The author intends for the reader to sympathize with this character, but instead she comes off as helpless, useless, and quite irritating. Not to sound callous, but I prefer my protagonists to rise above what they're dealing with to save the day, rather than run away into the bathroom, lock the door and bawl their eyes out whenever they encounter a stressful situation (this happens several times). Fortunately there are only a few depictions of self-harm.
I lost count as to how many times the author took us through an anxiety or panic attack in excruciating detail. I'm trying to be entertained here, and I don't find this entertaining. I'm not sure why so many new books, shows, and movies have to be all about working through trauma. The focus of the sequel is on Cora's trauma from this incident. Near the end of the first novel, Cora is eviscerated by one of the bad guy aliens, and then patched back together by her good alien friend. This is mostly because the main character has been transformed from your typical fish out of water, likeable, relatable protagonist into this insufferable train wreck. I was hoping for more of the same with Truth of the Divine, but alas, it stinks. Axiom's End is a very enjoyable sci-fi adventure about a young woman (a lost, unsuccessful college dropout, bit of a loser type) and the alien who she eventually befriends. Or if I enjoyed the author's previous works, such as in this case. Rather than take chances, I prefer to go by recommendations, positive reviews, or just go by the reputation of the author. I am careful with my book purchases, maybe even a little bit too careful. I tend to start what I finish, but at around the halfway point, my eyes were starting to feel a bit of strain from rolling back into my head so frequently. I read for fun, and only a few chapters in, it was starting to feel like a chore. But this one took me about two months to finish, and that's because I simply had no desire to pick it up again after each reading session. If I really am engaged with a novel, I can finish even a fairly long one in a couple of weekends. It took me a long time to get through this book.
Content warning - self-harm, mental health issues, racism discussion
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