A mind-bending read, bordering on dystopian at times. I liked the moral messages about the danger of commercialising and capitalizing on disaster siteA mind-bending read, bordering on dystopian at times. I liked the moral messages about the danger of commercialising and capitalizing on disaster sites (for financial gain, with little sympathy for those who were affected), but I think the impact of this one got a little lost in the understated narrative. I was also simultaneously surprised and yet not surprised that (view spoiler)[the author killed off the protagonist. I got the feeling from the beginning that it wasn't going to end well for her, but it was still an incredibly bold move. I'm not sure it worked out for the best, though, because the ending felt a bit lacklustre without her and there wasn't really another strong character who could carry the story to its conclusion. (hide spoiler)]...more
This is one of those books that I've been meaning to read for ages and have always felt a bit guilty about not having read yet. But we never studied iThis is one of those books that I've been meaning to read for ages and have always felt a bit guilty about not having read yet. But we never studied it in school or at university, so I never got round to it. Until now.
Arguably one of the OG dystopian novels, this was as dark and twisting as I expected, but even more sinister. The way the government aims to control people to the smallest degree was disconcerting; their actions down to their very thoughts are monitored and no-one is safe from the Thought Police.
One of the things that stuck with me the most was the idea that by eradicating 'dissenting' language, the Ministry could theoretically wipe out dissent and rebellion itself. At one point, a character says that if they could remove enough words from the dictionary (which include the language everyone is 'allowed' to use), in several generations' time, people wouldn't know the words for 'freedom' or 'knowledge'. Meaning they wouldn't know the concepts and wouldn't question something they'd never had.
Orwell is, in essence, demonstrating how language is power. We use it to voice our thoughts, ideas, and desires; if you take away enough words, we lose the ability to express ourselves, including our ability to challenge social, moral, and hierarchical injustices.
Orwell's narrative is cutting and brilliant, producing an eerie story that's simultaneously surreal and all too plausible. It's a tale that's still resonant today.
Content warnings for violence, murder, dictatorial control, invasions of privacy, human rights violations, torture....more
Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a sapphic Cinderella retelling, about Sophia, a young girl who's iThanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a sapphic Cinderella retelling, about Sophia, a young girl who's in love with her friend, Erin, but must attend the annual ball decreed by the King, where suitors choose their future wives.
I enjoyed the twist on a traditional fairy tale where Cinderella has been dead for two centuries and her descendants are living in a post-fairy tale world. And not a very happy one at that.
The world-building that opens the novel sets up a dystopian society, where men choose their wives and women have no agency or power. No-one can speak out against the King and anyone who refuses to attend the ball disappears and is never seen again.
Sexism and inequality are rife in this patriarchal society and the constant mistreatment of women will anger in readers (I was certainly MAD). But Kalynn Bayronn shows the different ways that patriarchy hurts men as well as women, and challenges this behavior, ending the story with the perpetrators being held accountable (which I thoroughly enjoyed).
As the main character, Sophia is strong-willed and determined not to be trapped in a loveless marriage. I liked her bold nature and determination to fight for a fairer society, but I didn't feel much chemistry between her and Constance, her love interest. I also found it unlikely that she would be one of the only people to notice the inequality between men and women and be willing to challenge it? Surely others before her would have had the same issues and wanted to do something about them?
The writing style was addictive and the fast pace of the story meant that I kept sitting down and reading 70 or 80 pages in one sitting, which is more than usual for me. My main issue was that I often had more questions than I had answers while reading. Sometimes characters would do things or events would happen and there wasn't a clear reason for why things were unfolding as they were. If the plot was a house, the foundations would be strong, but the material holding the walls and roof up would need to be woven together a bit more tightly.
On the whole, I enjoyed the first half of the novel and found it such a quick read, but I had so many questions in the second half of the novel that I finished it feeling neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
Trigger warnings for domestic violence, murder, kidnapping, gaslighting, violence, sexual assault....more
TWs: Violence and domestic violence, on-page death of a parent, suicide, terrorism.
I watched the Noughts + Crosses TV show as it aired (over the lastTWs: Violence and domestic violence, on-page death of a parent, suicide, terrorism.
I watched the Noughts + Crosses TV show as it aired (over the last few months) and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to finally pick up the book.
The book is quite different from the show, and I actually think a lot of what was cut from the book makes the show more streamlined and the plot more cohesive in some ways.
