Reviews with content warning for Death - Severance

So my biggest problem with this book was that it was trying to do way to too much. It felt like it was trying to be a literary fiction character study, while also being a dystopian apocalypse book. But this just led to the tones of the two plot lines being drastically different, and the switch between them being very jarring.
I also just didn’t think Candace was a very compelling character.
The one thing I did like was the virus. The idea was cool, and the beginning of the pandemic was spooky and reminded me of Covid, even though this book was written before.
The reason I decided to dnf this even past the halfway point was that I just realized I did not care about what happened to the characters or how the story ended.
Listened to on Libby.

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46jjsg's review against another edition

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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

2.0

Who is this novel for? What was this novel for?? Sometimes there are stories told to just to be told and I get that- I seriously do; however, I feel so tricked into reading this because where's the satire on capitalism and the modern workforce that I was promised?? For context, I'm an Asian American immigrant who is 25F + works in corporate + in the Midwest. You would think I would be able to relate to the mc but the more I read the more I found the mc of this novel to be frustrating and by the end of the novel I was tearing my hair out like that's it?? I don't know if it's because I'm gen z but I just wanted to grab the mc by the shoulders and a scream at her to get herself together it's so embarrassing!!! I don't understand the author, am I supposed to root for Candace? Is she meant to be unlikable? I've read novels with unlikable characters (see: Wuthering Heights) but at least they have actions that revolve around a theme and you learn something as a reader or it opens up a discussion. Candace is so passive and just so emotionally detached literally pre and post shen fever that I just feel like if she doesn't care about her own life (multiple self destructive behaviors) so why should I care for her?? Candace longs for connection and the sense of belonging, but her attempts (if they can even be called that) at building meaningful relationships are so lack luster?? Like I said. Maybe it's because of my age, but I just don't get this. I like contemporaries. I like dystopians. I like nonlinear storytelling. But this novel just wasn't it. 2 stars because despite all of this, the premise is really interesting at a surface level and I'm impressed this was published pre-covid. The bar is low. Maybe I would've rated this higher if I wasn't a asian american woman myself but who knows.

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savshelfinger's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective 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

3.5

pretty twisted apocalyptic coming-of-age. ending was a bit anti-climactic for me.

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andeulea's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It’s interesting this book was published before the COVID-19 pandemic. It definitely reminded me of how many people felt when the virus was first spreading.

However, unlike the pandemic, large corporations in this world did not thrive. Even NYC was crumbling. Here, a deadly plague impacted everyone, regardless of social class.

It did take a while for me to get into the book because the narrative kept switching from the present, to the main character, Candace’s past in NY, to the present, to the families past, etc..

I'm curious about the author's decision to introduce Candace's Fujianese background and family's past in a post-apocalyptic setting. Other than maybe identifying her as a person of color? The present and future offer no references to the relevance of this information, but not sure if it even matters. At least I got to learn about my ancestors’ history? I guess?

Overall, I had fun reading about the world falling apart while the apocalypse unfolded. It was a depressing but also thrilling read!

Update: After some reflection, the mention of Candace's background becomes clearer. It seems that the apocalypse served as an allegory for the "severance" of any ties that Candace may have had to her Chinese background. Following her family's arrival to the US, she began losing that part of her identity, a common experience for many immigrant children. However, Ling Ma's writing style made me feel like this comparison was more of a stretch.

But! The use of the apocalypse as an allegory for the modern day 9-5 workday was more prevalent through the Shen Fever. This fever served as a metaphor for the monotonous routine of middle-class laborers operating on autopilot, without reflection or thought.

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gfiore11's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

A surprisingly thought-provoking read, Ma depicts with shocking accuracy the sensation of disassociation, and the reality of a pandemic. Laced with beautiful and specific details about the Asian-American experience in a background of tragic (but harmless) zombies.

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errie's review against another edition

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reflective

4.0

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arayo's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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