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apollinares 's review for:

The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente
4.75
challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Holy shit, this book. This protagonist. What a fresh post-apocalyptic story. It might not be entirely scientific sci-fi, but once you suspend your disbelief, it really grows on you (like a mould). 

Tetley is brilliant, and optimistic, and utterly mad. I love her characterisation, I love the self-admitted unreliable narration, I love how she takes everything in stride (even the worst things). I've only ever read solarpunk sci-fi with hopeful protagonists, or dystopian sci-fi with downtrodden cynical protagonists. This is a dystopian setting with the most hopeful, lovely narrator at its center, and it really hit me in the feels.

The audiobook narrator's accent was way too strong and put-on though. I had to relisten to parts because it was so distracting.