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Nataliya's Reviews > Finna
Finna (LitenVerse, #1)
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And yes, it makes corporate sense to send two low-paid lowest-seniority employees on a mission to rescue a missing elderly customer � a mission through a wormhole, armed with a GPS-type gadget. After all, they have watched the training video, haven’t they?
I loved the premise and the beginning, but the rest was a bit underwhelming. It almost seems that the story couldn’t quite figure out what it wants to be � a parallel universes adventure story, a relationship drama or a capitalism/consumerism critique. It tried on all those hats, but sadly there was no room in a story this short to adequately develop all of them, and the focus should have been tighter � and, at least in my preference, centered on the weirdness on the other ends of the wormholes.
The worlds were interesting � the plants, the Hive, the ocean steampunk world! � but the glimpses of them were too brief, yielding page time to the relationship struggles of Ava and Jules, who, in addition to being coworkers have also broken up a few days ago and are torn up about that despite the relationship appearing to have been a bit unhealthy. This part would have been better in a longer story, but here it detracted from the tantalizing glimpses of the adventure fantasy too much, and all the plot lines without proper room to develop them ultimately became too thin and too simple � just the bare bones outlines.
In short, a great idea and a middling execution that needed more space. But I may just want to check out the next novella to see where it leads.
3 stars � mostly for the premise.
—ĔĔĔĔĔ�
My Hugo and Nebula Awards Reading Project 2021: /review/show...
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“We’re here to tell you what to do if a wormhole opens up on your shift!�Honestly, wormholes into parallel universes may be the most rational explanation of the terrifying geography- and logic-defying stupor-inducing maze that is IKEA layout.
And yes, it makes corporate sense to send two low-paid lowest-seniority employees on a mission to rescue a missing elderly customer � a mission through a wormhole, armed with a GPS-type gadget. After all, they have watched the training video, haven’t they?
“Seriously? […] We find a wrinkle in time and you tell the manager?�
I loved the premise and the beginning, but the rest was a bit underwhelming. It almost seems that the story couldn’t quite figure out what it wants to be � a parallel universes adventure story, a relationship drama or a capitalism/consumerism critique. It tried on all those hats, but sadly there was no room in a story this short to adequately develop all of them, and the focus should have been tighter � and, at least in my preference, centered on the weirdness on the other ends of the wormholes.
The worlds were interesting � the plants, the Hive, the ocean steampunk world! � but the glimpses of them were too brief, yielding page time to the relationship struggles of Ava and Jules, who, in addition to being coworkers have also broken up a few days ago and are torn up about that despite the relationship appearing to have been a bit unhealthy. This part would have been better in a longer story, but here it detracted from the tantalizing glimpses of the adventure fantasy too much, and all the plot lines without proper room to develop them ultimately became too thin and too simple � just the bare bones outlines.
In short, a great idea and a middling execution that needed more space. But I may just want to check out the next novella to see where it leads.
3 stars � mostly for the premise.
—ĔĔĔĔĔ�
My Hugo and Nebula Awards Reading Project 2021: /review/show...
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Reading Progress
August 6, 2020
– Shelved
February 28, 2021
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Started Reading
February 28, 2021
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Finished Reading
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Lucy
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Feb 28, 2021 11:26AM
Nice review! How are you able to manage enough time to consistently write so much reviews? My review-writing has honestly undergone a recession, so...
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Lucy wrote: "Nice review! How are you able to manage enough time to consistently write so much reviews? My review-writing has honestly undergone a recession, so..."I’m a fast reader and fast writer with attacks of verbal diarrhea 😁
IKEA haunts us collectively: hence the Mieville story about the haunted ball pit.
Lucy wrote: "XD Verbal diarrhea?"The rapid profuse words explosion 😁
Jonfaith wrote: "IKEA haunts us collectively: hence the Mieville story about the haunted ball pit."Oh, I forgot about that story! Must find it.
IKEA is a creepily terrifying and yet fascinating place. Eating their meatballs is, I think, just like the legends claim eating a food offered by the fae � it makes it impossible to escape the haunted enchanted labyrinth.
Good to know before I go--as a vegetarian I should be safe, right?
John wrote: "Good to know before I go--as a vegetarian I should be safe, right?"If you don’t eat meatballs, don’t step into any rooms that seem to lead to alternate dimensions and leave a sufficient trail of breadcrumbs to lead you back if you become terminally lost � then yes, you may be reasonably safe.
Bring a compass with you just in case though.
Our local IKEA crew seem efficient enough to sweep up any breadcrumbs they find. I'll stay away.
John wrote: "Our local IKEA crew seem efficient enough to sweep up any breadcrumbs they find. I'll stay away."Well, your fallback may be a mile-long safety line (unless the parallel dimension creatures cut through it, of course).
