Reviews

slightly different take on post apocalyptic new york emptied by a mysterious plague. somehow also manages to brilliantly depict the surreal reality of a pandemic intersecting with late stage capitalism and globalisation. i really enjoyed this, but the ending did let me down a bit and so did the pacing.

sshb's review

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dark mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

and_i's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

drrayeraye's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

ilovetoreadsomuch1234's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

WOW
Ok to be honest I liked the beginning better than the end but it was RLLY good

illiteratezombie's review

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

smily_tiffany's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reading this right after Station Eleven meant that I approached it for awhile as a side-by-side comparison of two authors' takes on pandemic lit. About 100 pages in, I realized that the heart of Severance is not the pandemic and its aftermath. It is a book about identity, with the lens of a pandemic to force the protagonist Candace to take stock of her life, in the face of extremely dire circumstances. The book spends a lot of time traveling back to formative moments in Candace's past. Arguably more time in the past than her present in a group of pandemic survivors traveling to a mysterious place called "The Facility." Where Station Eleven explores the stories of multiple characters and their reaction to crisis, the backdrop of New York City and other members of the survivors crew are simply devices for Candace's journey of self-determination. Candace spends her whole life struggling to reconcile her heritage, familial trauma, and expectations and desire, and the pandemic is simply another complicating factor for her. Ma's writing is measured, thoughtful, sharp, and effective. She doesn't throw much fluff in, and lets the story speak for itself. It's an interesting read overall.

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