Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters

Summary:
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. How often do you use all of them? What would you do if you couldn't?

The citizens on the island of Nollop, named after the author of "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy brown dog," must confront this very issue. The alphabet monument honoring Nollop is crumbling apart, which the Council interprets as a command of the cessations and censoring of the island's letters. Thus, any citizen found to be using these graphemes will be exiled or executed. However, not everyone agrees with this divine interpretation of an old structure, and community ties begin to resemble the dilapidated signage. Factions form. Fear begins crumbling the Nollopian's futures. Hope feels lost unless the citizens can unite and resist the oppressive regime that has overtaken their land, life, and language.

My Thoughts:
Definitely not the fairy tale I was expecting! I was thrown by some of the darker themes the novel tackles and the stark parallels to modern society. I'd probably benefit from a reread, as the plot was quite clever and interesting to follow. The characters were fun to meet, and I enjoyed seeing the different perspectives on the events unfolding in Nollop. However, as it is an epistolary novel, it could be difficult to identify which character was narrating without turning to the signature at the end of the letter. I got some spoilers flipping back and forth, but enjoyed having small, succinct 'chapters' to piece together and pace myself.

Content Warnings

imaginefishes's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It was a very fun and intriguing read, which got more challenging to understand and decode as time went on and more letter tiles fell in the book, signifying the end of their usage. The use of letters as a story format was very refreshing, but I personally found it harder to keep track of characters and their relationships initially (and up till nearly the end of the book). However, this format similarly allowed the reader to actually sort of be a part of the Nollopian world, however, and I found it engaging, though similarly because of this format it was difficult to sustain my attention sometimes. All in all, the book describes a dystopia in a whimsical and fun manner such that it doesn't really feel like a dystopia, all the while managing to discuss important themes like authority, freedom of speech, and religion.

Content Warnings

anne311's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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