Reviews with content warning for Slavery - Sorrowland

Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

20 reviews

parkerluck's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

I loved the plot and the characters, especially everything with Vern and her children. The prose was lovely, although occasionally a bit... overbearing? But once I adjusted to it it was easy to move with.

I did find the 3rd part to be a little scattered/rushed. Too many side characters introduced that only seemed to exist as a vehicle for the author to pontificate (the hunters/motel women). The ideas weren't bad, but they felt out of place, especially since those themes could have been addressed a little more naturally when Vern was making her way through the world earlier. The denouement action also felt a little tacked on after we had spent so much time immersed in the rest of the story.

Overall, really good though! I'll definitely be thinking about this book for awhile, and it filled a gap I was looking for.

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atalea's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

3.0

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breeezzy's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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? No

4.0

This is one of those books that I knew I wanted to read. Both of the previous books I've read by Solomon (An Unkindness of Ghosts and The Deep) have been phenomenal. But I also knew it was going to be pretty heavy, as all their books have been, and also this one in particular leaned into horror (according to the blurb), which is a genre I usually steer clear from, as I am so easily scared. So I knew I wanted to read it, but I had to wait until the right time - and as the days have been getting warmer and longer, I felt like I was finally ready to take it on.

At seven months pregnant, Vern escapes the strict (cult-like, really) religious compound where she has been raised, fleeing into the woods. These woods are the place where she gives birth to twins, determined to raise them far from the world, despite the lurking presence of the dangerous Fiend. But the community she escaped from refuses to let her go, and that, along with a strange physical metamorphosis that is giving her some intense powers (and causing some intense pain). In order to figure out what is happening to her, and create a safe future for her twins, Vern will have to face her past, confront the compound she escaped from (and it's deeply buried secrets tied to the dark sides of recent American history), and learn to harness her anger and power for both destruction and hope.

As expected, this was dark, emotionally intense, incredibly socially...exposing (for lack of a better word there), and, as far as the fantasy-horror aspects are concerned, creepily tense and perfectly weird. It begins as a sort of dreamy (or nightmare-y) surreal woodsy horror (though with a scarily familiar basis), that slowly blends right into a present day that does a most spectacular job highlighting the horror of our actual history/reality. Like I said, I don't really read horror (I'm a scaredy-cat...and value my sleep too much), but this particular style of horror does seem reminiscent of the one other horror novel I"ve read in the past like, five years: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Both touch on the real terrors of colonization and intergenerational memory and trauma and current day white ignorance and interweaves it beautifully with a supernatural (and sort of psychological) terror built around nature and animals. Overall, a very well-written combination of speculative/magical realism and real-life style fiction.

A few other notes/themes that stuck out to me while reading included the mythologicalization/mystification, in a folklore-like way, of the strength and endurance that mothers, Black mothers specifically, have been forced to have, throughout American history. I also loved the various ways that intergenerational and historic trauma was portrayed, both with the memories that come through, for Vern, as "hauntings," as well as the physical manifestation of the deformation and resilience this caused/required for survival with the "passenger. And although we do eventually get a more "solid" explanation for said passenger (in a horrible, but also sort of poignant way), I am still here for the metaphorical interpretation of it that I first landed on. Additionally, there was such a focus on the calling out of government neglect and taking advantage of the most vulnerable for their own ends - a pattern throughout American history, and not at all better in the present day, that deserves all the calling out that can be leveled at it. Solomon does a lot to recognize the many ways this manifests itself in Vern's life, as a Black woman/mother, as well as through her friend Gogo, who gives voice to the Indigenous populations of this land. (Solomon also recognizes those first peoples in her acknowledgements and notes that appear at both the start and finish of this novel.) There is quite a bit of violence in this story, of the institutional and interpersonal varieties, from those we trust and those we don’t, and it is often quite a bit to take it. Along with all the other potentially triggering topics mentioned up to this point, please be aware of that. However, after some peak violence/loss and Vern's final confrontation with her original "home," there is also a slight message of hope in the ending, which is particularly meaningful, after everything heavy this story holds. Overall, the vibe and messaging in this novel are the definitive highlights. While I was into the story the whole time, I have to say that the plot and character development are not as robust, and wouldn't hold their own, in my opinion, without the rest. Like I said, still quite an engrossing read, but I wanted to just make note of that, so readers come in with correct expectations of where the genius in this piece of literature lies.

