliadams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
I received this book a while back. When I first picked it up, I had a hard time getting into it and had to place it down. It was because of the use of Spivak pronouns (E/eir/em). I did not know what they were, and it was something I had never come across before. It was not until I was reading another book (Black Sun) who also used gender neutral pronouns that helped me figure out what I was reading and how to work around it. After reading Black Sun, I gave this story another chance. The work around worked and helped me get into the story better. I have nothing against gender neutral pronouns. Now that I understand what they are, I can train my brain.
This story needed to be longer or a series. The reason for this is, I did not have time to feel anything for these characters. I liked them and they were written well. There was not anyone I did not like, but that was it. Xev’s arc was great, and they were written as well as they could have, with this being a novella. The emotion they went through was written well, but still I was not emotionally tied to them. The romance felt either forced or rushed.
There are two worlds in this story: Shika-One City, which is the real world, and Alkia, which is their MMORPG world. Shika is a bland world. It is under a dome with fake sky and neon signs. There is your dark underbelly world which seems to be the synths that were “deactivated” and your top world where synths have human like jobs and are “activated”. In this world, there is no money or bitcoins, there is XP (experience points). The synths work hard and earn little to nothing, which they have to use for everyday necessities we take for granted.
Alika is a gaming program where synths can go in and earn more xp by doing quests. Depending on how hardcore they are, they can earn enough to ease by or they can earn a living. This was kind of neat. It was like a virtual mmorpg game. The world is full of monsters and pirates depending on the program they choose to play. The author did extremely well with the world build.
One thing I wish was for this to be a longer story and/or a novella series. I did not feel satisfied. The author could have fleshed out the story better, knowing the story could continue. The idea behind the story was interesting. But I left the story with more questions than answers. The ending felt rushed and almost bored.
This is feeling like this is just not my genre. This is okay. If this still piques your interest, I say read it! Overall, it was not a bad story. I will recommend this to anyone who loves science fiction and cyberpunk.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion.
You can find this review on my website:
showzen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
"Grieving for something you've never known. That's a strange thing."
oh my GOD this book was good. i love quietly tragic cyberpunk stories and this hit that nail on the head SO hard in so many distinct ways, from xev's and marsh's sad but ever-enduring friendship, to xev's little new synth friend being shot to ribbons in the burger stop, to eir fear about handling vee's preserved violets right up to the very end scene with euripedes.
the overarching theme of this story, really, is that connection and friendship and love are what beats the evil in the end - when xev's kicked from eir pretty, spacious corporate pod with space for only one synth to stay inside, and moves into one of paizo's cubes in the belly, making special note that this mattress, though thin and uncomfortable, is big enough for two, it draws up the incredible and touching idea of comfortable solitude vs uncomfortable togetherness (particularly when you remember eir old pod wasn't even so great in the first place).
it's also a book of quiet horror, to me. obviously there's the explicitly terrifying scenes - the death of the new synth pops into mind - but xev also accepts a lot of truly horrifying things because they're just part of eir life, and it's all e's ever known, and as the reader you get drawn along into this casual acceptance of awful things, but when you really stop and think - the claustrophobia of eir burger stop tube right in the start, the absolute inescapable dead-end-ness of undezzed synths, xev re-finding a newly samed toriq - isn't it scary?
it was also really refreshing to have a cast of neopronoun-using characters! the characters' pronouns are used and weaved in so casually that it never feels forced, and hallam's writing manages to deftly avoid the awkwardness that so often comes from having multiple characters who use the same pronouns in the same scene - even though every single character uses the same pronouns!
overall this is a really, really fantastic member of the cyberpunk genre that manages to strike all the familiar emotional touchpoints of that kind of fiction whilst never feeling stale or lazy - a really good read that i'd recommend to anyone!
oh my GOD this book was good. i love quietly tragic cyberpunk stories and this hit that nail on the head SO hard in so many distinct ways, from xev's and marsh's sad but ever-enduring friendship, to xev's little new synth friend being shot to ribbons in the burger stop, to eir fear about handling vee's preserved violets right up to the very end scene with euripedes.
the overarching theme of this story, really, is that connection and friendship and love are what beats the evil in the end - when xev's kicked from eir pretty, spacious corporate pod with space for only one synth to stay inside, and moves into one of paizo's cubes in the belly, making special note that this mattress, though thin and uncomfortable, is big enough for two, it draws up the incredible and touching idea of comfortable solitude vs uncomfortable togetherness (particularly when you remember eir old pod wasn't even so great in the first place).
