An Un-Calibrated Centrifuge

Content warning: Rape

UGH. So I bought this book without knowing really what it was about. Recently I read that there are some problematic elements in the book so I thought I'd read it because if it's really gross I don't want it hanging around in my house. (ETA: It's really gross. Don't read this book.)

I'm ~40 pages into the book and there have already been so many cringeworthy/eyerolling/ugh inducing moments.

The non-offensive bits: Eldest/Elder for every command Elder gives (like, can't the system tell him apart from Eldest? I get it's supposed to tie them together, but like, just tell me that in the narrative, don't repeat it every single time the computer reacts to him) and all the (fake) slang. I get it. Your book is set 250+ years in the future. People are different now. I don't need them running around saying "frex" every two seconds to remind me of this.

Also, do floppy tablets make any sense?

I couldn't understand so many of the descriptive passages. (What exactly is happening with the stars and the dome at the beginning of the book? I have no idea.)

Now onto the offensive parts:

"Same olive skin." What the fuck is olive skin? Are all these people green or actually black? *this comment is facetious, but seriously, don't use food words to describe PoC. And don't use olive because it doesn't read as explicitly PoC. 

ALMOND-SHAPED EYES I almost quit reading right there and then. (This is describing Genghis Khan, but there are a ton of people using it to describe the people on the ship.)

Where did that terrifying screaming picture of Genghis Khan come from? (I google Genghis Khan and could fine ZERO pictures of him screaming and looking terrifying. Almost all of them are portraits where he just looks like a person. Stop with the "brown person, must be so scary" shit.)

And lastly, the gem where Elder thinks monoethnic people ALL LOOK THE SAME.

Seriously? First of all these characters have olive skin and dark hair. How does that = monoethnic? If they're monoethnic PICK AN ETHNICITY AND GIVE IT TO THEM. STOP WITH THE VAGUE, THEY MIGHT BE POC OR THEY MIGHT JUST BE TANNED WHITE PEOPLE (because you know there are people who will make that argument, remember The Hunger Games anyone?) BULLSHIT.

I skimmed ahead and once Amy is on the ship there's a bunch of stuff about her hair and her skin and her eyes (of course she's a redhead with green eyes) and how she's so different and "brigher" (ew) than everyone else on the ship. There's also a bit where she goes on about not hating people because they're different and why are problems that face PoC every day in this country being foisted on this white girl? WHY? (Any narrative that puts PoC in the oppressor role against poor defenseless white people, especially white women, is the worst. It's a fucking racist narrative and people need to stop. Google the shit show that was Save the Pearls if you don't know what I'm talking about). 

I stopped reading at the attempted rape scene where the men are literally compared to animals.  Nope. I'm out. Done with this book. Done with Beth Revis.