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The book of M

Peng Shepherd

2018 · Science fiction

dark moodmoderate pacebalanced toneambiguous ending

How it reads

The book of M is science fiction (dystopian, specifically), and its dominant mood is dark. It goes to difficult places and doesn't look away. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in an international setting, in the future, told in the third person across several viewpoints. Its central concerns are identity and loss and grief. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is left open, for you to argue about. It's well known, the kind of book most keen readers have heard of.

Pick it up if…

  • you're in the mood for something dark
  • you want a complete story in one book
  • you're drawn to stories about identity

Maybe not if…

  • you need something cosy, heartwarming or funny

All 15 dimensions

Author gender
female
Author experience
debut
Setting: place
international
Setting: time
future
Mood / feeling
dark
Pace
moderate
Tone / weight
balanced
Length
medium
Narrative style
third person, several viewpoints
Publication era
recent
Popularity
well known
Series vs standalone
standalone
Ending style
ambiguous

What these mean: the 15 dimensions of a book.

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