But really, going to IKEA is a survival experience that goes far beyond shopping 😂
Dennis wrote: "Lol. I have to steal that IKEA image."It’s so true, isn’t it?
Wait... Maybe IKEA is actually a giant maze built by aliens, and we are the lab mice trying to solve it???
Hahaha! You are. You and all the others I mean. I have it figured out. But it's still funny.
Dennis wrote: "Hahaha! You are. You and all the others I mean. I have it figured out. But it's still funny."So does that make you one of the smart mice or an alien scientist in disguise? 🤔
It does make me the person that noticed the door to the right directly after the entrance.
Dennis wrote: "It does make me the person that noticed the door to the right directly after the entrance."Entering through the exit door? INCONCEIVABLE!
Haha! No. I go in through the entrance, then go directly to the right, through the door that leads me to the other end of the maze. And also to the stairwell. I go down the stairwell, take a short cut (bed linens to lighting - which saves me half of the downstairs maze), make my way through plants directly to the high racks where I pick up whatever I had looked up before I got into the car, go straight to the checkout and am halfway back home before the first mouse has left the upstairs maze. That's my usual IKEA shopping experience.
Dennis wrote: "Haha! No. I go in through the entrance, then go directly to the right, through the door that leads me to the other end of the maze. And also to the stairwell. I go down the stairwell, take a short ..."What is that sorcery???? You are not supposed to crack the maze! Beware the wrath of the Labyrinth!
Hmmm, maybe you can lead our glorious Revolution against the overlords of the IKEA maze...
Lol. I just don't like standing between annoyed and impatient people at the check-out. So I make sure I'm the first there. It's probably not the shopping experience IKEA envisioned. But I prefer it that way.
I’m going to be using this comment thread as a guidance when I need to go to IKEA again.
Let's just hope no ŷ librarian sees this. They will simply delete the door.
Dennis wrote: "Let's just hope no ŷ librarian sees this. They will simply delete the door."Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
*deep breath*
Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Honestly? I cried this morning and your review and those quotes have given me a much need bellylaugh. think I must follow up on this.
Magdelanye wrote: "Honestly? I cried this morning and your review and those quotes have given me a much need bellylaugh. think I must follow up on this."I’m glad it helped cheer you up! Hopefully whatever was the reason for crying gets better. Hugs.
Audrey wrote: "Sounds fun."It is, but certainly could have been done better.
Audrey wrote: "Such a shame."I mean, it’s not bad. It’s just not that good either. It could have done more with what it had � but it’s still an entertaining short read. I just can’t help imagining what it could have been with tighter focus and more development.
That's one crazy idea for a book :D But seems fun?
I think it only fails in that the premise suggests a fabulous and ingenuous story and it delivers an okay story.
Caro wrote: "That's one crazy idea for a book :D But seems fun?"I love that premise � seems logical in the maze of IKEA. The execution could be better though.
Jessica wrote: "I think it only fails in that the premise suggests a fabulous and ingenuous story and it delivers an okay story."Exactly. The premise had me sold with no questions, but it missed the mark on developing the story.
First ǰǰö, now this! IKEA's pretty new here in India but a big-ass store's about to open near my place, and I'm half-convinced already that it's going to be haunted xD
Scarlet wrote: "First ǰǰö, now this! IKEA's pretty new here in India but a big-ass store's about to open near my place, and I'm half-convinced already that it's going to be haunted xD"It certainly can be... those giant stores with small worlds inside are just asking to be haunted.
Stephen wrote: "reading the sequel now."I’m curious to see how that one turns out.
Is the IKEA wormhole some kind of corollary of the Hitchhikers Guide Italian Restaurant FTL drive?
Manny wrote: "Is the IKEA wormhole some kind of corollary of the Hitchhikers Guide Italian Restaurant FTL drive?"One certainly can think so. The idea of IKEA wormhole is quite fun, isn’t it?
Nataliya wrote: "The idea of IKEA wormhole is quite fun, isn’t it?"Definitely! And ideally I would also like a connection to the good old Keith Laumer Worlds of the Imperium series, where Stockholm rules the multiverse.
Left Coast Justin wrote: "Fun review! Thanks."Thanks, Justin! I had pretty high hopes for this one, but it didn’t end up as good as I hoped. I hope someone takes this idea and gives it better treatment.
The wormhole also appears in the sequel. Defekt starts out as an interesting alternative take on Convenience Store Woman. Then the wormhole is mentioned and I sense the book is about to completely derail.
Stephen wrote: "The wormhole also appears in the sequel. Defekt starts out as an interesting alternative take on Convenience Store Woman. Then the wormhole is mentioned and I sense the book is about to completely ..."Hmmm, keep me updated. It sounds like it has potential.