A final thing I want to note about this novel, and I feel like it deserves its own paragraph because of how wonderful it is: the representation aspects. In general, there is just a glorious queer vibe to this entire novel, but the way that Solomon specifically addresses (or doesn't address, as it were) gender is special. Firstly, there is such a breadth of gender rep, including both trans and intersex (not something I often see/read), as well as an overall purposeful dis-clarity on characters' genders that is both disconcerting (as sometimes the pronoun play is so smooth/subtle that it makes you question your reading comprehension) and refreshing (becuase then it helps you realize it wasn't your comprehension, but your assumtpions, that were the issue). The fact that Vern raises her twins in the woods, where there is no arbitrary societal expectation/standard to bump up against, provides a powerful setting to illustrate how much gender really doesn't matter (in general and especially to/for children). And I love the way that makes you question all the thinking/assumptions about gender that you were raised to think of as natural and normal. I also liked the interesting parallel of physical “baggage” and keeping the body hidden, the ways it is both different and the same for Vern and Gogo with the passenger and being trans. There is also a great look at disability, in this case visual impairment, that is not something I have often read. I appreciated the exploration even more as someone who is visually impaired myself, and how modern technology has made it *almost* not even considered a disability anymore, so that it makes one wonder what else could have that kind of progression towards "normal disability" if only we cared enough as a society.

At one point there is a passage that refers to “constant vigilance and pathological distrust” and the toll it takes on the mind and body. I feel like a major tenet of this novel is to illustrate that in ways both literal and figurative, real and magical, for Black women/mothers in America. I let out a *big* breath and “wow” after finishing, letting my shoulders finally release their tension. This is a spectacular piece of literature, transcending genre and social justice commentary to become something greater with messages that ring deep and loud and queer, full of horror and just enough hope and resilience to convince you to keep living in, fighting, that horror.

“…Vern preferred this obvious malevolence to the covert violence of life beyond the trees. To be warned of bad happenings afoot was a welcome luxury.”

“Better not to belong at all than to belong in a cage.”

“Obstinately still, Vern had made a pact a long time ago to do the opposite of whatever was expected of her as often as possible. [...] Going against tended to end more rightly, more justly, than going with. People were wrong. Rules, most of the time, favored not what was right, but what was convenient or preferable to those in charge.”

“There were a thousand ways to defile perfection.”

“When you can’t fill a hole with goodness, fill it with filth. Paint it over.”

“To believe too much in anything was to sacrifice your faculties.”

“Society demanded a certain level of lying about oneself.”

“If it was so unnatural to feel this way, then why did Vern exist? She was part of nature, too, wasn't she? Humans and their proclivities were as much a part of the earth as trees, as rivers. Loving and fucking and kissing and nuzzling and bucking were more commonplace than sunrise.”

“…but bravery was a finite resource. Like a piece of thread, it frayed in time when tested too heavily.”

“Ollie and those like her wanted people to think their power was eternal, but even gods died. Empires, too. Continents shifted. Nations came. Nations went. Castles became ruins.”

“Maybe it was hard to give the world your best when the world always gave you its worst.”

“…it was the world, not the people, who were broken. People believed whatever they needed to, to maintain a thread of power in a society that systematically stripped them of it.”

“Loving, worshipping, and bowing to folks who harmed you was written into the genes of all animal creatures. To be alive meant to lust after connection, and better to have one with the enemy than with no one at all. A baby's fingers and mouth grasped on instinct.”

“The United States was a catalogue of known wrongs. […] Who cared who knew if the knowing didn't prevent future occurrences?”

Content Warnings

skudiklier's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

I don't really like horror, so I was really hesitant going into this book, and only read it for a book club. But I'm glad I did; though it was definitely dark and at times upsetting, it was also really good. I was fascinated by what was happening, and some of the twists really got me. This is the second book I've read by this author and I definitely think I'll look into their other work.

Also, vague spoilers for the ending, but

I was pleasantly surprised by how happy the ending was.

Content Warnings

niyou's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

jayisreading's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

"How come white folks were always telling Black people to get over slavery because it was 150 or so years ago but they couldn't get over their Christ who died 1,830 years before that?"

If that isn't the million dollar question, I don't know what is, hah. Sorrowland was a tough book to read. It was hard in the sense that there were a lot of intertwining heavy topics, and it's not for the faint of heart (major content warning for body horror). They presented the United States' dark history and the treatment of Black people (and, to no one's surprise, it's violent). Solomon also briefly touched on this country's position as colonizers, reminding us of the violence that Black and Indigenous peoples have faced.

However, another hard aspect of this book for me was getting invested in the story. Solomon is a phenomenal storyteller, and they presented a well-developed and deeply disturbing world through the eyes of their protagonist, Vern. I can't quite place my finger on what it was that failed to pull me into the story, though. I'm inclined to say that it was awkward pacing and a sometimes vague plot. There were instances when I couldn't quite tell where Solomon wanted to take the reader, though maybe that was the purpose.

Content Warnings

storieswithbee's review against another edition

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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.

Content Warnings

bookishcori's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

meganelise's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

Rivers Solomon has yet again created a gripping and original piece of fiction.

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