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tbirdanni's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Forget JF's jolly Nursery Crimes and Thursday Next books. This one is much darker. Set in a somewhat parallel world where the UK freezes over for the entirety of winter, requiring the inhabitants to hibernate in special dormatoriums. A drug can be had to stop the user dreaming, and thus reduce energy expenditure, but it has sinister side effects. Into this world, a young man with no family takes a job that will keep him awake all winter, can he survive not only the winter but the people who live in it?
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Another great story by this author!! A huge fan of how his mind works and the stories that come out, especially the ridiculous worlds that have clever parallels with our world. It's also doubly impressive that this is a standalone, a whole world and plot done in 400 pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
miraveta's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
4.25
I love when you can tell an author definitely has a hundred pages of world building lore on a drive somewhere.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cannibalism and Injury/Injury detail
cainnechwithdrawn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A book about violent cops that doesn't do much to critique the system of policing but does talk about the corruption of money. Although perhaps you could read more positively into the discussions around imposed necessity of accepting certain violence and the failures of idealism than I did. It has a humorous voice and is often unrealistic, like it doesn't try to have much realism (which is fine if that's what you like, I just found certain parts confusing). I wish there was more of an analysis of disability because it approaches the topic in several ways but I felt like it never really says too much beyond the fact that disabled people face multiple different forms of oppression.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Police brutality
beccam22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I actually didn’t expect much from this book and it sat on my shelf much longer than I wish to admit. I adored the characters, it took some time understanding the world but once you’re in it’s a fun ride.
I really liked the representation in this book and that it was there but never the sole defining feature of anyone.
I really liked the representation in this book and that it was there but never the sole defining feature of anyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
The eating disorder is almost a cultural phenomenon, with the idea of hibernation and being asleep all winter it is a celebrated practice to literally binge and bulk up as much weight before winter so you have “enough” stored to sustain you while you sleep and then wake up thin. Food and eating enough or weight is brought up regularly throughout the book.happytaxday's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism
readerette's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A lot of the fun I had with this book was in not really knowing what I was getting into, so I suggest keeping your mind open and just diving in.
Early Riser might be best read/listened to in large chunks (one sitting if feasible) because there are a lot of little plot details and characters and subtleties to the setting. But if you read like I did, over a few days, you'll still enjoy it and know what's happening, just maybe without all the finer points.
There were some moments where I just had to accept that the outcome of a situation was occurring to move the plot where the author wanted it to go rather than letting something more natural happen, but that wasn't too often.
I spent 75% of the book thinking of Charlie Worthing as a particular gender, and then I reread the back cover and wondered if I was projecting. Something else fun to ponder as you read. And if you like medium-dark humor and quirky, character-driven sci fi, speculative fiction, or magical realism, you should read this one.
Early Riser might be best read/listened to in large chunks (one sitting if feasible) because there are a lot of little plot details and characters and subtleties to the setting. But if you read like I did, over a few days, you'll still enjoy it and know what's happening, just maybe without all the finer points.
There were some moments where I just had to accept that the outcome of a situation was occurring to move the plot where the author wanted it to go rather than letting something more natural happen, but that wasn't too often.
I spent 75% of the book thinking of Charlie Worthing as a particular gender, and then I reread the back cover and wondered if I was projecting. Something else fun to ponder as you read. And if you like medium-dark humor and quirky, character-driven sci fi, speculative fiction, or magical realism, you should read this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture and Cannibalism
katieo156's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Took me a while to get the hang of this one, and the big conflict resolved itself over a jump which isn't my favorite. Overall, though, once I got about a third of the way in I had enough of a handle on the story and characters to start enjoying the ride. Fforde has a gift for killing off a host of characters while keeping the tone light throughout- the end really whipped through them. I liked the peek into Brigitta's life after and loved the idea of the August holiday each year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder
cracklepages's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Cannibalism
hylian_narwhal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder
Minor: Child death and Trafficking