Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

10 reviews

ash_ton's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.75

i read this for the LGBTQIA+ book club i'm a part of! i don't normally gravitate towards science fiction so it's always nice to be pleasantly surprised. 
i was not expecting the turn the book took. like, at all. wild

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Homophobia, Blood, Stalking, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Sexism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Cannibalism, Child death, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Suicide, Bullying, Cancer, and Cultural appropriation

lpdx's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Confinement, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide, Torture, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Cancer and Medical content

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started reading the book. Usually I know at least a little bit of the plot or have some vague idea what it might be about. But this time I knew nothing. And I have to say, it's not a book I would usually pick up, but I flew through it, and I'm glad I read it. 

It's a story about Vern, who is raised in an isolated cult community. After she is forced to marry the reverend and gets pregnant, she flees the compound and tries to survive on her own.

It's a very raw and gritty story, with fantastical and horror elements. I really liked the writing, even though the graphic violence, gore, body horror and visceral descriptions were not my favorite thing. Although, they created a great atmosphere that fit the story. 

I was surprised how mysterious and introspective the story was while still being a page turner full of action. Important themes like racism, misogyny, religion, identity, belonging, motherhood and queerness were very prevalent in the book. I especially enjoyed the found family trope and the survival aspect of the story (please be aware that animals are harmed and eaten, though) as well as the diversity. There are queer, intersex and disabled characters and the protagonist is all of it combined. Vern is a very flawed but also resilient character, I loved her and was rooting for her. The character development is amazing, as well as the relationships and their development. And I absolutely adored Howling and Feral! 

I had some issues with parts of the plot and the pacing, but in the end everything fit so well together, and I was not expecting to like the ending as much as I did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Violence, Self harm, Sexual content, Transphobia, Animal death, Confinement, Murder, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Child death, Grief, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexism

Minor: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, and Alcoholism

dustghosts's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Sorrowland had a little bit of everything that I wanted from the other horror books I read this past October. Visceral and mysterious body horror intertwined with a really compelling and (unfortunately) timeless, unflinching look at the mycelium of systemic racism (colonialism, human experimentation, systemic poverty and the lengths it might drive someone to, religious bigotry, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia and interphobia— etcetera). I think this should be a must-read for people who lean too heavily on “blaming the system” while turning away from personal responsibility for the way that participation in those systems hurts people specifically. Vern is a complicated protagonist with mostly uncomplicated motives— and she compelled me more than anything else about this book. The supernatural “twist” to the story doesn’t soften the issues at hand, but underlines it. At times, it this read a bit too blunt/heavy-handed for me— but by and large this felt like a purposeful narrative choice, so it’s splitting hairs. The horror and the sorrow and the misery of it all is balanced, all the way through, by a thread of tender togetherness that I think will stay with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Torture, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Murder, Torture, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Racism, Addiction, Cancer, Cannibalism, Car accident, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Gun violence, and Suicide

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

• 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

4.75

GOD i did NOT heed the trigger warnings and I honestly don't even have an excuse like I knew this was a horror novel and still picked it up. don't make my mistake and please be safe. Anyway this BOOK!!!! /pos
absolute fucking masterpiece

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cursing, Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Homophobia, Sexual content, Slavery, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Self harm, Stalking, and Torture

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Vomit, Trafficking, Rape, Excrement, and Medical content

Minor: Suicide, Racial slurs, Transphobia, Infertility, Terminal illness, and Cancer

graphic: cult

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

laurareads87's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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

4.25

Sorrowland is a hard book to categorize in terms of genre -- horror and science fiction and more -- and covers many important, difficult, & complex themes.  As always, Solomon's writing is incredible -- I found myself highlighting passages not just because they spoke to me, but for their sheer beauty.  The book is told from a single POV -- that of Vern -- but many supporting characters are multi-faceted + well developed (with much diversity of representation).  The pacing felt slightly inconsistent in a few places but overall, the plot captivated me and contained a number of twists that I did not anticipate; that said, I do think this is equally as much a character-driven book as a plot-driven one.  I have read every book Solomon has written thusfar and this will certainly not be the last -- highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Gun violence, Police brutality, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Stalking, Gaslighting, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Rape, and Torture