The dialogue in the show is well-written and conveys each character's emotion really well. In the book, it comes across as melodramatic at times and perhaps this is purposeful because it's written from the perspective of two teenagers and teens can be melodramatic (I certainly was) but it sometimes interrupts the flow of the story.
Callum and Sephi are also aged up in the show (university age) and I think this works better for the story. Their speech style matches their age more and the darkness of the plot feels more gritty because they're pretty much adults.
I also found the characters a lot more cruel and unforgiving in the book, which worked well in some scenes but less so in others. Jude has virtually no redeemable qualities in the novel and I really didn't like him as a result. The characters seem to change their mind much more in the book, flitting from love to hate to love again, which didn't always feel realistic. (If you love someone would you really turn round two minutes later, after an argument, and tell them you hate them?)
I really like the premise and the racial and sociopolitical discussions in this book, but I feel like the dialogue sometimes took me out of the story....more
I finally read this on audio at CW's recommendation and I really enjoyed it. The story is set in a futuristic Taipei, where pollution is destroying thI finally read this on audio at CW's recommendation and I really enjoyed it. The story is set in a futuristic Taipei, where pollution is destroying the planet, and only the richest can afford suits to breathe clean air. The narrative did a really good job of painting the picture of the world and building tension at just the right moments, but there were times when I wanted a little more from the descriptions of Jason's flat or the warehouse.
It took me a while to invest in the characters, but once I did, I got really into the story. I liked Iris, and Lingyi (especially their budding romance), but I felt torn about Jason because he seemed like a good person with reasonably good intentions, but questionable methods and morals. Then again, perhaps that kind of morally grey character was been exactly what Cindy Pon was going for with her protagonist, and if so, then she pulled it off perfectly.
I felt pretty neutral about Daiyu all the way through the novel, until the final few chapters when here intentions were revealed, and her intelligence and political intentions jumped out. The final few chapters of the novel were definitely the best part but I wish the rest of the book had carried the same energy.
I liked the sci-fi/futuristic feel of the novel, but there were times when things felt a little too convenient for me. LIke when the gang break into Jin Corp and no-one happens to catch them, and when nobody manages to find Jason after the kidnapping and connect him to it.
The audio narration was pretty good and despite there only being one POV, things didn't feel tired or repetitive. I enjoyed this enough that I definitely want to pick up the sequel when I have a little more time....more
I picked this up randomly on audio because the synopsis appealed to me and I'm so glad I did. It was really upTWs: Fatphobia, mentions of child abuse.
I picked this up randomly on audio because the synopsis appealed to me and I'm so glad I did. It was really uplifting and heartwarming and I loved the found family.
When Linus is sent to an island to investigate a house of magical children, he expects to do his job and return home. Easy as that. Little does he know that the island holds a mystery that he'll want to uncover and that he'll grow increasingly fond of the children and their caretaker Arthur Parnassus.
The narrative gives off some serious Good Omens vibes which I'm always down for. I'll admit that I found the voices of the children slightly annoying at first, but they grew on me as they grew on Linus.
I loved the budding romance between Arthur and Linus so much. Their friendship is built on warmth, trust, and seeing the depth of good in each other. The chapters where they slowly grow to realise that their feelings for each othe gave me LIFE.
The found family trope is at its best here, and a few scenes almost made tear up. The messages in this book are all about accepting ourselves, loving ourselves, fighting against prejudice, and doing what's right. ...more
TWs: on-page death, violence, gore, loss of limbs, child soldiers, discussions of and engagement in slavery.
I finally read the last few chapters of WaTWs: on-page death, violence, gore, loss of limbs, child soldiers, discussions of and engagement in slavery.
I finally read the last few chapters of War Girls and after so much intense action, it just sort of ended? There was some resolution for the sisters, Onyii and Ify, but I would have liked a lot more and perhaps a spark of hope for their future together.
I think my main issue with the book was that it was so heckin' soul crushing. SO many characters died. Every time I started to become attached to someone, boom. They were gone. Tochi Onyebuchi is coming for GRRM's title. I was probably being naive if I'm honest; the title has the word "War" in it, so my hopes of a happy ending were always going to be unrealistic.
But I think this book works very well as an exploration of the brutality, hardships, and horrors of war. It glamorises nothing, and I respect Onyebuchi for that. A lot of the battles involved Mechs, so he could have chosen to romanticise them, but instead he made them intense and harrowing.
