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numerous_bees's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Colonisation, Blood, Child death, Slavery, Genocide, Pregnancy, and Animal death
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
anaheeta's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
I seem to be very very fortunate lately as I keep reading books that make me want to start from the beginning right as I finish them.
This was so so so beautiful and heartbreaking in a good way. And also the creation of the story and the multiple steps it took for this book to come to be (read the editor’s words) was fascinating. It was based on a horribly tragic historical genocide, one of pregnant/in labor African women thrown off of slave ships.
Without giving away any more of the story, it’s sci-fi fantasy about life, love, and generational trauma. The book delves into the traumas of an underwater civilization and how the traumas are handled. How individuality and community interact. How change and progress works.
It was just a beautiful beautiful work of fiction and I have become a fan of Rivers Solomon, can’t wait to read more of their work!
Trigger warnings: slavery, racism, blood, death, misogyny, grief, generational trauma,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Genocide, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Death, Violence, Racism, and Slavery
Minor: Animal death and Blood
biobeetle's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Body horror, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Medical content, War, Suicide attempt, Death, Violence, Pregnancy, and Racism
Minor: Child death
agnela's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The star was slow because of how confused I was, but the story was important, and the premise was amazing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Racism, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
tessamd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The message and plot of this book are beautiful. However, as important as the message was, I felt beat over the head with it. There was little room for imagination and interpretation. Since the book was so short, there was also no time to get to know the characters well
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Racism, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
nhollie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Racism, and Death
Minor: Gore
jinmichae's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Listening to how this book came together helps it make more sense. Unfortunately, that explanation came at the end of the audiobook, so I didn't know what to expect coming into it.
I enjoyed the concept most of all, and the vignette of how they came together as a people. Unfortunately, I just didn't like the main character very much. She has reasons for being the way she is, but something about the way she was characterized made her not as sympathetic as she needed to be to explain her actions.
I also feel the overarching plot gets lost in vignettes which are more worldbuilding than progressing the narrative. I wish it was more focused on that main plot: I think it would be a better read as a short story instead of a novella. It also has a "woe is me" component that gets tiring.
I did appreciate that the main character is implied to have autism/gets overstimulated easily in a way that prevents her from doing her very important job. The depths of this discomfort isn't acknowledged by those around her though, which seems odd to me: she has family and friends who love her, and despite the plot important lack of long term memory, they *do* remember her sensitivities. I think that detail would have to be changed to make the way they treat her, and the way she reacts, make more sense.
I enjoyed the concept most of all, and the vignette of how they came together as a people. Unfortunately, I just didn't like the main character very much. She has reasons for being the way she is, but something about the way she was characterized made her not as sympathetic as she needed to be to explain her actions.
I also feel the overarching plot gets lost in vignettes which are more worldbuilding than progressing the narrative. I wish it was more focused on that main plot: I think it would be a better read as a short story instead of a novella. It also has a "woe is me" component that gets tiring.
I did appreciate that the main character is implied to have autism/gets overstimulated easily in a way that prevents her from doing her very important job. The depths of this discomfort isn't acknowledged by those around her though, which seems odd to me: she has family and friends who love her, and despite the plot important lack of long term memory, they *do* remember her sensitivities. I think that detail would have to be changed to make the way they treat her, and the way she reacts, make more sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Self harm, Racism, Abandonment, and Slavery
Moderate: Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
miss_elease's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
- most compelling intro to a book I've read in a long time
- fucking brilliant afterword that is all the more appreciated after reading Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures
- the juxtapositions and complications of one's relationship to time(s) is very well handled
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Grief, War, and Racism
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
workingdaley's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I found this book to be deeply profound, I was captivated by the world building and felt
everything that happened on a personal level. This book has the potential to provoke an intriguing conversation about carrying generational trauma
and had a surprisingly profound, though brief
conversation about gender. Aside from "The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm" and "Black Panther," I can't say that I'm too familiar with Afrofuturist
media. But this book made me want to explore more Afrofuturist media. If you haven't heard the song
that this book is based off of, I recommend you listen to that too, It's also called The Peep and it's by the band .clippings. It's very experiential so it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I personally enjoyed it. I'm glad that I came across this book, I'm looking forward to seeing what Rivers Solomon
has in store next, since they'll be publishing another novel next year. (I'll also have to get my hands on their other book, An Unkindness of Ghosts)
everything that happened on a personal level. This book has the potential to provoke an intriguing conversation about carrying generational trauma
and had a surprisingly profound, though brief
conversation about gender. Aside from "The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm" and "Black Panther," I can't say that I'm too familiar with Afrofuturist
media. But this book made me want to explore more Afrofuturist media. If you haven't heard the song
that this book is based off of, I recommend you listen to that too, It's also called The Peep and it's by the band .clippings. It's very experiential so it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I personally enjoyed it. I'm glad that I came across this book, I'm looking forward to seeing what Rivers Solomon
has in store next, since they'll be publishing another novel next year. (I'll also have to get my hands on their other book, An Unkindness of Ghosts)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Slavery, and Racism
adiajamille's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Really lovely book. Nice quick read. There’s some repetitiveness of wording. But overall it’s really moving.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, Kidnapping, and Slavery