Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

20 reviews

breeezzy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Body horror, Gun violence, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, and Self harm

Moderate: Alcoholism and Slavery

itsmrlol's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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

This book had its confusing moments, but gosh, it was so good. I love books about Black women concurring everything. It's inspiring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Genocide

Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Lesbophobia

nodogsonthemoon's review

adventurous emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Body horror, Blood, Pregnancy, Racism, Gore, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Colonisation, Genocide, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Homophobia, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

whitedaylilies's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence

mischka's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, and Stalking

Minor: Ableism

storieswithbee's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

2.5

Genre: adult fiction, paranormal, horror, LGBT, Sci-Fi, Gothic, Speculative fiction, dark fiction

Age range: 18+

Overall: 2.5/5

Characters: 4/5 

Plot: 2/5

Writing and Setting: 4/5

Content warning: *sex scenes, adult language, racism, violence, gore, sexual abuse, religious cults, forced institutionalisation, self-harm, plus many many more.

The gist of my review:  

This book... my god. I don’t know how we went from a girl fighting the cult and government that imprisoned her to becoming a super human due to a fungus that had morphed with her body, but it happened. And if I’m being honest, I’m disappointed that it did happen. 

This book has a very extensive list of trigger warning so please be cautious when considering reading this book. 

In my opinion, this book would have been perfect if it stayed on the same path it initially started on. We have a cast of strong and diverse characters from different cultures and sexual orientations, the representation is phenomenal, but the Science Fiction element totally encompassed the initial storyline and swept it off into a very strange and often confronting direction. 

I think there is definitely an audience for this book, however, I can understand why people stop reading it at the 20% mark. This is clearly displayed by the polarising ratings and reviews. 

All together, the writing is very challenging, the characters individually are astounding,  but there wasn’t any content warning provided at the start of the book so readers are entering into some very pressing and troubling scenes blind. In addition, as I mentioned, the book took on a very strange direction when I don’t believe it needed to. My review will be very polarising considering I have given the book a rather low rating, but I think the best way I can describe it is that the book is quite literally unforgettable, but for both good and bad reasons. 

Characters: 4/5

There are a few distinct characters in this book but I’m only going to talk about the ones that are most prominent. When I mention race, it’s because it very important to the plot of the book, I apologise in advance if I offended anyone.

Vern:

Vern is a very unique main character. To begin with, she is a albino black young women who has grown up in a very oppressive black person’s cult. She rebels against just about every rule and social construct, not only while in the cult, but also after she escapes. 

Throughout the story we discover that she is bisexual and she is open to exploring her sexuality and seeking out her own pleasure. She has offhanded sex with a fair few people (and... beings), and develops a deep relationship with two women. 

In addition, Vern is a teen mother to twins, however her parenting isn’t socially conventional considering she raises her children in the wilderness when leaving the cult. Her children, Howling and Feral, are products of her free spirited nature, and their behaviours are often reflections of the previous traits and actions we’ve seen from Vern throughout the book.

The way that Vern was written was phenomenal. In short, the only way I can accurately describe her is that she reminds me of a fierce Lioness. She is an incredibly diverse women who is a marvel both due to what happens to her throughout the book, but also just plainly as a character. I haven’t come across a character written in this way in all my years of reading and I found her totally fascinating. I think it will be a long time before I forget Vern.

Gogo:

Gogo is a character we’re introduced to after that 20% mark in the book and I’m thankful that I read further to be introduced to her. 

Gogo is a strong, opinionated and incredibly intelligent lesbian black women. She knows what she wants and she battles tooth and nail to achieve her goals. Gogo has a medical degree and is the person the local community look towards when they can’t go seek conventional medical treatments due to stigma and costs. 

Gogo is one of the two intimate relationships that Vern experiences throughout the book. In comparison to all of Vern other sexual partners, the partnership with Gogo comes across as one that shares a very deep understanding and passion for one another. Gogo provides Vern with a sense of solace, especially when Vern’s body and mind take on a supernatural turn. The two are very compatible and they reflect on each other incredibly well. 