I started this in HB but finished it on audio, and at the end of the audio, the author himself explains that he wanted the novel to remind us of the atrocities Nigeria faced during the civil war in 1967-1970. And he does that incredible well, while putting a sci-fi twist on it.
Overall, the plot wasn't cohesive enough for me and I found the time skips a little jarring, but I loved that there were so many women of colour in positions of power and I found the questionable morals of the main characters engaging....more
This was a slow-moving tale of a great-grandpa, Yoshiro, and his great-grandson, Mumei, as they try to live normal lives in a dystopian futur2.5 stars
This was a slow-moving tale of a great-grandpa, Yoshiro, and his great-grandson, Mumei, as they try to live normal lives in a dystopian future version of Japan. In this version of Japan, the old have stopped dying and are physically strong, whereas the younger generations are physically weak, and each generation is born weaker than the last. The book turns ideas of age and youth on its head, in a world where technology is no longer used, and Japan is once again 'closed off' from the outside world. The old do all the hard, physical labor, and the young work in offices or in other sedentary jobs because they cannot walk far. Mumei can only eat the softest of fruit and gets tired easily, but has a hopeful, positive outlook on life, whereas Yoshiro feels a constant sense of guilt for all the things that Mumei cannot do.
I loved the way our expectations of age and youth were flipped upside down, but the narrative was so meandering that it lost much of its cohesion and went off on various tangents. I know this was done primarily to build up a greater picture of the futuristic world that our characters inhabit, but it detracted from the overall story structure. The book is already a very character-driven novella, integrating the perspectives of four or five characters, but the lack of plot is detrimental to the book's powerful messages and running social commentary. The blurb suggests there'll be a definitive plot, with Mumei being the key to potentially saving future generations, but this doesn't come to pass until the very end of the story and even then it's not fully realised.
This book had the potential to be so much more and I finished it feeling disappointed. There were moving and hard-hitting moments, but the lack of structure and plot left the book feeling lost, and some of the less crucial moments came across as dull and unnecessary. I could see what the author was trying to do, but the premise wasn't executed as well as it could have been. The whole book would have been lifted by having a more decisive narrative structure and introducing the central plot earlier....more
This series just gets better and better. Nezumi and Shion are growing closer and I know what's going to happen since I've watched the anime but I'm stThis series just gets better and better. Nezumi and Shion are growing closer and I know what's going to happen since I've watched the anime but I'm still full of anticipation anyway!...more
So much drama. I love it. I can't wait to see how the relationship between Nezumi and Shion develops further. So much drama. I love it. I can't wait to see how the relationship between Nezumi and Shion develops further. ...more
2.5 stars. This was good, but too predictable and formulaic. The plot could have been more nuanced and fell short in terms of a resounding conclusion. 2.5 stars. This was good, but too predictable and formulaic. The plot could have been more nuanced and fell short in terms of a resounding conclusion. Full review to come. ...more
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so addictive! Once I started it I read the first 150 pageI received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so addictive! Once I started it I read the first 150 pages in one sitting, then after setting it aside for a few days to finish Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, I finished it last night. The last 50 pages were filled with plot twists and were utterly enthralling.
I was sent this novel by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I started reading I was honestly all set to give Shadow Fall two stars. It seI was sent this novel by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I started reading I was honestly all set to give Shadow Fall two stars. It seemed full of done-to-death YA cliches and the plot just wasn't captivating. But, the last hundred pages were dramatic and fast-paced, so much so that I ended up bumping it up by a whole star.
The story follows Maia Graystone, an exile from the Emperor's royal court, who must compete in the Shadow Trials to save her younger brother. An asteroid is hurtling towards earth, but by winning the Trials, Maia can gain two spots for her and her brother aboard a space station, safe from the impact.
A lot of people have compared Shadow Fall to The Hunger Games or Divergent, and for good reason. The trials are a less imaginative version of the Games, and society is split into Golds, Silvers, and Bronzes, which if you squint looks rather like the Divergent factions.
The characters, too, fall into archetypes that we've all seen before. The protagonist, Maia who doesn't think she's anything special, but is actually the chosen one. The prince, Caspian (Narnia much?), rebelling against his father's ideals, and the rogue, Riser, who becomes Maia's partner in the Trials. And, of course, a love triangle develops between the three of them. Yawn.
