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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
No
adventurous
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Enjoyed this just as I enjoyed Solomon’s first two books! Was invested in the story and touched by the characters, especially the babies to be honest :’) Some parts of the plot and the larger context of this world felt under explained to me and the ending was a bit rushed, but overall I really liked following Vern’s journey. Solomon’s writing really feels like it is in Octavia Butler’s lineage and I can’t wait to see what they do next!
I was drawn to this book from the first sentence, I’m not sure how to review it but it was phenomenally written. So many amazing lines and scenes that will be hard to forget. Powerful, raw, and haunting. Read this if you enjoy urban fantasy, ghost stories, gothic horror.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Rivers Solomon is one of those authors that when they come out with a novel, I read it. I love the way they write and the wild, mind bending concepts in their work. Sorrowland certainly lives up to that standard. The writing, for starters, is on point- there are passages that are simply beautiful. Perhaps the best compliment I can give is that this novel felt a lot like Octavia Butler's Kindred to me. The style, the voice, the tone, they stand out and make you take notice. In both works, I was grabbed right away by a strangeness in the characters' lives and cheering for them to overcome their horrid circumstances. Back to solely Sorrowland though, Vern is not the most affable character. And why would she be? Given the lot in life she drew. I still found myself cheering for her early on though. There is a gravity to her. She has this "fuck off" kind of attitude that is somehow endearing. She frequently speaks and acts in a brash manner that worked for me, though I can see that not sitting well with some readers. And from there... the rest is all spoilers. Talking about Cainland and the changes to Vern, her relationships with her children and the other people she meets on this journey. It is all hard to write about without giving away something. Overall, this novel was my favorite from Rivers Solomon to date. If you liked Unkindness of Ghosts or The Deep or any of the short stories by them before this I think you will like this on as well.
This book was definitely not what I was expecting. I truly wanted to like it more than I did but it just wasn't the book for me. I loved the main character and thought she was such a badass, ride or die mother, but the story is where this fell really flat for me. The plot felt like it dragged on forever and I kept finding myself bored and not very motivated to keep reading. It was pretty cool to see Vern's transformation and see the story get progressively more and more fantastical. I also really enjoyed the writing overall, I was just bored through most of it.
Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.
Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.
Very well written, seamlessly weaving the tale with larger experiences, that have being Black in America, LGBTQ, and disabled. Much darker than I anticipated and more sexually explicit content. It was outside more typical choice of books but I’m glad I read it.