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ssinforshort's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
I re-read this so I will have the details fresh in my mind for the sequel.
Though I could do without some of the third act deaths. I love the world building. People inhabiting beasts in space is such a unique idea.
I enjoyed this voyage, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Sure as sure as sure.
Though I could do without some of the third act deaths. I love the world building. People inhabiting beasts in space is such a unique idea.
I enjoyed this voyage, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Sure as sure as sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Sexism
Moderate: Animal death and Violence
Minor: Death
nilssjoberg's review against another edition
fast-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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Genocide, Sexism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Torture and Murder
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
readingsofaslinky's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, and Classism
goldenslug's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism
ren_dragon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Such a wild ride. I loved the creativity of the world building and the commentary on how humans have a habit of destroying the environments that sustain them. I also enjoyed the casual queerness and that is built into the society. The way that their families are structured in a way that both allows and encourages polyamory in a matriarchal society was very interesting. While I enjoyed it, I found it difficult to connect with the characters very deeply. I found them to be very childish and stupid much of the time. To be fair, they are younger teenagers (though it is unclear for me how old they actually are), but as a reader I found a lot of the characters actions to be frustrating and questionable. The plot was also a bit all over the place. There was a lot that happened and lots of different subplots. Because of this, I feel that some character development was sacrificed, leading to the second half of the book feeling like the characters matured super quickly with no traceable development. It also left the main romance feel rushed in the end. I feel like Adala forgave Sesca too easily and there was not a lot of reckoning with the things that she had done on Sesca’s part. Adala just kind of decided she was willing to risk getting hurt again. Sometimes it felt like there were time skips but I couldn’t tell how much time had passed, if any. Time was an amorphous thing in this book. That being said, the pacing felt fine and kept me reading more. also, alien integration?? This girl just got her period and then she fricken gives birth??? To a tentacle alien??? Why was that necessary?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
obviousthings's review against another edition
There were a lot of worldbuilding details given, but the setting as a whole just wasn't all that believable to me. In particular, in Chapter 2,
we see children being trained to work in the beast's heart. They are punished very harshly for making very minor mistakes, and several are allowed to die just because they didn't instinctively pick up what to do without being taught. This makes NO sense to me. It's a society with a one-child-per-family rule! Their mothers are right there watching them! You're telling me they're all so on board with societal norms that they'll let their own children die rather than give them basic instruction about how to survive in this environment? No! I don't believe it! Frankly, I think it's stupid. I won't be reading the rest of this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Sexism, and Excrement
Minor: Suicide, Transphobia, and Abortion
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexism, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Gaslighting
nessynoname's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Some incredible worldbuilding and intriguing sociopolitical circumstances with a really irritating central character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Gore, Pregnancy, and Classism
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Drug use, Racism, Vomit, and Trafficking
Almost the entirety of this book takes place within a living organism, which the humans surgically exploit for their livelihood. Body systems/functions are explicitly described and manipulated often to the harm of the creature. If bodily description/body horror is not your thing you really need to sit this one out. Furthermore, there is a sequence later on that does intersect with the whole parasite/pregnancy/tentacles trope but its... not played for horror per se? Its supposed to be unsettling but its purpose in the plot is not harmful or disturbing to the character it happens to and they are fine after the situation is dealt with. The society that primarily features in the book is matriarchal and numerous characters including the main character until she gets character development, think of men as lesser. Class struggle, whether it be sexism against men, or the upperclass oppressing the working class are strong themes in this book. Additionally, the main character becomes engaged to a man and struggles with her fear of consummating that relationship, as she seems to have exclusive preference for women partners. This never culminates in any kind of sexual assault but the main characters anxiety about the pressure to be sexually involved with her fiance is a recurring topic.musebeliever's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I really wanted to like this. I thought the system and culture surrounding the beast was fascinating and well thought. That aspect of the world-building truly fascinated me. I loved the writing and how well the two pov narration worked to build the story.
But reading this book was frustrating and heavy for me. That is pretty much a me thing. But the highly binary reverse sexism of the matriarchal system really brought me down. It leads to a lot of toxicity in family relations, physical and psychological abuse starting from the very first chapter. And I get that it makes sense relating to the world-building, but it made ut impossible for me to like the main character who is blinded by her own privilige and make sexist and transphobic remarks. It's definitely a me thing. I need to like the characters to push enjoy reading but that aspect hit too close to home for me to enjoy it.
They are a few plots holes in the second part but I think they may be addressed by book 2.
All in all a book with amazing creativity and world-building, but which is not suited for me.
But reading this book was frustrating and heavy for me. That is pretty much a me thing. But the highly binary reverse sexism of the matriarchal system really brought me down. It leads to a lot of toxicity in family relations, physical and psychological abuse starting from the very first chapter. And I get that it makes sense relating to the world-building, but it made ut impossible for me to like the main character who is blinded by her own privilige and make sexist and transphobic remarks. It's definitely a me thing. I need to like the characters to push enjoy reading but that aspect hit too close to home for me to enjoy it.
They are a few plots holes in the second part but I think they may be addressed by book 2.
All in all a book with amazing creativity and world-building, but which is not suited for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Transphobia