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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I’m absolutely kicking myself for sleeping on this book for so long!
Rivers is truly astonishing. They're a poet in the most punk way, saying hard things that aren't nice to hear, but in a way that you can't look away from.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things that awe me:
-This book comes for everyone. It's not swinging, it's not starting anything, but it's real ready for someone to finish it. It attacks white feminism, moderate whites, internet culture, and most specifically, it has a lot to say to Black American folks, especially Black mothers. I won't say more there, but wow was this a very poignant conversation. And it's not that long!!
-The prose. No wasted space. No fluff. No top-of-the-head word when there could be a "right" word that imbues the scene with so much more meaning. So many phrases that just level me, emotionally and intellectually.
-The balance. This is hard stuff, but we never fetishize it, or honor it. People who escape aren't "stronger", people who stay aren't "sheep". But also there's humor and love and growth and flaws and all the other things, because you know what? Queer people, mothers, and marginalized people can be each of those things and also have other things in their lives. And we get glimpses of all of it! In this tiny book! Love that.
-The end. I think Solomon is getting better at this part of writing. It felt at rest and hopeful, but wasn't neat, and when you look at it with any sort of care, it's pretty damn dark.
Things that weren't quite 5 stars:
-The plot. I'm...not entirely sure I followed. Which was weird, since it's based on real things. Not the supernatural element, of course, but like the rest is...real. So it should be easy to connect the dots. But somehow I do not end up in the same place when I add it all up.
-The supernatural stuff. Can anyone picture it? What is it supposed to look like? I got And how does it tie in? They sort of say it's about the government, but it felt very X Files. Which, again, a lot of conspiracies, especially held by certain communities in the US are what they are because of real stuff that shouldn't work the way it does, so I bought it, but I wished for a bit more connective tissue.
Absolutely worth a read, as all of their work has been for me to date. Can't wait to see where we go next, but also I need a second because woof these things are work!
CONTENT WARNING:
Spoiler
rape, homophobia, sexism, racism, domestic violence, harm to children, graphic death of animals, religion, body horror, bugs, genocide, medical experimentationThings that awe me:
-This book comes for everyone. It's not swinging, it's not starting anything, but it's real ready for someone to finish it. It attacks white feminism, moderate whites, internet culture, and most specifically, it has a lot to say to Black American folks, especially Black mothers. I won't say more there, but wow was this a very poignant conversation. And it's not that long!!
-The prose. No wasted space. No fluff. No top-of-the-head word when there could be a "right" word that imbues the scene with so much more meaning. So many phrases that just level me, emotionally and intellectually.
-The balance. This is hard stuff, but we never fetishize it, or honor it. People who escape aren't "stronger", people who stay aren't "sheep". But also there's humor and love and growth and flaws and all the other things, because you know what? Queer people, mothers, and marginalized people can be each of those things and also have other things in their lives. And we get glimpses of all of it! In this tiny book! Love that.
-The end. I think Solomon is getting better at this part of writing. It felt at rest and hopeful, but wasn't neat, and when you look at it with any sort of care, it's pretty damn dark.
Things that weren't quite 5 stars:
-The plot. I'm...not entirely sure I followed. Which was weird, since it's based on real things. Not the supernatural element, of course, but like the rest is...real. So it should be easy to connect the dots. But somehow I do not end up in the same place when I add it all up.
-The supernatural stuff. Can anyone picture it? What is it supposed to look like? I got
Spoiler
locust maybe?Absolutely worth a read, as all of their work has been for me to date. Can't wait to see where we go next, but also I need a second because woof these things are work!
I wish I had the words and time to write a long review about how much i lvoe this book but i think you should just really read it instead. its so good
3.5 stars
It is a known fact that I enjoy anything Rivers Solomon writes. Besides their vision and scope of storytelling, I most enjoy the journey. I know when I sit down with a Solomon tale, it will be a slow drive through gorgeous terrain. This story was no exception, but of all three novels, this one was my least favorite.
I knew nothing about this story when I picked it up. Knowing Solomon had penned it, was enough. As the story unfolded and I met our main character, I was immediately intrigued. Vern, as are all of Solomon’s characters, is a complex multi layered individual. When we first meet her, she is young, 15, heavily pregnant, and escaping something horrible. Yea, I wanna know more. But I’ll just throw this out there, Vern never feels like a teenager. She reads OLD, and I don’t know why but that bothered me.
It is a known fact that I enjoy anything Rivers Solomon writes. Besides their vision and scope of storytelling, I most enjoy the journey. I know when I sit down with a Solomon tale, it will be a slow drive through gorgeous terrain. This story was no exception, but of all three novels, this one was my least favorite.
I knew nothing about this story when I picked it up. Knowing Solomon had penned it, was enough. As the story unfolded and I met our main character, I was immediately intrigued. Vern, as are all of Solomon’s characters, is a complex multi layered individual. When we first meet her, she is young, 15, heavily pregnant, and escaping something horrible. Yea, I wanna know more. But I’ll just throw this out there, Vern never feels like a teenager. She reads OLD, and I don’t know why but that bothered me.
adventurous
challenging
tense
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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:
N/A
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this one started a little slow, but I'm really glad I stuck with it. I think the way the genres blended together was really unique and interesting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia