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readcharlotte's review against another edition
4.0
Wow this was something. Multiple dimensions, Lovecraftian horrors, and NYC through and through. Jemisin always manages unique worlds (even within one we know!) and well thought out magic systems. Incredibly diverse cast, and has relevant social commentary. There were some weak points, as it started off slow and the evil felt so... one dimensional (but I get WHY, as it's typical for "bad guys" to be represented as only stereotyped and one dimensional, it was just an unfamiliar flip of the script), but once it got rolling it was incredibly interesting.
reinedumonde's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
kurrukukuxi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
beancamille's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
katyab's review against another edition
4.0
Holy smokes, that was probably the weirdest and most inventive fantasy I've read in a good while. Last year I listened to the short story (which becomes the first chapter of this novel) and absolutely LOVED the concept and the voice.
The City We Became built on that concept tenfold and threw in some cool Lovecraftian twists. My favourite of these twists was that it focused on the experiences that Lovecraft probably would have disdained: minority voices, tackling issues of race, prejudice, bigotry, xenophobia, you name it. All with tentacles and creepy monsters from another world.
The fantasy element was endlessly inventive. People existing as avatars for New York boroughs was amazing, but even more so that their powers effectively used the city itself as a defensive (and sometimes offensive) weapon. I don't want to give too much away; I was often just left in awe of how Jemisin used magic to represent and embody a city and its people, from the physical building structures, to the characters' skillsets, from political leanings, to the borough's history. F***ing wow.
Not sure I have solid foundations for why this is a 4-star; at the moment it's based on a feeling. Something was missing for me to make it 5 stars. I'm not sure whether it was something in the characters that meant I wasn't fully bonded to them. I was more bonded to the concept than to the characters' experiences of the concept and plot. I would have loved to have had more of Padmini and Aislyn (the former being the most like me, probably, and the latter being the most complicated and frustrating) but they were introduced a little late in the narrative for me.
There was also an undercurrent to the book that I can't quite put my finger on, but I found myself being pushed away by something, consistently. There's a passion and an aggression which is understandable from the characters' personal lived experiences, but for me (probably because of my upbringing) I didn't have the personal experience to get behind that feeling fully. I felt like that passionate voice wasn't there for me; and I'm not demanding that it should be, because those who are less privileged deserve to be seen and heard through that passionate voice. And in a way, it was really interesting to struggle to find myself represented in this book when one white woman is a bigot and the other is ... well, evil. I imagined how others feel when they can't find themselves outside of side-roles and antagonists.
Anyway, this is just me typing my way through a thought process. I wanted to get behind these characters, but there was something stopping me from understanding how to do that. Maybe reading something like this is my way of learning.
For that reason, and the fact that this book was so bloody cool and fresh and exciting – I want to keep reading this series.
The City We Became built on that concept tenfold and threw in some cool Lovecraftian twists. My favourite of these twists was that it focused on the experiences that Lovecraft probably would have disdained: minority voices, tackling issues of race, prejudice, bigotry, xenophobia, you name it. All with tentacles and creepy monsters from another world.
The fantasy element was endlessly inventive. People existing as avatars for New York boroughs was amazing, but even more so that their powers effectively used the city itself as a defensive (and sometimes offensive) weapon. I don't want to give too much away; I was often just left in awe of how Jemisin used magic to represent and embody a city and its people, from the physical building structures, to the characters' skillsets, from political leanings, to the borough's history. F***ing wow.
Not sure I have solid foundations for why this is a 4-star; at the moment it's based on a feeling. Something was missing for me to make it 5 stars. I'm not sure whether it was something in the characters that meant I wasn't fully bonded to them. I was more bonded to the concept than to the characters' experiences of the concept and plot. I would have loved to have had more of Padmini and Aislyn (the former being the most like me, probably, and the latter being the most complicated and frustrating) but they were introduced a little late in the narrative for me.
There was also an undercurrent to the book that I can't quite put my finger on, but I found myself being pushed away by something, consistently. There's a passion and an aggression which is understandable from the characters' personal lived experiences, but for me (probably because of my upbringing) I didn't have the personal experience to get behind that feeling fully. I felt like that passionate voice wasn't there for me; and I'm not demanding that it should be, because those who are less privileged deserve to be seen and heard through that passionate voice. And in a way, it was really interesting to struggle to find myself represented in this book when one white woman is a bigot and the other is ... well, evil. I imagined how others feel when they can't find themselves outside of side-roles and antagonists.
Anyway, this is just me typing my way through a thought process. I wanted to get behind these characters, but there was something stopping me from understanding how to do that. Maybe reading something like this is my way of learning.
For that reason, and the fact that this book was so bloody cool and fresh and exciting – I want to keep reading this series.
kelsallen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
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
rawriianna's review against another edition
It just was really not entertaining for me and listening to the audiobook while reading. Perhaps another time I’ll come back but I figured to let other library patrons borrow it and returned early.
sofia_santana's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Racism, Transphobia, and Homophobia
delafrate's review against another edition
I just couldn’t. I don’t know. Maybe it was the audiobook. Try again later?
baybooks's review against another edition
4.0
The premise of the story is absolutely brilliant. The story is fast paced. The characters are realistic, relatable and fun, albeit in a fantasy world.
One of my favorite quotes “You will embody a city of millions. You need not be them, but know they are part of you”
I hope to pick up the rest of the trilogy when they become available.
One of my favorite quotes “You will embody a city of millions. You need not be them, but know they are part of you”
I hope to pick up the rest of the trilogy when they become available.