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whimsylee's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Violence, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Gore, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, Self harm, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Slavery, Stalking, Medical trauma, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Colonisation, and Terminal illness
nonidude's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Bullying, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Murder, Gore, Racism, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Animal death, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Suicide, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Genocide, Death of parent, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Cannibalism, and Alcohol
ash_ton's review against another edition
- 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 was not expecting the turn the book took. like, at all. wild
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
martinatan's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Some works of media that I felt this story lives in kinship with:
- Beloved by Toni Morrison, for its part-tender, part-visceral prose and handling of generational trauma and haunting
- The art of Firelei Baez and Wangechi Mutu, for their beautiful blend of human and inhuman, exploring symbiotic and antagonistic relationships between humans and the natural world
- Jordan Peele’s film Nope, in that it provides a uniquely Black perspective on the American attraction to spectacle and exploitation, and for the horror/sci-fi elements
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, for themes of hindsight and memory of an institution after you’ve escaped it
Of course, this is not to say that Sorrowland borrows too much from other works—on the contrary, it is a masterpiece of its own that will make you think differently not just about our country’s history of medical exploitation of Black people, but also the boundaries between different genres, the capabilities of the body under immense pressure, and our relationship to nature and society.
I would be so excited to analyze this book in a university setting and I hope it can be regarded as a rich and provocative text for a variety of disciplines: Race and Colonialism Studies, Gender and Sexuality, History, Creative Fiction, etc.
Graphic: Body horror and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Stalking, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol, Child death, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pregnancy, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Confinement, and Gun violence
lilifane's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
- 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
absolute fucking masterpiece
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: cultcareinthelibrary's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
This book has some of the most meaningful and nuanced queer representation I've ever read. Never once do these characters feel forced or unnatural, they are such complex people who jump off the page and start running for the woods.
Can't wait for their next book, I'm quickly becoming a major fan.
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Rape, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Body horror, Terminal illness, and Gun violence
Minor: Suicide
Cult indoctrinationtina94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Racism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Rape, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
Minor: Child abuse
emzhay's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Child death, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Medical content, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Animal death, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Torture, Pregnancy, and Misogyny
Minor: Alcoholism and Terminal illness
kylieqrada's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and Homophobia