randi_jo's Reviews (420)

I overestimated how fun it might be to read an entire book written in interview style. Or at least, a horror/thriller book. It took all the suspense out of it, honestly. It didn't help that the plot was pretty predictable, but it got muddled at around 60% before it decided to just softly kill itself at the end.

Great concept, mid execution.

I found this approach to space-faring and colonization future to be so thoughtful and realistic. I've read plenty of opinions on the matter that are extremely enthusiastic and idealistic but never mentioned things like 'how will we have babies?' or 'will space be privatized?'

Anyway, even if you're gung-ho for Mars, I think this is great food for thought.

Is this a bad book? Like, no not really. It's certainly not a good book either. It might be telling that I started this in February and am just now finishing it in June. It's very, very putdownable, especially if you put it down each time a scene annoys you.

I'm not new to the romance genre and I liked book one!! But why are we taking these characters who have known each other the same length of time as the couple in book one and have them teased around in book one only for book two to overcomplicate their "relationship" and force them to jump through cultural hoops that didn't really apply in book one and make them keep sTARTING AND STOPPING -- and I don't mean a 'will they, won't they' tease, I mean literal confessions being shot down (because I'm too dangerous - first of all fuck that noise and second of all that would stop literally no one horny enough) and making out and suddenly being like wait no HE HATES ME AND MY FEELINGS ARE HURT (for the millionth time, Kee cannot go two pages without her feelings being hurt or something stinging her feelings like bitch please you are literally an ex-soldier with more PTSD than can be contained in a human body).

I want to take a moment of silence for that ridiculously cringe page where Kee "stands up for herself" (verbally disagrees with a friend) which, for some reason, everyone is stunned into silence even though she's been pretty firm about her boundaries and morals since book one, and then Eli makes the most ridiculous apology as if he'd just insulted the queen instead of DISAGREED ABOUT POTENTIALLY PUTTING EVERYONE HE LOVES INTO DANGER FOR THE SAKE OF A SHITTY FEDERATION THAT LITERALLY JUST TRIED TO FRAME AND KILL KEE but okay. You be a girlboss or whatever the fuck you thought that was.

Also, what is with this stupid ass narrative that a romantic relationship in books can only be solidified by consummating with an overdone sex scene in the last 10 pages. Like, maybe I'm weird but I did not read 410 pages just so I could get to one sex scene and be like 'yes, this made the constant and frustrating capture/attacked and escape plots totally worth it!' No!

I have feelings and I doubt any of them are the ones the author was aiming for.

I feel like I have so much to say about this book that my brain is numb. When I started this I had no idea it was autofiction. The premise sounded interesting and there was a talking cat; obviously I was sold.

Just overall this doesn't hold up as a story. It just... peters out at the end into a pathetic death of "but forget literally all 250 pages before this, I will be the bigger person, so haha." Because being a character in someone else's story is a "gift", which, sure however you wanna spin it so you can have the last word.

The entire mess of filial issues and family bonds and abuse that is brought to us on a platter in the first half of the book only to be ignored for the second half and then to end on "suddenly I appreciate this abusive and co-dependent relationship I've had with my family members and I suddenly feel so guilty for being distant with them because of it! Let me text them that I love them." Bruh, compartmentalize much?

There also was a severe lack of talking cat for something that is pitched to be one of the book's selling points. This is just opinion, but that section was so negligible that I'm not sure why it was included beyond showing the reader that the MC is writing this book via taking advice from her students, ergo: autofiction.

I still haven't read into the author's past about her cheating ex-husband and his book and whatnot, which is also not really worked through in this book either! It's mentioned a few times, cited as a point of anxiety and brought up sometimes before it's all turned on it's head so MC/author can get those bigger person brownie points. Eugh.

Look, I'm just tired of Jack and Jill. Jack is obviously the author's favorite special baby and Jill is too stupid and too flat to even be considered a cartoon villain. Just let their story end please, Goddamn.

sorry I won't support him

I think the book this story happened in would've benefitted greatly from its inclusion. It explains so much about Lundy and her friends and why "forgetting" Mockery was so important in the end. Sigh.

I think this one started off great but sort've lost steam by the end. Everything I think would've been fun/interesting/upbeat was hidden behind a time-jump with some light mentioning of what had transpired.

I think in general Seanan seems to have an idealized view of sibling relationships? Just each time something bad happens it's for the sake of a sibling relationship a la Jack and Jill and now Lundy and her little sister.

Just... yeah, I would happily trade any of my little brothers to live in a fantasy land that loved me. LOL. Also doubly so if my sibling also happened to be a murderer, but whatever.

I liked the characters of this installment more than the others (although Nancy really was the star of book 1). The Nonsense world was a fun and interesting backdrop to a fun, if convoluted, time loop story. Can't wait to see more of Sumi, Cora, Nadya, and maybe even Rini in the future.

I found this one to be an interesting take on the vampire trope mixed with indigenous revenge. It was really deep, gross, and enthralling, bringing the anticipation of Three-Person's sins, but then it just petered out... I dunno. There was a point where everything felt like the climax and things were happening only for... it to not actually be the climax and then everything afterwards felt pointless and underwhelming.

Also ending thoughts:

Why did she even bother doing all that to the giant prairie dog, Arthur? Why was it her responsibility to torture him; because we know he's not dead, considering Good Stab and Cat Man lived through worse? I know it was symbolic, but also it was nonsensible. The amount of time I spent hoping Etsy would die because she had Arthur's blood... UGH. Not a great subversion, I'll admit.