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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
challenging
dark
emotional
Not sure if it would have felt as impactful in a non-audio format, but damn. One of my favorites this year, I think
challenging
emotional
tense
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:
Complicated
This left me breathless. Sorrowland was so different than i expected but so, so much better. Solomon does a truly stupendous job tackling some really heavy subjects — cults, religious shaming, abuse, survival, parenthood, trauma both collective and individual — and balancing them with exquisitely human depictions of hope, fury, and tenderness. Their work is brilliant, blindingly reminiscent of The Last of Us, if it were compressed and excised until only the bones and mycelium were left.
Solomon deftly and necessarily examines race, class, gender, and sexuality, but does so naturally. The cast is heavily diverse, with gay, lesbian, and intersex rep, gender fluidity, and Black and Indigenous characters. This is unforced in a way that few writers can achieve; rather than pit their characters against these forces, Solomon simply lets them be, giving readers a vision of the world in which these aspects of an individual are simply another part of the complex whole.
Overall, this was a stunningly original read. Check the tw's, but if you want something nuanced, unflinching, and brutally beautiful, give Sorrowland the read it deserves.
Solomon deftly and necessarily examines race, class, gender, and sexuality, but does so naturally. The cast is heavily diverse, with gay, lesbian, and intersex rep, gender fluidity, and Black and Indigenous characters. This is unforced in a way that few writers can achieve; rather than pit their characters against these forces, Solomon simply lets them be, giving readers a vision of the world in which these aspects of an individual are simply another part of the complex whole.
Overall, this was a stunningly original read. Check the tw's, but if you want something nuanced, unflinching, and brutally beautiful, give Sorrowland the read it deserves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I struggle with Solomon’s books. It’s like the ingredients are there for them to be great, but the measurements are somehow just a bit too far out of proportion.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes