This book hit me so hard, easily my favorite read of 2022 (so far)! I rarely feel all that attached to the characters when reading short stories, but this was so well done that I actually cried over several of the stories in the first half of the book :'D
hey, this is my current read! it's so emotionally heavy that it's taking me a while to get through, but I'm absolutely fascinated by the narrative structure and I hope this "linear interconnected short stories" thing is something more authors start doing in the future. great review as always!!
i juuust found your channel and have binge watched at least 10ish videos or so and absolutely love your style of reviewing. i’ve added almost every book you’ve mentioned to my reading list (including this one). thank you!!! i’m a new subscriber and looking forward to seeing more from you 💕
This book sounds amazing, scary and relevent. I Saw in a museum exhibit a few years ago about death the idea of the euthenasia rollercoaster. It is such an interesting concept, but the rights and regulation of euthenasia world wide needs to get to a certain point first. Can't wait to read this!!!
Oh, I'm so glad to see you praise this book. I read it back in February (that feels so long ago!). And I'm sure you're right about there being no queer characters. It's still one of my favorite books of this year for all the reasons you mentioned. I recently read Escaping Exodus (part 1 of a series) and The Prey of Gods (a standalone) by Nicky Drayden, which do have queer characters and if you haven't read them then you should!
Stop making me reading every book you recommend, I need more time :) I love how passionately you talk about the books, it makes me want to grab them instantly.
your reviews always makes me want to buy every book you recommend ,even though I already have pile of unread books and top of that I've exam coming this week :))
Oh wow this book sounds intense 😬 A EUTHANASIA THEME PARK THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!!! Definitely would love to read about that! I really wanna read this book now. I've seen the US cover before and it looked so boring, but you totally changed my mind about it.
Watching your videos before bed has become my nighttime routine that calms my mind and relaxes me so much it’s amazing 😊 you have an incredibly soothing voice, Willow 😍 and your reviews and book recs are chef’s kiss. Wishing you the very best in life ✨
Happy to hear such a great review of a fantastic book! One of my favorites I've read this year so far, and your insights made me want to re-read it already. I love your analysis of the meaning behind the title.
Absolutely amazed by this book. And you explained it perfectly- it is exploring BIG profound ideas through small intimate relationships. And the fact that it is near future, everything in this book seems plausible makes it so much more scary, haunting but also beautiful. Great review as usual. And ya I noticed no queer characters too.
In the chapter where a plague survivor is writing to his neighbours to invite them to a block party, the writer mentions a Benny and Phillip (might have that second name wrong, but it was two statistically probably male names) with their son. I only noticed because the gay goggles are permanently glued to my face too.
@@WillowTalksBooks If I remember correctly the pigoons(?) really got their story told in After the Flood and Mad Addam. The pig in How High hits MUCH differently, though, in my opinion.
Fantastic review, Willow! This was already on my TBR but now I’m going to have to move it to the top! Read Station Eleven a month ago and was enamored by it completely. This book sounds so amazing. Thanks again for your work, Willow. You share the best books. Have a great day! :)
i just finished this book and i had to talk about it. i've never cried over a book like this in my LIFE. everything is relatable, bleak, there's a sense of misery sewn and imbued into every oage of this book, but fuck, everything says i want to LIVE, i want to get OUT, i will live this life if it kills me, i'll save this world if it ends my life, i'll make this happen, i wish i could save you, even the bit at the end (i've seen a lot of people complain about the last bit, which i understand but disagree with) is brimming with a very human "i want to see you again. i want to find you. please, let me find you." anyway i'm WRECKED
I absolutely loved this book. I’ve followed your channel for a while now, and am always happy to see a new video up, and when I saw this one I had to watch it right away! Have you read My Volcano, by John Elizabeth Stintzi? It’s another one that blew me away this year, from my favorite small indie press, Two Dollar Radio. Sci-fi eco-horror meets mythology, it’s a non-linear, non-binary wild ride of a book. I smile just imagining your review. 😊
When I moved to France one of my first sf books I felled in love with was "Cosplay" by Laurent Ladouari (in the pocket size edition it got different tittle), he used the idea of ancient virus freed from ice in the second volume. I'm still waiting for the third volume 😪.
