On one level, I really enjoyed More Perfect, speeding through it in about 3-4 sittings. Temi Oh's prose is accessible, her imagery evocative, and it's easy to get lost in the feelings of the main characters for each other. Billed as a modern retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, I maybe scrutinized it too closely for allusions and parallels, which really mostly emerged right at the end of the novel, in a way that felt a bit on the nose and unnecessary to me.

The ideas and themes explored in the book are not new to dystopian sci-fi but I think Oh does a good job looking at not just the technocratic, authoritarian regime and people's daily addiction to technology, but also the complex dynamics of resistance movements. Unfortunately there are a number of plot holes and characters whose ideologies/values change quickly, without it always feeling justified. Overall I found I could mostly overlook these issues in order to just stay in the flow of the words and see where the story was going, but it's likely would annoy me more if I were to re-read it.

Content note:

Spoiler

This novel contains graphic depictions of self-harm, as well as torture, state-sanctioned violence and individual violence.