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mariugonza's review against another edition
3.0
Después de ver a una muchacha en Instagram hablando de este libro, decidí comprarlo. La trama y la portada tan hermosa me llamaron muchísimo la atención. Decidí comprarlo en kindle porque quería leerlo inmediatamente.
Si bien este libro tiene todos los elementos que me gustan (un toque de realismo mágico, algo medianamente ucronico, y algo bastante novedoso impredecible a simple vista), no lo encontré tan "amazing" como imaginé que sería en un principio.
La historia sigue a Yetu, una "wajinru", una descendiente de las mujeres africanas embarazadas, tiradas sobre borda durante el Tráfico de Esclavos del Atlántico por ser consideradas una molestia. Los wajinru evolucionaron bajo el agua, y se convirtieron en una especie de sirenas en lo profundo, adaptados a la vida de las profundidades.
Yetu, es la historiadora de los wajinru; eso quiere decir que ella tiene la responsabilidad de guardar los recuerdos e historia de toda su gente. Su especie es capaz de olvidar cosas con poco tiempo, y por ello una vez al año todos se reúnen para que Yetu comparta los recuerdos de su pueblo de manera colectiva, a través de el Recuerdo, tres dias en los que todos entran en trance y se conectan con sus ancestros a través del Historiador.
Con cada año, Yetu se pierde mas en el pasado, y teme que en algún momento muera por ello. Es por eso que un día decide huir mientras los demás wajinru están en trance durante el Recuerdo. Yetu huye a la superficie, donde herida y malnutrida conoce a un grupo de humanos.
Esa es básicamente la premisa, y si bien es suuuuper interesante, no siento que el libro esté particularmente bien escrito. En algunas partes siento que falta emoción y mas descripción, los capítulos cambian de persona dos o tres veces y es confuso hasta la mitad de los capítulos cuando se explica que está pasando.
Finalmente, si bien la conclusión del libro es lógica y satisfactoria, la vi venir y me decepcionó un poco not gonna lie.
Si bien este libro tiene todos los elementos que me gustan (un toque de realismo mágico, algo medianamente ucronico, y algo bastante novedoso impredecible a simple vista), no lo encontré tan "amazing" como imaginé que sería en un principio.
La historia sigue a Yetu, una "wajinru", una descendiente de las mujeres africanas embarazadas, tiradas sobre borda durante el Tráfico de Esclavos del Atlántico por ser consideradas una molestia. Los wajinru evolucionaron bajo el agua, y se convirtieron en una especie de sirenas en lo profundo, adaptados a la vida de las profundidades.
Yetu, es la historiadora de los wajinru; eso quiere decir que ella tiene la responsabilidad de guardar los recuerdos e historia de toda su gente. Su especie es capaz de olvidar cosas con poco tiempo, y por ello una vez al año todos se reúnen para que Yetu comparta los recuerdos de su pueblo de manera colectiva, a través de el Recuerdo, tres dias en los que todos entran en trance y se conectan con sus ancestros a través del Historiador.
Con cada año, Yetu se pierde mas en el pasado, y teme que en algún momento muera por ello. Es por eso que un día decide huir mientras los demás wajinru están en trance durante el Recuerdo. Yetu huye a la superficie, donde herida y malnutrida conoce a un grupo de humanos.
Esa es básicamente la premisa, y si bien es suuuuper interesante, no siento que el libro esté particularmente bien escrito. En algunas partes siento que falta emoción y mas descripción, los capítulos cambian de persona dos o tres veces y es confuso hasta la mitad de los capítulos cuando se explica que está pasando.
Finalmente, si bien la conclusión del libro es lógica y satisfactoria, la vi venir y me decepcionó un poco not gonna lie.
dylertaniel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
ana_vargas's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.75
spencervail's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent. Haunting and beautiful and nice and tight fantasy story. Never enjoyed a Mermaid story till now.
natsumiburde's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
megachurl's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
3.25
mssunnyskies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
megsreads's review against another edition
2.0
A mermaid-like creature. A traumatic shared history. A heavy burden.
Yetu is the Historian, the keeper of memories, for her people—a group of merpeople called wajinru who evolved from pregnant African women thrown overboard from slave ships. Her people’s traumatic history is forgotten year after year by everyone except Yetu. It is a labor of love, remembering, because it takes such an immense toll on her. Being responsible for the remembered history of the wajinru meant there was no room in her for her sense of self and the memories overwhelmed her. After years of this heavy burden, Yetu has had enough and flees to the surface in an attempt to escape her fate. But if she doesn’t remember, who will? Without passing her people’s memories on to another member of the wajinru, they’ll be lost forever.
I was so intrigued by this premise and I feel like there were so many directions this novella could’ve gone. For me though, while the language was often utterly poetic and many of the descriptions were beautifully detailed, my overall impression was that the story was a bit convoluted and the pacing was very slow and labored. I’m not sure exactly what the reader was supposed to glean from this tale. It seemed as though it was desperately trying to convey something, I’m just not sure what exactly that was.
⭐️⭐️
Their memories faded after weeks or months—if not through wajinru biological predisposition for forgetfulness, then through sheer force of will. Those cursed with more intact long-term recollection learned how to forget, how to throw themselves into the moment. Only the historian was allowed to remember.
Yetu is the Historian, the keeper of memories, for her people—a group of merpeople called wajinru who evolved from pregnant African women thrown overboard from slave ships. Her people’s traumatic history is forgotten year after year by everyone except Yetu. It is a labor of love, remembering, because it takes such an immense toll on her. Being responsible for the remembered history of the wajinru meant there was no room in her for her sense of self and the memories overwhelmed her. After years of this heavy burden, Yetu has had enough and flees to the surface in an attempt to escape her fate. But if she doesn’t remember, who will? Without passing her people’s memories on to another member of the wajinru, they’ll be lost forever.
I was so intrigued by this premise and I feel like there were so many directions this novella could’ve gone. For me though, while the language was often utterly poetic and many of the descriptions were beautifully detailed, my overall impression was that the story was a bit convoluted and the pacing was very slow and labored. I’m not sure exactly what the reader was supposed to glean from this tale. It seemed as though it was desperately trying to convey something, I’m just not sure what exactly that was.
⭐️⭐️
a_leo_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Gorgeously written with intricately woven Afrofuturism; the Deep by Rivers Solomon is a incredible place to start if you want to get into the genre.
The characters and world building are immaculate. With enlightening prose and themes.
The Deep is the first afrofuteristic novel that I have read. Though I have explored the genre in films, television, and music I never found the right place I wanted to start for reading literature.
The Deep was a instant must read for me; because Solomon's interpretation of mer-people. Though it is only 155 pages long The Deep feels fulling and grandiose.
The novella felt like a pure Art-house experience reminiscent in the writing style of Guillermo del Toro and visuals of Makoto Shinkai.
The characters and world building are immaculate. With enlightening prose and themes.
The Deep is the first afrofuteristic novel that I have read. Though I have explored the genre in films, television, and music I never found the right place I wanted to start for reading literature.
The Deep was a instant must read for me; because Solomon's interpretation of mer-people. Though it is only 155 pages long The Deep feels fulling and grandiose.
The novella felt like a pure Art-house experience reminiscent in the writing style of Guillermo del Toro and visuals of Makoto Shinkai.
briarfairchild's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0