But what the book lacked in originality, it made up for in unexpected twists. The author successfully turns several of these tropes upside down, and transforms the final third of the novel into a stirring page-turner.
The first two thirds are full of confused world-building and muddled plot, but the last hundred pages are the novel's saving grace. The main characters race against time to complete their goal and several tense encounters make it for a gripping climax.
At the beginning of the novel I wasn't invested in the welfare of the characters or the outcome of their quest, but by the end I'd developed a connection with Maia. She's no Aelin or Amani, but I'll certainly pick up the sequel when it comes out to see what happens to her. ...more
I can completely understand why this is the prototypical dystopian novel and receives so much praise. It's dark, gritty, and existential. The pace is I can completely understand why this is the prototypical dystopian novel and receives so much praise. It's dark, gritty, and existential. The pace is leisurely, but not sedate, and while the dramatic scenes are definitely more intense and swift, the scenes in which Offred questions her purpose and place in society still managed to stay afloat. I think the world-building would have had more impact on me if I'd never read any other dystopian fiction, but it still rose above many of the others in written quality. The treatment of women is as disturbing as expected and reminded me of why our fight for women's reproductive rights has to continue in with passion and power....more
Surprisingly, I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I enjoyed the first episode of the anime, but I think this was largely due to the fact that I alreaSurprisingly, I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I enjoyed the first episode of the anime, but I think this was largely due to the fact that I already knew what was going to happen. The anime portrays the events with more dynamism and pace, but I still loved this first volume and will be picking up volume 2 immediately. ...more
3.75/5 This took me a while to finish because I've been having birthday celebrations over the last three days so I've hardly had any reading time, but 3.75/5 This took me a while to finish because I've been having birthday celebrations over the last three days so I've hardly had any reading time, but when I finally finished it this morning, I found it a really satisfying end to the trilogy.
Penryn saves so many lives and becomes the hero that the previous two books built her up to be, and Raffe spends much of the book being conflicted about his loyalties, but ends up making a devastatingly sad sacrifice in order to save the humans. This does, however, give rise to a happy ending that I felt was a great way to conclude the series. There were some really poignant moments in this novel (especially the ballet scene) and the plot progression was steady and climactic, making it (in my opinion) the best book in the trilogy and a dark, dystopic read. ...more
3.5/4 out of 5 stars because while it didn't completely blow me away, I enjoyed it more than the first book as the characters, plot, and writing were 3.5/4 out of 5 stars because while it didn't completely blow me away, I enjoyed it more than the first book as the characters, plot, and writing were all better developed....more
I'm just full of emotion right now and I don't know what to do.
The story is set hundre4.5 stars.
I finally finished it.
The ending was so bittersweet.
I'm just full of emotion right now and I don't know what to do.
The story is set hundreds of years after a blast that destroyed much of the world. Modern technology is no more, and the babies that are born are always twins. Of these twins, one is an alpha - the 'perfect' twin - and one is an omega - the flawed twin. When it becomes clear which twin is the omega, usually through a physical deformity, they are separated from their alpha twin, branded and sent away.
The Fire Sermon follows Cass, an omega, who has no physical deformity, but sees visions of the future, the blast, and her surroundings instead. Cass is a seer, the most dangerous type of omega. She hides her visions from her family to avoid being sent away, but eventually her twin Zach forces her to reveal herself.
After being sent away, she finds Kip, an omega who doesn't have any memories of his past, and the two search for The Island - an alleged haven for omegas - all the while being hunted by Cass's twin.
I'm honestly not sure why there hasn't been more hype over this book, the writing is excellent and the world-building is just phenomenal. The ideas that Francesca Haig comes up with are just so imaginative and so unique, that they had me spellbound in certain parts of the novel. If you like fantasy you should definitely read this book. ...more
3.5/5 Really enjoyed this story as it had suspense and tension in abundance, but I felt like the characters weren't fully fleshed out enough for me to 3.5/5 Really enjoyed this story as it had suspense and tension in abundance, but I felt like the characters weren't fully fleshed out enough for me to empathise with them as strongly as I normally do. Penryn, the protagonist, and Paige her sister aren't described in that much detail in terms of their appearance, so by the end of the book I still didn't have a clear image in my mind of what they actually looked like. I did, however, like the dystopic elements and world-building throughout, and the climax of the last fifty pages was so gripping to read, that I'm going to start the sequel straight away....more
Kate (Reading Through Infinity)
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dystopian
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