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rainyoctober's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? No
5.0
i received an ARC of this collection from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and oh my goodness, it did not disappoint.
this book will break your heart. every story has its own unique flavor and aesthetic, but all center around the themes of nature, ecofeminism, environmental crisis, queer identity, and parenthood/family - either imagining our future or contemplating our present through the voices of those most vulnerable. sim kern builds worlds of glitter and ash, plague and revolution, isolation and love, and dares us to consider what it means to face down injustices bigger than ourselves - what you do when you're powerless, what you do to take the power back. these contrasts make their stories ever more poignant and so real that it hurts, but always with the salve of Hope to keep you from submitting to despair.
because above all else, this book is full of hope. a mother goes through hell and back in order to bake a cake for her daughter, and it matters. it makes her smile. a woman turns her trauma and some condemned dirt into a garden that helps heal others. a pond full of dying tadpoles gives a person the strength to leave their abusive relationship and make a new life for themself. a lonely kid and an empathetic social worker create a family with each other that they both desperately need. you will cry (god, you will cry) but you'll be stitched back together by the magic and the vulnerability and the utter revolution of this hope, this promise that even when things are worse than we ever imagined they could be, there is always something beautiful to be found.
i don't know if i can fully express how much this book is needed, or how much every story resonated with me. i am overflowing with admiration for sim kern's gorgeous prose and smart pacing, and i love the wry yet delightful sense of humor that sneaks its way in alongside the intense content. and also, the diversity of the characters and perspectives? so important, so good. i don't think i've ever read a story collection with so much queer representation.
my favorite stories were:
-the propagator (absolutely devastating but also ahhhh gardening as a form of resistance ugh yes)
-the new nomad (i love a well built exoplanetary world)
-tadpoles (yes i'm biased, yes this was published in the best literary mag, yes i will forever be obsessed with it)
-what can't be undone (this cottage-witch aesthetic is everything to me)
-the end of the nuclear era (queer found family? say no more)
-the lost roads (absolutely had me bawling and is such a perfect thing to end on.)
anyway, tldr: read this book. it's so important. it's so beautiful.
this book will break your heart. every story has its own unique flavor and aesthetic, but all center around the themes of nature, ecofeminism, environmental crisis, queer identity, and parenthood/family - either imagining our future or contemplating our present through the voices of those most vulnerable. sim kern builds worlds of glitter and ash, plague and revolution, isolation and love, and dares us to consider what it means to face down injustices bigger than ourselves - what you do when you're powerless, what you do to take the power back. these contrasts make their stories ever more poignant and so real that it hurts, but always with the salve of Hope to keep you from submitting to despair.
because above all else, this book is full of hope. a mother goes through hell and back in order to bake a cake for her daughter, and it matters. it makes her smile. a woman turns her trauma and some condemned dirt into a garden that helps heal others. a pond full of dying tadpoles gives a person the strength to leave their abusive relationship and make a new life for themself. a lonely kid and an empathetic social worker create a family with each other that they both desperately need. you will cry (god, you will cry) but you'll be stitched back together by the magic and the vulnerability and the utter revolution of this hope, this promise that even when things are worse than we ever imagined they could be, there is always something beautiful to be found.
i don't know if i can fully express how much this book is needed, or how much every story resonated with me. i am overflowing with admiration for sim kern's gorgeous prose and smart pacing, and i love the wry yet delightful sense of humor that sneaks its way in alongside the intense content. and also, the diversity of the characters and perspectives? so important, so good. i don't think i've ever read a story collection with so much queer representation.
my favorite stories were:
-the propagator (absolutely devastating but also ahhhh gardening as a form of resistance ugh yes)
-the new nomad (i love a well built exoplanetary world)
-tadpoles (yes i'm biased, yes this was published in the best literary mag, yes i will forever be obsessed with it)
-what can't be undone (this cottage-witch aesthetic is everything to me)
-the end of the nuclear era (queer found family? say no more)
-the lost roads (absolutely had me bawling and is such a perfect thing to end on.)
anyway, tldr: read this book. it's so important. it's so beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Miscarriage, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Drug use, Child abuse, Transphobia, Gun violence, and Racism
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