I love your review, really didn't love the book! 😅 (Below is just my opinion obviously, I know that a lot of people loved it, I'm sad it was a miss for me) While I really enjoyed the authors writing at times, it slipped into the ridiculous or melodramatic too many times. The setup and some of the various concepts were SO interesting, but we're often glossed over in favour of focusing on the emotional interior of the characters. (And that's ok, but only if your characters are at least a little bit interesting and engaging) The characters themselves were all very sad and melancholy and most of all, SIMILAR. The only thing that sets them apart are their relationships and their surroundings, which is interesting for about 1/3 of the book and then becomes intensely boring. The few female narrators we get are all devoted wives or lovers, which became again really monotonous towards the end. Also your point about the lack of queerness is so real!! It was the first book in months that I had trouble getting through and the first book in a long long time that really disappointed me. Still, I did like the writing at times, especially in the earlier chapters, I enjoyed the timing of the POVs, and while I was SEVERELY missing some close friendships, I liked the depiction of different kinds of relationships. Sadly the negative outweighs the positive, but considering that it's a debut novel (I think?) I might give the author another try some time from now!!
@@WillowTalksBooks Don't worry, it was never actually put to the test. (As far as I know.) It WAS built, for a sort of art installation. In "Julijonas Urbonas (Lithuania): Euthanasia Coaster", the inventor explains how it works.
@@WillowTalksBooks And somebody made a bone-chilling POV of what it would be like to be terminally ill and use the coaster: "H POSITIVE (2015)" EDIT 1: You know... I wonder if Sequoia Nagamatsu had heard of the Euthanasia Coaster and got the idea from that. EDIT 2: What you said about the comedian reminded me of Janusz Korczak, who led 192 children from his orphanage into the gas chambers, so they would not be scared. »He told the orphans they were going out into the country, so they ought to be cheerful. At last they would be able to exchange the horrible suffocating city walls for meadows of flowers, streams where they could bathe, woods full of berries and mushrooms. He told them to wear their best clothes, and so they came out into the yard, two by two, nicely dressed and in a happy mood.« (From "The Pianist" by Wladyslaw Szpilman) Of course, unlike the comedian, it cost Janusz his own life.
Ended up reading this right after it was released because Nagamatsu is a creative writing prof at my college. Such a good and weird read.
Oh wow, lucky you!
I'll always remember a history teacher told us that anything someone can imagine can really happen.
I couldn’t agree more! If a sci-fi writer can imagine it, a CEO or politician certainly could.
This book hit me so hard, easily my favorite read of 2022 (so far)! I rarely feel all that attached to the characters when reading short stories, but this was so well done that I actually cried over several of the stories in the first half of the book :'D
Right? He does such a great job of attaching us to his characters so immediately!
hey, this is my current read! it's so emotionally heavy that it's taking me a while to get through, but I'm absolutely fascinated by the narrative structure and I hope this "linear interconnected short stories" thing is something more authors start doing in the future. great review as always!!
Heavy is certainly the word! But it’s also just so rewarding 💜
I just finished this book and needed to find someone to share it with. It was an amazing book which made me think and feel like you said.
The pig story and the amusement park story will stay with me for a long time
Oh for sure, me too
Spent a long time ugly crying after reading those
I read this back in February and loved it! Not enough ppl are talking about it. I love that you loved it!
I agree! Two friends recommended it and I’m so glad they did!
i juuust found your channel and have binge watched at least 10ish videos or so and absolutely love your style of reviewing. i’ve added almost every book you’ve mentioned to my reading list (including this one). thank you!!! i’m a new subscriber and looking forward to seeing more from you 💕
That’s very sweet of you to say! I really appreciate it. Thank you 💜
This was so intriguing that I ordered it while you were talking. Please do more sci-fi book reviews! :3
(And I love that shirt!)
Wow, that’s awesome! Hope you love it!
And it’s actually a dress but thank you :)
You convinced me within the first four minutes. I paused the video, put the book on hold at the library, and then resumed.
Haha that’s amazing, yay!
This book sounds amazing, scary and relevent. I Saw in a museum exhibit a few years ago about death the idea of the euthenasia rollercoaster. It is such an interesting concept, but the rights and regulation of euthenasia world wide needs to get to a certain point first. Can't wait to read this!!!
