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midnightsong22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
4.75
mal8's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
lilliana_blackstar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
scholastic_squid's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Hmm still reflecting on this however if I am of the opinion that the first half was stronger than the second half. Vern’s slogan should be “the horrors persist but so do I” as that is what I’m getting as take away. There were a great deal of atrocities committed against the black Americans through US history and although many occur in more mysterious ways in present day they still persist.
Sorrowland carries you through some of the events rather well and in a sci-fi aspect through the first half of the book but the second half seemed to force the facts upon the reader? Idk.. it’s a good read but I’m not sure I would read this again. I would considering reading from the same author again though because they are a good writer.
Sorrowland carries you through some of the events rather well and in a sci-fi aspect through the first half of the book but the second half seemed to force the facts upon the reader? Idk.. it’s a good read but I’m not sure I would read this again. I would considering reading from the same author again though because they are a good writer.
corinnabrose's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
macknz_p's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
qteabeans's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A thoughtful and contemplative read. I know there were times when I didn't reach for this audiobook while doing things because I knew it would leave me feeling a bit drained and sad. It does end with some hopefulness. I think that the everyone is saved ending ruined things a bit for me. A bit super hero-y in a way that was tough.
mxunsmiley's review against another edition
5.0
Where do I begin with this book? It's hard for me to articulate all the reasons I love it in a way that seems to fit how good it is. Rivers Solomon has reimagined gothic horror and translated it to capture Black generational racial trauma that is genuinely terrifying. The hauntings they describe as actual physical manifestations of that trauma was so unique.
I love the many critiques they offer of everything from the imperialist, genocidal project of the United States to white gay complicity in that project to children's expected deference to authority.
Vern is extremely complex and sometimes unlikable, though her actions and thoughts are very well-explored and justified. I love that she clearly doesn't know how to love, yet still displays it and gradually fully consciously, and has conflicted feelings about motherhood, while the author continues to humanize her. So many of the other characters are equally as interesting. I love that the author shows rather than tells, which of course is how stories should be told but lately, while I do enjoy books despite this for reasons from plot to characters, that seems to be rarer and rarer.
There's a lot of echos of Butler here but I think they've carved their own domain as well. Probably the only complaint one may have is that they come across as didactic in tone in some parts of the narrative, which pulls you away from the story, but it's negligible in my opinion.
In addition, the imagery they use is so wide and worthy of a lot of thought and analysis. I love the fungi imagery especially. The allusions to Exodus were also very interesting to me, particularly the river carrying and saving Moses even as it killed so many other first-born Hebrews male children. There's a lot to think about!
I also love
Honestly too much to say! I just highly recommend it but warnings for antiblack racism involving experimentation, cults, abuse, self-harm, body horror, gore, violence, cannibalism... It's very heavy, much like Solomon's other book, An Unkindness of Ghosts, so I would tread with caution if you are squeamish about body horror and gore especially.
I love the many critiques they offer of everything from the imperialist, genocidal project of the United States to white gay complicity in that project to children's expected deference to authority.
Vern is extremely complex and sometimes unlikable, though her actions and thoughts are very well-explored and justified. I love that she clearly doesn't know how to love, yet still displays it and gradually fully consciously, and has conflicted feelings about motherhood, while the author continues to humanize her. So many of the other characters are equally as interesting. I love that the author shows rather than tells, which of course is how stories should be told but lately, while I do enjoy books despite this for reasons from plot to characters, that seems to be rarer and rarer.
There's a lot of echos of Butler here but I think they've carved their own domain as well. Probably the only complaint one may have is that they come across as didactic in tone in some parts of the narrative, which pulls you away from the story, but it's negligible in my opinion.
In addition, the imagery they use is so wide and worthy of a lot of thought and analysis. I love the fungi imagery especially. The allusions to Exodus were also very interesting to me, particularly the river carrying and saving Moses even as it killed so many other first-born Hebrews male children. There's a lot to think about!
I also love
Spoiler
how they wrote a sex scene between HIV-positive men and portrayed it as desirable, not contemptible.Honestly too much to say! I just highly recommend it but warnings for antiblack racism involving experimentation, cults, abuse, self-harm, body horror, gore, violence, cannibalism... It's very heavy, much like Solomon's other book, An Unkindness of Ghosts, so I would tread with caution if you are squeamish about body horror and gore especially.
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
3.0
Not exactly what I was expecting, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I thought for sure this was going to be some sort of dystopian speculative novel, but it was set very much in the present and had more of a medical/creature feature sort of flair. I will say that this is NOT a gothic (and will publishers please stop pitching everything with ghosts as a gothic????? It is misleading). The rating is mostly due to the ending for me, which fell apart and got a little explainy—including a few "villain tells all" moments that could have been cut out.