it's also a book of quiet horror, to me. obviously there's the explicitly terrifying scenes - the death of the new synth pops into mind - but xev also accepts a lot of truly horrifying things because they're just part of eir life, and it's all e's ever known, and as the reader you get drawn along into this casual acceptance of awful things, but when you really stop and think - the claustrophobia of eir burger stop tube right in the start, the absolute inescapable dead-end-ness of undezzed synths, xev re-finding a newly samed toriq - isn't it scary?
it was also really refreshing to have a cast of neopronoun-using characters! the characters' pronouns are used and weaved in so casually that it never feels forced, and hallam's writing manages to deftly avoid the awkwardness that so often comes from having multiple characters who use the same pronouns in the same scene - even though every single character uses the same pronouns!
overall this is a really, really fantastic member of the cyberpunk genre that manages to strike all the familiar emotional touchpoints of that kind of fiction whilst never feeling stale or lazy - a really good read that i'd recommend to anyone!
thebooknerdmom's review against another edition
I received a free ebook of Oshibana Complex thanks to Inspired Quill in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
In this book, gender and race are no longer a part of the society of Shika-One. Procreation is a thing of the past. New society members are created involving synthesis but with limited prototypes, doppelgängers are abundant. Can one maintain the status quo and still showcase individuality? We follow Xev, a synth working at Burger Stop. When Xev is tasked with training a new Synth, things go haywire and everything Xev has ever known comes into question.
This storyline was super intriguing to me. I’ve been really into futuristic fantasy novels lately and this cyberpunk story sounded like it’d be right up my alley. There were things about it that I liked and things that I thought could have been improved.
Oshibana Complex: The Scoop
This entire book was written in gender-neutral pronouns. I loved that aspect of it. I’ve never read a book like that but it really was not any different than reading a book with gendered pronouns and yet it made it so inclusive. I also felt like it helped to make the story more universal; the questions that Xev asks can be asked by anyone. The situations that Xev goes through can happen to anyone.
Xev as a character is well written. In the beginning of the story, Xev is a rule-following synth, not wanting to be noticed and just trying to earn XP to buy food and clothes. Throughout the story, we see Xev’s motives and actions change so that e now is, more or less, rebelling against the “establishment” and questioning why things are the way they are. Instead of just accepting things as “this is how it is and has to be” Xev wants to know why. Xev is relatable and recognizable because who doesn’t often question why?
One of the issues I have is with the other characters. Some of the other characters, like Marsh and Tecks, are almost indistinguishable from each other. In a book this small, I’m not sure both characters are necessary. If they must both be included, they need to be more distinct from one another. Another small thing that I found weird is the nickname they kept calling each other. I’m not going to use it here, but it is a slang term in the US. I thought it a bit odd. If it means something elsewhere and I just don’t know, please someone, correct me.
Bottomline:
Overall, this is an enjoyable book. If you’re into post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk novellas, this is a great book to pick up. It’s a quick read but it asks some great questions. It has relatable characters and it’s written in inclusive gender-neutral language. Be sure to pick up your copy when it goes on sale this week! Publication is set for September 29th.
In this book, gender and race are no longer a part of the society of Shika-One. Procreation is a thing of the past. New society members are created involving synthesis but with limited prototypes, doppelgängers are abundant. Can one maintain the status quo and still showcase individuality? We follow Xev, a synth working at Burger Stop. When Xev is tasked with training a new Synth, things go haywire and everything Xev has ever known comes into question.
This storyline was super intriguing to me. I’ve been really into futuristic fantasy novels lately and this cyberpunk story sounded like it’d be right up my alley. There were things about it that I liked and things that I thought could have been improved.
Oshibana Complex: The Scoop
This entire book was written in gender-neutral pronouns. I loved that aspect of it. I’ve never read a book like that but it really was not any different than reading a book with gendered pronouns and yet it made it so inclusive. I also felt like it helped to make the story more universal; the questions that Xev asks can be asked by anyone. The situations that Xev goes through can happen to anyone.