Oh, I'm so glad to see you praise this book. I read it back in February (that feels so long ago!). And I'm sure you're right about there being no queer characters. It's still one of my favorite books of this year for all the reasons you mentioned. I recently read Escaping Exodus (part 1 of a series) and The Prey of Gods (a standalone) by Nicky Drayden, which do have queer characters and if you haven't read them then you should!
Ooh thanks so much for these recommendations! I’ll absolutely check them out!
A very lovely and great review. Loved the book, too. :)
This one sounds like something I might love! Thanks for the recommendation. Recently been obsessed with your channel hehe. Keep it up!
Aww thank you so much!
Stop making me reading every book you recommend, I need more time :)
I love how passionately you talk about the books, it makes me want to grab them instantly.
That is so so kind, thank you 💜
your reviews always makes me want to buy every book you recommend ,even though I already have pile of unread books and top of that I've exam coming this week :))
Haha I’m so sorry!
You're not the only one 😁
I was looking for my next read, will start this one today. Thanks
Awesome news!
It's been on my tbr for a while, but havent got round to it. So excited to read it because of your review!
Yay, I’m glad to hear that!
This book sounds fascinating! Lovely review. And I just adore your shirt!
Thanks! It’s actually a dress :)
@@WillowTalksBooks my apologies. In that case, I love your dress!
Oh wow this book sounds intense 😬 A EUTHANASIA THEME PARK THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!!! Definitely would love to read about that! I really wanna read this book now. I've seen the US cover before and it looked so boring, but you totally changed my mind about it.
I actually loved the US cover for this one! But it does have deckled edges, urgh
Watching your videos before bed has become my nighttime routine that calms my mind and relaxes me so much it’s amazing 😊 you have an incredibly soothing voice, Willow 😍 and your reviews and book recs are chef’s kiss. Wishing you the very best in life ✨
Oh my godddd that’s so sweet and kind, thank you!!
I'm not the biggest fan of Emily St.John Mandel, but this sounds intriguing. I like interconnected short stories.
Interconnected short stories are so satisfying to dig into, I love them.
Just picked it up from the library, what a lucky coincidence!
Oh yay, what timing!
Happy to hear such a great review of a fantastic book! One of my favorites I've read this year so far, and your insights made me want to re-read it already. I love your analysis of the meaning behind the title.
Aw thank you!
Absolutely amazed by this book. And you explained it perfectly- it is exploring BIG profound ideas through small intimate relationships. And the fact that it is near future, everything in this book seems plausible makes it so much more scary, haunting but also beautiful.
Great review as usual. And ya I noticed no queer characters too.
Wow! This sounds so good, I bought it right away. You really are my favourite bookfluencer 💕
Oh wow! What a compliment, thank you!
I will buy any book you tell me to buy 😩
Hahaha well I promise to do my best and not steer you wrong!
Hahaha i feel the same!
In the chapter where a plague survivor is writing to his neighbours to invite them to a block party, the writer mentions a Benny and Phillip (might have that second name wrong, but it was two statistically probably male names) with their son. I only noticed because the gay goggles are permanently glued to my face too.
The intelligent pig used for body parts was used by Margaret Atwood in the Oryx and Crake trilogy, but this book still sounds very interesting.
Was it?? I only read the first one and that was years ago. Interesting!
@@WillowTalksBooks Developed their own language and assisted some of the characters against the antagonists.
@@WillowTalksBooks If I remember correctly the pigoons(?) really got their story told in After the Flood and Mad Addam. The pig in How High hits MUCH differently, though, in my opinion.
I got as far as the end of the first roller coaster scene before I openly wept on the sofa for 10mins…
I wasn’t in the right head space for this book.
God, I absolutely feel you. It’s a rough book
This sounds amazing!!
It really is!
This sounds absolutely fantastic. I'm sold!
Hooray!
Fantastic review! I loved this book.
Yay, me too :)
Fantastic review, Willow! This was already on my TBR but now I’m going to have to move it to the top! Read Station Eleven a month ago and was enamored by it completely. This book sounds so amazing. Thanks again for your work, Willow. You share the best books. Have a great day! :)
If you loved Station Eleven, I’m confident you’ll adore this one! :)
Proud to say this one is one my shelf!
