Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Profeta by Helen Macdonald, Sin BlachΓ©

6 reviews

jaedia's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

SOFT BOYS πŸ₯Ί

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ktjames1908's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This book had some really fun and interesting ideas - the characters' backgrounds, military corruption, the whole creepy theme of nostalgia being deadly and the physical ways that nostalgia manifests - but none of it was anywhere near developed enough. It felt as though it needed to be twice as long, which is odd since it's already 460 odd pages. But I constantly felt like I wanted more, because what I was given never felt like enough for me to be fully immersed and engaged. 
The story also felt rushed at times, particularly at the beginning, which made it very hard to grasp what was actually happening and follow along. I think the idea behind the main plot is complex enough that it needs a lot more exploration.
The two main characters were lovable, as was their dynamic. I think that the time given to exploring the depths of their personalities was enough for them to feel like fully developed characters, but I still think that there should have been more; they both have such interesting backgrounds that it seemed a pity to not spend more time on them. Their relationship and it's development definitely needed something more, too - when we meet them, they already have an established dynamic, and it remains somewhat stagnant until near the end of the book. 
All in all, it was an okay read - definitely fun, but tempered by frustration.

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hazelmh's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0


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schnaucl's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this book.   I really liked the dynamic between Rao and Adam and their dynamic with Hunter.  

The idea of something that manifests your nostalgia is an intriguing one, as is the idea of someone who immediately knows if something is true.  I can certainly see why intelligence agencies would want to control a person with such an ability.  Frankly, I'm surprised they'd ever let him in the field given what a valuable resource he would be.  

I did not see it's all a big Libertarian plot to weaponize nostalgia coming as the explanation, although the politics of it, and the reckless disregard for testing it on an unsuspecting populace, certainly tracks.

I feel a little ambivalent about the ending.  I suppose given the government connections, they could officially undo Rao's death, although explaining it to his family would be more of a challenge.    I also wonder if Rao being a recreation, even a perfect one, will start to cause problems down the line.  I would think it would be difficult to not have imposter syndrome.

I think this is a standalone book but I'd definitely read more if they wanted to make it a series.

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letopotato's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a spy-thriller, a sci-fi novel and a love story at the same time. It's incredibly odd, often a little all over the place, yet very entertaining. The dynamic between the chaotic Rao and the seemingly stoic Adam is typical and nothing new, but still kept me interested. The combination of the urge to get to know those two characters and their relationship better and wanting to find out what the hell is going on with those objects being created out of nowhere was absolutely perfect. There was enough time for the characters to breathe, but also enough urgency for the plot to continue. This is the first novel in a while where I didn't dislike the main characters – which is very refreshing. "Prophet" is definitely a recommendation from me!
My only point of criticism is that there are many unanswered questions at the end as to how Prophet actually worked or where it came from. It got a little too confusing, even considering the sci-fi aspect of this novel.
In the end, it seemed to me like Prophet could do whatever was 'useful' or interesting in certain points of the story, and that this was more or less decided on a whim. The way Rao was handled at the end of the novel seemed a little disconnected from the abilities of Prophet before.

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scifi_rat's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

Plot: 3β˜…
Prose: 4β˜…
Pace: 4β˜…
Concept/Execution: 5β˜…/3.75β˜…
Characters: 4.75β˜…
Worldbuilding: 3.5β˜…
Ending: 3.5β˜…

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