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falenkizzy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, and Death
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual assault, Rape, and Miscarriage
Minor: Trafficking, Sexual violence, and Incest
roytoo's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
That line from the book description echoes my reactions:
This story clawed into me with its vivid descriptions of mundane, good, bad and evil deeds set in a future Botswana (and world) where very long lives are possible.
But what is the true cigar if those long lives, especially for everyone who isn't a cis male?
Please see the content warnings.
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Miscarriage
Minor: Incest, Trafficking, and Sexual violence
kelsokake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
In our city, it is unwise to trust reality.
I have been betrayed by reality, betrayed by my subconscious, shipwrecked from reality.
Now every thought must be deceased from my mind before its birth.
While it took me a while to get invested, once I was in it, I was in it. The last quarter of the book had me constantly gasping in surprise and while the metaphor/allegory got a little heavy-handed towards the end, I still found myself wanting to know what was going to happen. I would definitely check out other books by Tlotlo Tsamaase
Graphic: Sexism, Infertility, Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Colonisation, Car accident, Body horror, Child death, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage
Minor: Racism and Sexual violence
careinthelibrary's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Drug use, Alcohol, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Body horror, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Trafficking
planet_taffy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It terms of the sci-fi elements, Tsamaase's future Botswana is also full of layers from artificial immortality through "body-hopping" to the many tools of surveillance and control giving us the dynamic of second class citizens through "microchipped people". Xe is pretty good about explaining new technologies each time they come up so that, by the time they're super important to the plot, you're quite familiar with them.
All in all it's a rewarding read, even if the verbiage is a bit hard to get through on the first pass. Nothing in the book is a throwaway, making the ending one of the most satisfying I've read. My only complaint is that I wish less scenes had taken place in the car.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Misogyny, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Blood, Death, Sexism, Death of parent, Violence, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Miscarriage, and Child death
Minor: Kidnapping and Pregnancy
These are pulled from the frontmatter of the book. Sensitive topics are used with purpose, but there is quite a bit of gore & body horror.lattelibrarian's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Nelah lives in a world where you can live for nearly forever: your consciousness--though you may not remember previous lives--can be uploaded into bodies of people who have revoked their rights, or, as we discover, into bodies of people who have been trafficked for this very purpose. She's growing her baby in a lab, her husband grows increasingly suspicious, her award-winning work's money dries up, and her lover continues trying to convince her he loves her--despite his father being one of the most felonious men out there. When she accidentally hits a young woman one night in a drug-fueled bender with her lover, she decides to bury the body. After all, her microchip didn't paralyze her. But while she reckons with the guilt, she realizes that the young woman is haunting her in a very real way. In trying to stop this haunting, she uncovers a conspiracy that only an elite few are privy to and she wonders how to dismantle it all.
So, based on the above, this is clearly a complex novel. Don't forget, of course, all the world-building required and mentions of racism and sexism. But it's a genre- and gender-defying book that begs the questions: What is family? Who are we, really? How is justice meted out?
A riveting and impressive debut.
Moderate: Misogyny, Suicide, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Murder, Body horror, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Infertility, and Drug use
Minor: Incest
shay43geek's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Graphic: Car accident, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, Bullying, Body shaming, Death, Body horror, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Infertility, Misogyny, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, Gaslighting, Gore, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual content, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence
marxeism's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Classism, Misogyny, Child abuse, Murder, Car accident, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Gore, Self harm, and Miscarriage
fieryfinered's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Sexual harassment
2treads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The onus of violece and criminal behaviour has solely been placed at their feet and they have to undergo invasive mind sweeps every day as well as being profiled after a certain period to ascertain their level of commiting a criminal act. Here we are looking at body autonomy, violence, intimate partner surveillance, patriarcyy, state surveillance and overreach; all in the name of protecting the women and by extension their families.
Along the way we drip into sexual abuse, trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced sex work through mind control, brief mention of ancestral beliefs, rape, reproductive shaming, economic and political corruption all wrapping their tentacles around this plot, this strangling my enjoyment.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Gore, Rape, Grief, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Sexism, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault