Reviews

Severance by Ling Ma

jenmangler's review against another edition

3.0

I'm typically not a fan of the flashback/flash forward style, but it really worked here. The ending fizzled a bit, but overall I really enjoyed Candace's story.

danilebron's review against another edition

reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

i really enjoyed reading this, i think the satire/commentary on capitalism + reading this post 2020 made this timely to say the least lol. 

i really liked the style in which the story was told, jumping between these different time periods was so good and at no point was i feeling any of the things shared were unnecessary. something about this book was funny in the way that unfunny things are funny… i hope that makes sense. im glad things ended how they did and that she made reference to herself as rootless. something about that + what it means to keep/hold on to your culture and participate in it did was a really interesting and nuanced space. also loved reading about her parents and her mom’s role towards the end of the book.

however, i didn’t love that she was

pregnant and that was in part because i was not fully understanding to keep the baby.

i feel like this plot point was a little unnecessary ??? like i understood why i guess in the sense that it sets up the present but i just don’t understand the motivation as much as id like to.

jessieost's review against another edition

challenging funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

matt717's review against another edition

reflective fast-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

3.5

caseyaonso's review against another edition

4.0

soo quietly eerie and devastating! solidified for me that i clearly have a thing for apocalypse media lol. really liked the balance between the past and present povs, i usually dont love that structure but ma was able to create solid intrigue both before and during the pandemic (without shelling out cheap dramatics constantly) that made the story super engaging. there’s a lot of cultural commentary to chew on in this as well (and some insanely dead-on predictions considering this came out in 2018). have to mention the concept for the infected as a highlight too, their qualities were so interesting and really leaned into what i personally prefer when it comes to gore (focusing more on the mental horror over body). not surprising but this reminded me at points of the feeling when picking up those lore notes in tlou but funny enough toward the end it also felt reminiscent of everything you ever wanted by luiza sauma (which i loved).

koriann's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

niu_reads's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

steller0707's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

jademcam's review against another edition

5.0

ce livre va rester dans mes pensées un bon bout de temps je pense… j’ai eu un peu de mal à rentrer dans l’histoire au départ mais ensuite vraiment incroyable ! une critique de la société capitaliste sous forme d’une épidémie
ling ma a une plume magnifique <3

wall0w's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

3.5

I think I went into this book expecting something different than what it delivers. Above all else, this book is a slice of life, non-linearly following our protagonist through the pre-, post-, and arising apocalypse. 
I heard the plot of this described many times as "the apocalypse happens and you just keep working because capitalism" and, while that is one plot point (one that is at the middle of the timeline), I wouldn't necessarily call it central. In my reading, the emotional experiences of the main character, and her drive to keep going forward is at the core. 
I might have liked the book more if I liked or connected to any of the characters, or their motivations (or even the set pieces). It could be the experience of living through a pandemic that (hot take) is still raging that this story feels less impactful but if I'm honest, this is probably one of the books that I read and forget that I've read it.