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sashdb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
Devastating, encompassing, life-affirming. A well from which joy and grief both flow. I'm in pieces.
Thoughtfully descriptive of the intention, energy, candor, and presence of minor and major characters alike, giving depth generously as a reminder that even brief encounters hold significance without plumbing outlandishly (a la Pratchett).
Thoughtfully descriptive of the intention, energy, candor, and presence of minor and major characters alike, giving depth generously as a reminder that even brief encounters hold significance without plumbing outlandishly (a la Pratchett).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
sarah984's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
I liked this book a lot, but I do wish that I had read it before The Spear Cuts Through Water since that book refined a lot of the interesting touches in this one and took them farther, with more confidence. I liked the characters and the overall plot, but the big time skips made a lot of it feel sort of distant and I found the third section a bit silly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Cultural appropriation
lakeofstars's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
this book was hand catered for me i think
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
Simon Jimenez, I was not familiar with your game.
I am not the same person pre-TVB and post-TVB. I’ve been hesitant to read The Vanished Birds because a lot of reviews said it was boring, and for me, no, it really wasn’t. And yes, it might be slow, and the chapters are long, but the pacing made perfect sense.
A lot of people compare The Vanished Birds to the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers. And if you know me, you know I loved that series. While that series is healing and comforting, this book will tear your heart into pieces, throw it against the wall, run it over by a truck, break it even more with a hammer, and pierce it with a sword. I was expecting a simple space found family moment, but noo, Jimenez had to break my heart a million times. My heart broke for every character in this story.
This book is so rich in many ways. The characters, the plot, the world building, the atmosphere, everything. I was so shocked to find out that this is Jimenez’s DEBUT NOVEL. Only a mastermind can do such. I loved how he used scientific explanations for the progression and the effects of capitalism. Those footnotes really intrigued me.
Character wise, I have a question for you, Mr. Jimenez. Did you somehow go through my brain while writing Nia? Because why is she SO ME. The way she tries to protect everyone and is willing to give up anything just to keep everyone safe made me sob so hard. I loved how she treated Ahro, and Ahro, my baby, I will protect you with everything I have. And don’t even get me started on DanaFumiko because I cried over them so many times.
In short, please read this book. Any bad mouth against it shall fall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Colonisation
Minor: Suicide attempt
avocadosocks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide attempt
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Beautiful, devastating, and brilliant. The Vanished Birds has a lot that I love: strong character development, an interesting multi-POV structure, and a clear anti-capitalist spirit. This does not read like a debut novel; I can't wait to read more from Simon Jimenez.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Colonisation
srm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Medical content, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
vsnuffles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"It felt like a funeral." - William Shatner describing his voyage to space in the Guardian. I read the article today and couldn't help being reminded of this book.
This was an excellent and incredibly depressing read. I recommend reading it with caution due to just how very sad it is - it's definitely worth it but you'll want to be ready for some self-care afterwards. Do not expect a happy ending unless you like being very sad.
More in-depth:
The world-building is excellent: it's such a well thought-out future setting and the details of it are so elegantly incorporated it never feels like too much or too little. The writing was so good it was almost poetic at times, it was quite beautiful and poignant. The characters are grey and interesting. You get to see how they impact each other and the book has an excellent way of zooming out through the first few chapters, expanding the world before it settles on a more continuous story. It is a very bleak story and world, quite dystopian in a way that would feel cyberpunk if it were more focused on the digital world. Some mild spoilers for the tone of the ending/story overall:I felt as though what hope there was for the characters was relentlessly crushed after being built up. To be fair, I think that this tone is set up well in the first chapter. But it is common for stories to pick up after tragedy and I would argue this one does not really pick up by the end in tone and the dystopian society is only more dystopian by the end.
If I had to say the story has a theme woven throughout I would have to say it is about cruelty and exploitation of humans through colonialization and capitalism. There is plenty more going on in the very well written characters, how they are shaped by their traumas in good and bad ways and being able to see how they grow based on how they react to their circumstances.
This was an excellent and incredibly depressing read. I recommend reading it with caution due to just how very sad it is - it's definitely worth it but you'll want to be ready for some self-care afterwards. Do not expect a happy ending unless you like being very sad.
More in-depth:
The world-building is excellent: it's such a well thought-out future setting and the details of it are so elegantly incorporated it never feels like too much or too little. The writing was so good it was almost poetic at times, it was quite beautiful and poignant. The characters are grey and interesting. You get to see how they impact each other and the book has an excellent way of zooming out through the first few chapters, expanding the world before it settles on a more continuous story. It is a very bleak story and world, quite dystopian in a way that would feel cyberpunk if it were more focused on the digital world. Some mild spoilers for the tone of the ending/story overall:
If I had to say the story has a theme woven throughout I would have to say it is about cruelty and exploitation of humans through colonialization and capitalism. There is plenty more going on in the very well written characters, how they are shaped by their traumas in good and bad ways and being able to see how they grow based on how they react to their circumstances.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
planetesastraea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
It has taken me a little while to wrap my head around this book and write a proper review of it.
From the very first pages, The Vanished Birds has been haunting.
The book kicks off painting a world in which time goes more slowly for a group of mysterious technologically-advanced off-worlders. This perspective gives the tone for the whole novel: how small human lives can be, how fragile and fickle, a blink in the span of human history, and a speck of dust in the universe.
As I read this book, anxiety followed me with each chapter.
Even during the most light-hearted parts of the crew's every day life, the weight of the deranging unknown that has carved its shape into their lives can't be shaken off. Something inescapable looms in the dark- something that they know to be wonderful but bound to be the key to their demise.
And this incredible build-up only works because of its even somber unfolding.
Jimenez's writing speaks to his knowledge of what it is to be human, for better and for worst.
The length of humanity's cruelty only finds an equal in the endless hope and love that comes with finding a family, and fighting to keep it.
If I usually turn to more light-hearted reading I can't say I regret having read The Vanished Birds. It's a powerful read that has stayed with me ever since.
From the very first pages, The Vanished Birds has been haunting.
The book kicks off painting a world in which time goes more slowly for a group of mysterious technologically-advanced off-worlders. This perspective gives the tone for the whole novel: how small human lives can be, how fragile and fickle, a blink in the span of human history, and a speck of dust in the universe.
As I read this book, anxiety followed me with each chapter.
Even during the most light-hearted parts of the crew's every day life, the weight of the deranging unknown that has carved its shape into their lives can't be shaken off. Something inescapable looms in the dark- something that they know to be wonderful but bound to be the key to their demise.
And this incredible build-up only works because of its even somber unfolding.
Jimenez's writing speaks to his knowledge of what it is to be human, for better and for worst.
The length of humanity's cruelty only finds an equal in the endless hope and love that comes with finding a family, and fighting to keep it.
If I usually turn to more light-hearted reading I can't say I regret having read The Vanished Birds. It's a powerful read that has stayed with me ever since.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Torture, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Colonisation
booksthatburn's review against another edition
It starts with a character whose limb difference is medically corrected in the first paragraph, this made me uneasy, because it allows for a bunch of ableist situations without actually having the character be physically different. I gave it a bit longer but never recovered my good will, I don't like this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Excrement, Medical content, and Medical trauma