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Transphobia, Homophobia, Car accident, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Alcoholism, Ableism, Bullying, Cancer, and Racial slurs

liteartha's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

i've absolutely never read a thing like sorrowland. it's an ambitious, bizarre, beast of a novel that left me both thoroughly enthralled and thoroughly horrified in turn.

we follow vern — young, pregnant, and fleeing the abusive cult in which she was raised — as she escapes into the woods to make a new life away from the clutches of cainland and her husband, the cult’s leader. she’s pursued, haunted, and leads a life of constant survival with her twin babies, whom she names howling and feral. as time passes, vern finds the bizarre lingering effects of her time in cainland aren’t fading, and even stranger still, she herself seems to be changing in some terrifying and inexplicable way⁣.

set in contemporary america, sorrowland paints an unflinching portrait of exactly what brutality the nation is built on and how that legacy of violence carries on today, particularly in its treatment of Black and Indigenous peoples.

solomon’s writing is gorgeous and the tale at its centre is deeply unsettling. it's a gothic, fantastical, ride packed with social commentary and critique. there's also a wealth of varied representation and exploration of identity in terms of race, sexuality, gender, and disability, all within a very small cast of characters.

the pacing did lull somewhat in parts, there were some side characters that didn't feel fully realised and some smaller ones that seemed as good as forgotten on page (possibly an arc issue), and the last few chapters felt rather rushed, leaving me with a number of questions in the end, but on the whole this book was brilliant and i'd happily purchase a finished copy to reread, ponder over, and quote the living hell out of.

thank you to netgalley and mcd for providing this advance copy in exchange for an honest review

tw:

racism/colonialism, ableism, cults, childbirth, blood, gore, animal cruelty and killing, pedophilia, homophobia/internalized homophobia, death/child death, drowning, self harm, medical trauma, body horror, medical trauma, child abuse, domestic abuse, slurs, mutilation, cannibalism, suicide, rape, AIDS, mention of cancer, drug/alcohol abuse

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Racial slurs

sebrittainclark's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is incredible! Vern has escaped the cult she grew up in. Free from its influence and alone in the wilderness with her children, her body begins to transform into something new, and she begins to realize the cult was hiding much bigger secrets than she realized.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Homophobia

Moderate: Alcoholism and Torture

Minor: Cancer, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

booksthatburn's review against another edition

dark 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

*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book. 

Haunting and visceral, SORROWLAND is the story of a Black intersex teenage mother and her children after leaving a religious compound for the woods. It has a subtle kind of intensity where each passage is bearable, but any literal description of the plot tends toward a catalog of horrors. 

This book has such a beautiful way with language. The words weave and roll; mesmerizing whether describing turning a deer’s sinew into bowstring, the ever-changing wonder of Vern’s children growing up, or the strange and monstrous changes taking over her body. Since it is a horror story about a mother, I’ll clarify that her relationship with her children is not a source of horror. The way the children are described is full of love, exasperation, and endearment, usually in equal parts, wrapped in the tension between protectiveness and fostering their growing autonomy. It’s about a person fostering their own sense of agency as they care for someone else, as they have people to protect.

The worldbuilding inhabits a strange space where many relevant facets of US history are alluded to or perhaps even briefly described, but because one character or another is hearing of them for the first time, the narrative gives space and understanding to pull the reader in if they are similarly unfamiliar. In many ways the true horror is how little of the book requires the speculative elements in order to be terrifying, for often the mundane details are the most grotesque. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Transphobia, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer

CW for ableism, homophobia, transphobia, interphobia, kidnapping, medical content, sexual content, infertility, cancer (not depicted), blood, gore, violence, gun violence, emotional abuse, physical abuse, domestic abuse, adult/minor relationship, child abuse, self harm, body horror, animal death, suicide, parental death, child death, death. TW for mention of AIDS (brief).