Excellent! You win!
It’s nice to hear good things about this book, as I am currently clawing my eyes through each part
lol because you hate it or because it’s a tough read?
@@WillowTalksBooks 1000% the prior 😆
Goodness me!
@@WillowTalksBooks he’s a short story hater, don’t listen to him 😉
i just finished this book and i had to talk about it. i've never cried over a book like this in my LIFE. everything is relatable, bleak, there's a sense of misery sewn and imbued into every oage of this book, but fuck, everything says i want to LIVE, i want to get OUT, i will live this life if it kills me, i'll save this world if it ends my life, i'll make this happen, i wish i could save you, even the bit at the end (i've seen a lot of people complain about the last bit, which i understand but disagree with) is brimming with a very human "i want to see you again. i want to find you. please, let me find you."
anyway i'm WRECKED
I don't remember any other book that had me crying in the first three chapters.
Yup, it’ll do that
Considered reading this for a while, thanks for finally convincing me to pick it up :)
You’re very welcome!
I absolutely loved this book. I’ve followed your channel for a while now, and am always happy to see a new video up, and when I saw this one I had to watch it right away! Have you read My Volcano, by John Elizabeth Stintzi? It’s another one that blew me away this year, from my favorite small indie press, Two Dollar Radio. Sci-fi eco-horror meets mythology, it’s a non-linear, non-binary wild ride of a book. I smile just imagining your review. 😊
Oh my god that book sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for the recommendation!
When I moved to France one of my first sf books I felled in love with was "Cosplay" by Laurent Ladouari (in the pocket size edition it got different tittle), he used the idea of ancient virus freed from ice in the second volume. I'm still waiting for the third volume 😪.
Oh goodness wow! I’ll have to check that out!
I had started it but put it down when I saw the first chapter was over an hour 😅. I need to start it again.
The pig made me cry.
Well done.
Cheers.
I love your review, really didn't love the book! 😅
(Below is just my opinion obviously, I know that a lot of people loved it, I'm sad it was a miss for me)
While I really enjoyed the authors writing at times, it slipped into the ridiculous or melodramatic too many times.
The setup and some of the various concepts were SO interesting, but we're often glossed over in favour of focusing on the emotional interior of the characters. (And that's ok, but only if your characters are at least a little bit interesting and engaging)
The characters themselves were all very sad and melancholy and most of all, SIMILAR. The only thing that sets them apart are their relationships and their surroundings, which is interesting for about 1/3 of the book and then becomes intensely boring.
The few female narrators we get are all devoted wives or lovers, which became again really monotonous towards the end. Also your point about the lack of queerness is so real!!
It was the first book in months that I had trouble getting through and the first book in a long long time that really disappointed me.
Still, I did like the writing at times, especially in the earlier chapters, I enjoyed the timing of the POVs, and while I was SEVERELY missing some close friendships, I liked the depiction of different kinds of relationships.
Sadly the negative outweighs the positive, but considering that it's a debut novel (I think?) I might give the author another try some time from now!!
Wait, there was a guy who invented a hypothetical rollercoaster like that. Look up "Euthanasia Coaster" here on RUclips.
????? Omg do I dare…
@@WillowTalksBooks Don't worry, it was never actually put to the test. (As far as I know.) It WAS built, for a sort of art installation. In "Julijonas Urbonas (Lithuania): Euthanasia Coaster", the inventor explains how it works.
@@WillowTalksBooks And somebody made a bone-chilling POV of what it would be like to be terminally ill and use the coaster: "H POSITIVE (2015)"
EDIT 1: You know... I wonder if Sequoia Nagamatsu had heard of the Euthanasia Coaster and got the idea from that.
EDIT 2: What you said about the comedian reminded me of Janusz Korczak, who led 192 children from his orphanage into the gas chambers, so they would not be scared. »He told the orphans they were going out into the country, so they ought to be cheerful. At last they would be able to exchange the horrible suffocating city walls for meadows of flowers, streams where they could bathe, woods full of berries and mushrooms. He told them to wear their best clothes, and so they came out into the yard, two by two, nicely dressed and in a happy mood.« (From "The Pianist" by Wladyslaw Szpilman)
Of course, unlike the comedian, it cost Janusz his own life.