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sarah_ali's review
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Absolutely Beautiful!
Emotional and thoughtful story. The witer has excellent writing style. Joy's character arc is the main plot in the book. I liked both main characters, especially Mike. his love for joy is geniune and i love & enjoyed his relationship with joy. he is potrayed beautifully by writer.
Emotional and thoughtful story. The witer has excellent writing style. Joy's character arc is the main plot in the book. I liked both main characters, especially Mike. his love for joy is geniune and i love & enjoyed his relationship with joy. he is potrayed beautifully by writer.
helynalc's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
What beautiful prose and emotion. You can sort of realize what's happening quite early on but that's not the point, it's the journey after. I really liked it, what a gem.
joelteon's review
5.0
A Sorrow Named Joy by Sarah Chorn is an incredible story told in a tidy package. In less than 100 pages we are taken on a journey to discover within ourselves a range of extreme emotions. We must face the question of self, the depths of sorrow, and the pursuit of happiness as well as many other questions and feelings. I could have highlighted a thousand beautiful moments in the text to share here, but I barely controlled myself.
The main character, Joy, is content, making the perfect life for her husband, until she makes a devastating discovery that opens cracks in her world. As the synopsis says succinctly: ‘Perfect, after all, is only an illusion.’
'She never understood why people hoarded truths like magpies hoarded riches, nest overflowing with so many things unsaid. Things that never truly mattered, until the moment they did.'
Joy was an absolute delight as she struggled to come to grips with her changing world. She struggles to comprehend what else there could possibly be, other than making her husband happy. The evolution of her character in this tightly woven novella was stunning.
'Lightning struck, and suddenly nothing mattered as much as she did. She was the blood in my veins, the air in my lungs. She was the reason and the logic that gave order to my world.'
I've said this before and I'll say it again now. Nobody writes heartache and emotion like Sarah Chorn. She knows exactly how to play your heartstrings to perfection. I don't know how she evokes so many feelings with the same words we all have access to. It truly is a stunning achievement.
Not only is this an amazing story, but it is a SFINCS semi-finalist and the chances of Sarah progressing to the finals seems a given, even with the very stiff competition against my favourite Indie novella.
The main character, Joy, is content, making the perfect life for her husband, until she makes a devastating discovery that opens cracks in her world. As the synopsis says succinctly: ‘Perfect, after all, is only an illusion.’
'She never understood why people hoarded truths like magpies hoarded riches, nest overflowing with so many things unsaid. Things that never truly mattered, until the moment they did.'
Joy was an absolute delight as she struggled to come to grips with her changing world. She struggles to comprehend what else there could possibly be, other than making her husband happy. The evolution of her character in this tightly woven novella was stunning.
'Lightning struck, and suddenly nothing mattered as much as she did. She was the blood in my veins, the air in my lungs. She was the reason and the logic that gave order to my world.'
I've said this before and I'll say it again now. Nobody writes heartache and emotion like Sarah Chorn. She knows exactly how to play your heartstrings to perfection. I don't know how she evokes so many feelings with the same words we all have access to. It truly is a stunning achievement.
Not only is this an amazing story, but it is a SFINCS semi-finalist and the chances of Sarah progressing to the finals seems a given, even with the very stiff competition against my favourite Indie novella.
sff_reads's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
connorjdaley's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
Read this one as a finalist in SFINCS, however I already owned the kindle version! Read it in a single sitting while having some trouble focusing, so this was a real good one.
While this one was rather short, I was surprised how long into the story it felt when it finally took a turn into the sci-fi direction. Beforehand I wasn’t sure if the story was just going to remain about a dysfunctional relationship or not. While it still is, the twist definitely elevated it to another level for me.
Joy lives her life anticipating her husbands every desire. And it comes naturally. Breakfast and coffee, quiet mornings, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, and gardening. All for the man she loved. But there’s something big that Joy doesn’t know.
As the story unfolds, Joy looks to capture a new sense of self. What makes her happy? How does she create that sense of self? And do the things that always made her feel whole actually do anything for her now? The author writes in such a way that every reader will be faced with asking themselves the same questions that Joy is faced with. And what makes any of us happy?
Now, I’ve said it before, and I’ll most definitely say it again, Sarah Chorn is the Queen of writing emotion. Every word she creates, every sentence, character, scene, is absolutely crushing. Not just beautiful prose, but truly deep and thoughtful writing.
liviajelliot's review
5.0
Such a short novella, and so impactful. If you are here hoping to read a romance or get swept off your feet with lovely statements--this is not it. This is more akin to a coming-of-age with heavy thematic work about identity, defining oneself, and redefining one's life. Because of that, this is NOT romance.
This short novella (novelette?) is narrated in third person from Joy's point of view, and Chorn's prose just flows. It is seamless, it is fluid, and it paint Joy's world in the colours of her interests, of her anxiety and desperation, and of her rebirth as she discovers herself. The prose is not overly flourished nor purple, but just a perfect measure of biased by Joy's perception and elevated at the same time, while being readable and approachable.
The narrator is very biased, and you will see the world and read some descriptions that are a truthful reflection of how Joy sees the world--and the descriptors change as Joy changes through this book. A spoilery clarification here.
