Scan barcode
ominousspectre's review against another edition
3.5
I liked this but there was something keeping me from loving it. Possibly because I'm picky about contemporary in general. This was one of my favorite short stories in her collection, which is why I branched out. Anyways, well done but not my thing!
Graphic: Racism and Sexual violence
Moderate: Homophobia
caseybones's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I’m not even mad that
Moderate: Body horror, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Colonisation
holly_hock's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Police brutality
bookishperseus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Stalking
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
cherrycoloredphoenix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Body horror, Racism, and Sexual violence
mags_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
ava_can_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
it has some pacing issues, it's both to slow and too fast. 'the city unborn' felt like a wholly self-contained story and was a satisfying read. and it had all the exposition needed to carry this premise for a whole series. this book says no actually it's just a prologue. and then the whole book feels like a prologue and exposition dump. it would have left me waiting for more, if the book was better.
however my main gripe is, that for a story that is so heavily about who makes up nyc (and its culture) and, very obviously cares about representation, it is missing jews and trans women. having only one minor jewish character - who is only there to be antisemiticly harrassed and threatened -and no trans femmes is just really fucking disappointing. and inaccurate. Jemisin's New York doesn't need an alien enemy (more on that in a minute), to be a distopia. It already is. A city that is so heavily influenced by jewish people and jewish culture can't be so devoid of jews in it's representatives, without some sort of antisemitic catastrophe happening before the events of the book. similiarly for trans women: all my friends who have lived in, or visited nyc, tell me how different it is compared to the other places they have been. we actually have community there. so much important trans history has happened there. but nyc in this book doesn't have any trans character, besides one british guy who just moved there. to me that kinda implies some really, really bad shit must have happened to make one of the most hypervisible groups of people – who shape so much of what new york is and means to people – completly absent from this narrative.
the next main problem i have is: i don't like the whole white tendrils/the enemy makes you more violent and racist thing. it just doesn't work as an explanation for how people will act as agents of white surpremacy, seemingly on command. taking away their agency by making them influenced by a lovecraftian evil makes it appear as if they wouldn't act exactly the same without it. which, you know, is bad.
i am disappointed because i love genius loci. the world jemisin is building is really awesome. the concepts and ideas are so strong (and cool), but the execution is lacking. one of the reasons i am writing this review, is because over 2 years after reading this book once, i still think about it. i wonder what berlin looks like in it's universe and I have almost written an unhinged fanfic about it before. but everytime i think about this i also remember how disappointing the actual novel was. and until writing this, i forgot it was supposed to be a series, even though it only exists to set up the "great citys series", or whatever.
I'll give it 3 Stars, one for the worldbuilding, one for Bronca and Veneza – who might make me pick up the next books after all – and one for the handful of memorable scenes.
ps: jemisin is still bad at writing trans people. and it's so weird. cos her trans characters feel like real people – and i actually really love Tonkee from broken earth, one of the girls of all time – but then immediatly jemisin uses some tired old trope. it's disappointing.
pps: also i really dislike the thing the primary and manny have? are gonna have? yeah. it feels forced and the power dynamics and selfcesty vibe are a big yikes.
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Transphobia
voxelbee's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Transphobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
celines_schemes's review against another edition
2.75
Graphic: Cursing, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Moderate: Homophobia and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
skudiklier's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Colonisation