Dave

Well executed, manipulative in the right ways

Story a bit predictable

"* Very long, given the simple plot

* More atmospheric horror, but at least a bit less gloomy"

"* Nothing means anything, just atmospheric horror

* Got very little out of this"

* Very confusing at first, multiple points of view with same name

* Extremely hard to get into, took me ages to read

* Interesting points about memory?

"* Doesn't fit with the series, or Chih's personality

* Very twist ending"

"* Too much weird poetry

* Nice take on uppity social norms as ""orders"" to inferiors

* Setting is imaginative but too simple"

"* Love is very sudden and intense, it's a bit much. Feels overall a bit YA

* Setting is alright, Viet space magic!

* Trauma responses are real, and interactions feel true, tho a bit overdone

* Feels a bit generic"

* The allegory about trying to find work amidst suffering is a bit obvious but a bit clever.

* Lots of random cultural references. Not comedy per se, but not far off.

* Ending felt a bit obvious.

* Genre bending is really fun. Horror, but not hard to read

* Shesheshen has murderbot vibes, in a good way?

* A lot of family trauma! Handled well, and meaningful, but also heavy

* Nice to have an older woman protagonist

* Abusive mom is heavy, and a bit hard to read

* Found Community was kind, full of personality

* Didn't come together in the end. Falada + Penelope plots felt out of place

* Fun read

* Conspiracy is a bit too large, it doesn't make much sense by the end

* Characters have interesting abilities, but could be more going on internally

* Set up for sequels

* Weird biology, horror elements

* Too much ""what if fascism?"

* Too much hiding things from the reader

* Very slow going, ending a bit obvious

• Fascinating links drawn between time-travel and immigration, and adaptation to a dominant culture.
• Characters are flawed and human—perhaps too flawed in the case of the narrator. No evil cackling villains.
• Was a great prompt to read about Franklin's lost expedition.
• The love story was a bit overwhelming, too "omg I found the one".
• Time-travel craziness eventually showed up, not my favourite thing.
• I've never read "Rogue Male", so I couldn't appreciate all the links to that novel.