Plot: 2/5

I’ve mentioned it a few times now, but I really detested the supernatural/ paranormal / science fiction element to Vern’s story. I think the book could have been a very fascinating read if it had gone down the path of fighting the cult and the government as a ‘human’. Obviously this would have changed a large proportion of the story but (not trying to give away spoilers so I’m being purposefully vague), but an exoskeleton...? Spurs...? Mind control...? Really...? *rolls eyes* It was just too much. 

Writing and Setting: 4/5

The writing is in 3rd person, which normally I don’t enjoy as much as first person, but with Solomon’s writing style, it was a really fascinating way to digest this story. The writing itself was incredibly complex and it requires the reader to be very engaged at all times. 

The settings throughout the book are very unique in a multitude of different ways. In each different location, which was beautifully written, we see different levels and new developments in Vern, her ‘condition’, and her family.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Blood, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

'Sorrowland' by Rivers Solomon is a harrowing look at how the United States treats Black bodies.
The story follows Vern, who has escaped life on a compound and retreated to the woods. Vern has recently given birth to twins and is trying desperately to protect her children while dealing with the sudden and mysterious changes that her body is going through. As she seeks out more information on what is happening to her, she begins to learn the truth behind the compound upon which she was raised and its impact on her. 
In 'Sorrowland,' Solomon explores the deep history of how the United States steals and tortures Black people through a fabulist lens. It is a horror story but the horrors themselves are not the fabulist elements but the real and lived experience of too many Black people in America. 
Vern is a complicated character but she is so human. We get to see her flaws and also her strengths painted next to one another. She is a deeply caring mother but she is also reeling from the trauma that she endured growing up. As she leaves the compound and creates connections with new people, she is able to grow and begin to deal with what has been done to her. 
Though the arc of the story does not cover a long amount of time, it explores a lot of what Vern has gone through, including reflections on familial trauma, the homophobia she has experienced, and her own growth and personal exploration. 
I recommend this to anyone and everyone. I think it would be well paired with a nonfiction title that explores the history of the United States' experimentation on Black people as further reading. Rivers Solomon continues to be a defining voice in speculative fiction and I will definitely be picking up whatever they write next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Cancer

yoda32's review

dark emotional slow-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

4.0

Sorrowland is told from the perspective of Vern( an albino black teenager) who at 15 and pregnant, escapes from Cainland- a dangerous cult masquerading as a safe haven for black people. From there we follow Vern over the years, as she hides away in woods with her twins but when a sickness infecting her body- causing haunting by the dead, and deforming her bones- gets progressively worse, she decides to take her children and get help. But Vern’s strange sickness links to the horrifying Cainland, and the people behind it all...are not done with her yet! 

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Sorrowland is a mix of SFF and horror that pulls you in from the first page. Vern is one of the STRONGEST characters I have ever read about, and I devoured this book. Rivers Solomon wrote so exquisitely; it was you could feel the hauntings and terror each time Vern experienced them. You could further feel the bonds between Vern and her children, and again with two other major side characters. 

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 While it does so in a fictional setting and metaphors, Sorrowland does not shy away from highlighting the horrors black people and black women endure at the hands of the American government. Which is extremely important! Sorrowland further explores different forms of abuse-whether mentally, physically, parental or domestic-, sexuality (Vern is attracted to women), gender and love. 

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Sometimes you read a book and you know you’ll NEVER forget it and Sorrowland was that book for me. It had scenes that were horrifying, soft, scary, and truly unforgettable. I highly recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Genocide, Death of parent, and Blood

amandabcook's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Stalking, Violence, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Genocide, and Sexual assault

Content warnings: childbirth, threat of child death/kidnapping, stalking, gaslighting, racial violence, "scientific" experimentation on Black people, body horror, person becoming animalish, beheading, infection by mysterious agent, sex with ghosts

reviewsandreadathons's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

There is a lot here to dissect and think about. It’s definitely a book that will benefit from a second reading but the first one was powerful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Medical trauma, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism and Racial slurs

Minor: Addiction