Xev as a character is well written. In the beginning of the story, Xev is a rule-following synth, not wanting to be noticed and just trying to earn XP to buy food and clothes. Throughout the story, we see Xev’s motives and actions change so that e now is, more or less, rebelling against the “establishment” and questioning why things are the way they are. Instead of just accepting things as “this is how it is and has to be” Xev wants to know why. Xev is relatable and recognizable because who doesn’t often question why?
One of the issues I have is with the other characters. Some of the other characters, like Marsh and Tecks, are almost indistinguishable from each other. In a book this small, I’m not sure both characters are necessary. If they must both be included, they need to be more distinct from one another. Another small thing that I found weird is the nickname they kept calling each other. I’m not going to use it here, but it is a slang term in the US. I thought it a bit odd. If it means something elsewhere and I just don’t know, please someone, correct me.
Bottomline:
Overall, this is an enjoyable book. If you’re into post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk novellas, this is a great book to pick up. It’s a quick read but it asks some great questions. It has relatable characters and it’s written in inclusive gender-neutral language. Be sure to pick up your copy when it goes on sale this week! Publication is set for September 29th.
sharlareads's review against another edition
2.0
I was gifted this book by the publisher Inspired Quill. I was excited to read this because it is something totally different than what I typically read but when they sent me the synopsis I was intrigued. I found it really interesting that none of the characters had genders, and they were all in some way the same person. Humans can no longer recreate so people are made synthetically. I was a bit confused in the beginning but really struggled with the character Xev as they fought to figure out who they were and what their place in the world was. This book is being released September 29th and I would totally recommend checking it out!
rainbowreadsbooks's review
4.0
Oshibana Complex follows Xev through eir life in Shika-One, which is a dome designed to protect what remains of humanity from the harsh environmental conditions on Earth. Everyone in Shika-One is a clone based off of a few original templates, but there are only so many templates, so everyone strives for individuality to keep from running into someone with the same face. Everyone lives, works, and dies in Shika-One and one day is depressingly similar to all the others. Work is mind-numbingly repetitive and the cost of messing up are high. Xev starts the book with training a new "synth" (or clone) at eir job at the Burger Stop. What Xev doesn't realize is that eir world is about to be turned upside down, and e will have to question what makes life... life?
This book was one of those that I finished and had to sit with for a minute because the ending was, WOW. Since then, I just keep thinking about this one, it was so well done! It took my brain a minute to settle around reading a story where everyone in the book is non-binary, but once it did, it was really amazing. There were a lot of really sad, and soul-crushing moments for Xev, but I really really loved this vision of the future where gender just doesn't exist. This book tackles some really heavy meaning of life stuff as well, and I feel in the space of this book the answers were really satisfying. I also loved the hints that the soundtrack to this story was 80s synthpop. Because being able to cue up just that playlist and listen to it while reading was perfection. I could FEEL the neon in this one!
I highly recommend this one! If you need a gritty neon, dystopian cyberpunk future where gender is a thing of the past that really makes you think, you should definitely pick this one up. Oshibana Complex is available for pre-order on Amazon or from Inspired Quill now! This book is set to be released in ONE WEEK on September 26th, 2020.
A free copy of this book was provided to me by Inspired Quill and author Craig Hallam in exchange for an honest review.
Rep: non-binary MC (and everyone else)
CW: suicide (mentioned), drugs, character death, violence, gore, depression, panic attack
This book was one of those that I finished and had to sit with for a minute because the ending was, WOW. Since then, I just keep thinking about this one, it was so well done! It took my brain a minute to settle around reading a story where everyone in the book is non-binary, but once it did, it was really amazing. There were a lot of really sad, and soul-crushing moments for Xev, but I really really loved this vision of the future where gender just doesn't exist. This book tackles some really heavy meaning of life stuff as well, and I feel in the space of this book the answers were really satisfying. I also loved the hints that the soundtrack to this story was 80s synthpop. Because being able to cue up just that playlist and listen to it while reading was perfection. I could FEEL the neon in this one!
I highly recommend this one! If you need a gritty neon, dystopian cyberpunk future where gender is a thing of the past that really makes you think, you should definitely pick this one up. Oshibana Complex is available for pre-order on Amazon or from Inspired Quill now! This book is set to be released in ONE WEEK on September 26th, 2020.
A free copy of this book was provided to me by Inspired Quill and author Craig Hallam in exchange for an honest review.
Rep: non-binary MC (and everyone else)
CW: suicide (mentioned), drugs, character death, violence, gore, depression, panic attack
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