Reviews tagging 'Death'

Le Sommeil des Géants by Sylvain Neuvel

31 reviews

olivialandryxo's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read an adult science fiction novel until now. I haven’t heard much about Sleeping Giants, but it’s been on my tbr for some time and I was eager to finally read it.

It was a mess.

I will say that the plot was unique and I was intrigued from the start. I also liked that the book was told solely through interviews and the occasional recording or transcript. Unique formatting in books almost always interests me. However, the format also made it difficult for me to really connect with any of the characters. I liked Rose, but I wasn’t invested in her story or anyone else’s.

My main issue is with three events in particular. No spoilers, but:
  • Random sex on a first date—I’m not a fan of most sex scenes, but I can handle it. This one was very brief. I almost missed it. My issue is that, with the way one character had been written up to that point, its presence didn’t make sense.
  • Jealousy and hormones leading to one character seriously harming another—Alcohol was also involved. This happened so quickly and so randomly. I don’t care how much circumstances sucked for those involved prior to the incident. This is not okay and while I see what the author did in the aftermath of the event, I don’t like it at all.
  • A doctor being forced to do a dangerous experimental procedure on a patient with serious injuries—I feel like I don’t need to say anything here. Again, I see what the author was trying to do, but this is just a big load of nope.

I was kind of bored in the second half, with the politics and what not. It’s not exactly what I expected. Some events made more sense to me than others, and some didn’t make any sense. Maybe they just went over my head. I’m not sure.

If I’m honest, by the time I reached the end, I was ready for it to be over. I didn’t think I’d continue the series, but that epilogue.... CRAP. I’m so confused and curious. I’ve already got the second book on hold through Libby. We’ll see if I regret that decision soon enough.
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