Because of this journey of self-discovery, there is a child-like quality in how Joy begins to see the world. It is not childish but the wonderment of seeing everything for the first time, of finding answers to questions you never know existed. Chorn, the author, does an astounding job of conveying this as the plot unfolds and we find out the truth about Joy.
There are some "clues" sowed at the start of Joy's first day that, an avid reader, may perceive as indicative of the main revelation. I noticed them, but having that "mystery" solved before the reveal (about halfway on) only increased my excitement for the novella, because what matters (in my subjective opinion) is what happens afterwards and the ending's resolution.
This is definitely a heavily thematic, speculative novella meant to read and think on big questions, such as what is being alive, what is identity, and how to define oneself by oneself and not others.
This short novella (novelette?) is narrated in third person from Joy's point of view, and Chorn's prose just flows. It is seamless, it is fluid, and it paint Joy's world in the colours of her interests, of her anxiety and desperation, and of her rebirth as she discovers herself. The prose is not overly flourished nor purple, but just a perfect measure of biased by Joy's perception and elevated at the same time, while being readable and approachable.
The narrator is very biased, and you will see the world and read some descriptions that are a truthful reflection of how Joy sees the world--and the descriptors change as Joy changes through this book. A spoilery clarification here.
Spoiler
At the start, Joy describes everything in terms of what her husband liked or disliked, and even sets herself tasks because of the same. After she's revealed to be an android and, thus, reprogrammed, the way she speaks changes as Joy discovers herself and how she was actually someone very different.Because of this journey of self-discovery, there is a child-like quality in how Joy begins to see the world. It is not childish but the wonderment of seeing everything for the first time, of finding answers to questions you never know existed. Chorn, the author, does an astounding job of conveying this as the plot unfolds and we find out the truth about Joy.
There are some "clues" sowed at the start of Joy's first day that, an avid reader, may perceive as indicative of the main revelation. I noticed them, but having that "mystery" solved before the reveal (about halfway on) only increased my excitement for the novella, because what matters (in my subjective opinion) is what happens afterwards and the ending's resolution.
This is definitely a heavily thematic, speculative novella meant to read and think on big questions, such as what is being alive, what is identity, and how to define oneself by oneself and not others.
kayshiddenshelf's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
5/5 Stars
I devoured this is one sitting. This is a moving exploration of truths, self discovery, happiness, and the meaning of being alive. Sarah Chorn isn’t afraid to dig into deeper topics of mental health and treats them with dignity and compassion.
The story follows a housewife named Joy; she goes about her daily routine to ensure her husbands happiness. Simple things such as weeding her garden and trips to the grocery store bring her peace. Until she finds a photo of a past, she can’t remember, and her world of order and perfection begin to crumble.
In roughly 70 pages, Sarah Chorn manages to capture a beautiful and heart-breaking story through an immersive read. From the first page, I quickly became invested in Joy’s life and the oddities of her choices and interests. From intrigue, and an exploration of humanity, A Sorrow Named Joy will make readers think long after reading.
Sarah Chorn’s ability to craft emotionally evocative stories, and meaningful explorations on heavier topics is unmatched.
At the end of the day, this is one best experienced for yourself and I highly recommend giving it a try.
theliteraryapothecary's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
4.5
This was the first novella I read in Round 2 (Semi-final round) of the Speculative Fiction Indy Novella Championship. And what a quiet and lovely science fiction novella this is. This was a special book to me - it spoke to my soul and gave me just what I needed this week, before I knew that I needed it. Although until Chorn reassured me and calmed my soul, I was truly worried for our main character and what was going to happen to her. To be honest, as much as I loved this novella, I think it's one of those that you have to be in the right mindset or at least have an open mind to truly appreciate all it does though. Not everyone will appreciate and love it as much as I did.
CAWPILE Breakdown:
Characters: 9 - I LOVED all of the characters in this little novella. They were so wholesome and quietly lovely, sincere and honest.
Atmosphere/Setting: 8.5 - The setting was fantastic. I could see everything all the time. I had no problem knowing where we were. The atmosphere was good most of the time.
Writing Style: 9.5 - I absolutely LOVED Chorn's quiet and calm writing style in this novella, and can't wait to read more of her writing. However, as I noted above, I don't think it's a writing style for everyone, and so you have to be in the right mindset to truly appreciate writing like this.
Plot: 8 - The plot was a steady and effective storyline. I had ideas of where it was going to go and was worried that I was correct. But I appreciate 1) that Chorn calmed that anxiety down (one benefit of being able to communicate with the writer as I'm reading) and 2) that it did NOT go in the direction I anticipated.
Intrigue: 8.5 - I loved the kind of intrigue that took place in this book. There were a couple different types - 1 dealing with characters, 2 dealing with plot, and 3 dealing with writing style. It kept me engaged throughout this short novella - I had to keep reading!
Logic/Relationships: 9.5 - Chorn developed these relationships in such an honest and incredible way. I loved seeing where this was going and how our characters would develop with it. Everything made sense when it needed to!
Enjoyment: 9.5 - I truly enjoyed this novella more than I thought - I just wanted more. I loved our characters and their development, the calm "normalness" of the setting. It was just really well written.
CAWPILE Total: 62.5/7 = 8.9 = 4.5 stars