patmeal's reviews
24 reviews

Short and sweet, Murderbot is fun and intriguing - maybe the impact would've been bigger if I had at least the next novella to read right after, but I didn't. Looking forward to the rest of the series though!

Ok so this is now the gold standard for second chance romance. It got everything right: you understand how much they loved each other (it can be argued that this was mostly told and not shown but it worked for me), what broke them apart, and why in the world they would ever get back together. Simply firing on all cylinders.

The mature communication throughout the story was deeply romantic lol like yes thank you, these are two full grown adults trying their best to navigate life. They misunderstood and worked to understand, they were petty and apologized, they gave each other grace. I cried multiple times - the themes of grief, depression, forgiveness, recovery are beautifully rendered and were so touching.

Also, the best contemporary romances always feel lived in and grounded - characters with deep connections to specific people, places, communities. This novel is so rich with these, from Yasmen’s girlfriends to the restaurant staff and down to the bookseller who empathizes with their loss. The world-building elevated the story to something truly special.

You really do have to wonder at Americans’ sense of superiority re: their country when it was founded on and continues to be fueled by sheer injustice. “The land of the free and the home of the brave” in fucking deed.

The swings from anger to heartbreak and back were overwhelming at times. Just some absolutely horrific stories and statistics mixed with some of the best of humanity in terms of grace, compassion, and yes, mercy. 

(Read volumes 6-8, I’m parceling them out each month so I won’t run out for a while)

My first manga - not sure yet how I’ll fare with long form storytelling and an unfinished series but I’m having fun so far. The art is beautiful and it’s SO FUNNY.