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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
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
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
She felt a rippling under her lungs, wishful and terrified. The cool light seemed to touch every surface of the city—the buildings silver, her hands on the ledge aglow.
For a moment she felt the tides holding all their lives in place. For that one illuminated moment she knew her exact position in the great net of things.
Awake in the Sleeping City is a book about a young woman named Bo who lives a detached, quiet existence in the remnants of what once was San Francisco, wallowing in the grief and guilt of the death of her mother some time prior. It isn’t until the day she’s meant to leave to start a new life in Vancouver that she takes on the decision to become a caretaker for a “supersenior” in her complex, an ancient Chinese woman named Mia whose roots in the city run deep. Over time they build a friendship and as Mia’s health takes a turn for the worse, Bo begins to realize it may be time for her own roots to seek out a new home.
This was a treasure of a book. It was quiet, reflective, and sad, but so, so hopeful. The setting was immaculate. San Francisco has become a place where rain never stops, not even for a few minutes; the city has been lost to the ocean and the only way to traverse the land is by rooftop bridges. History has been lost in a lot of ways, left to mold or to be washed out to sea (there’s a tidbit about a memorial for Chinese immigrants being washed out to sea and lost forever that made me cry).
In a lot of ways, this was an extremely depressing book. I spent a lot of my time reading it, in tears lol. It’s a grim look at what our near future might look like and how things might change. So that scares me. But I found this book healing in a lot of ways too. I’m not sure what else to say about it beyond the fact that I’ll be buying a copy the minute it releases to the public.
Also, the cover is beyond gorgeous.
To honor Mia was to honor their shared city, too—their home.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
challenging
dark
emotional
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
This story is not your traditional sci-fi. It takes place in a future where climate change has decimated the United States. There has been a mass migration of people to safer climates. But some people stay. And this story is about the people who stay. Mia is a woman nearing the end of her life. He family lives overseas. She is alone and isolated. Bo is a young woman with her entire life ahead of her. However, due to life circumstances, she can't bring herself to leave and join her family where it is safer. This story is really about Mia and Bo. It's about how they need each other to face their demons and grow. It's about how they help each other find joy while living in a place that is becoming more inhospitable by the day. This story is about their relationship, and about their personal growth and change. The characters in this story had a lot of depth. They were relatable. This is a sci-fi story that focuses on human relationships. I very much enjoyed this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
emotional
reflective
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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I was given access to an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley!
I went back and forth on whether to give this book four or five stars, but ended up choosing five because I know that it will make me think - about caregiving, climate change, family structures, death, burial, art - for so long. There isn't much love more than a book that opens up little parts of the world for me that I've never considered.
This book takes place at some point in the future as unprecedented rain has left San Fransisco uninhabitable. With her family and friends gone to other countries and states, Bo still cannot leave. She cannot bring herself to let go of the only home she's ever known, even if she can't recognize it anymore. To pay the bills and keep her busy, she signs a contract to be a caretaker for Mia, a 130-year-old woman who lives in her building.
As their friendship grows, Bo gets a glimpse into Mia's past, her marriage, her interests, and her relationship with her daughter. Mia's life inspires Bo to work on a project to serve as a memorial for Mia when she is gone. But as it turns out, the project is much bigger. It's a way to bring those still left in the city together and grieve everything they have lost.
_____________________________________________
"Awake in The Floating City" is such a moving and yet simplistic book. It reads almost like an essay, without too much flourish and too many subplots. It feels raw and real, although parts of the story give off almost a dystopian feel. Of the 41 books I have read this year, often full of love and sadness, this is only the second one to bring me to tears.
I ABSOLUTELY encourage you to add this to your TBR list for its release on May 13,2025. If you're a fan of contemporary fiction and endearing friendships, you're sure to enjoy.
I went back and forth on whether to give this book four or five stars, but ended up choosing five because I know that it will make me think - about caregiving, climate change, family structures, death, burial, art - for so long. There isn't much love more than a book that opens up little parts of the world for me that I've never considered.
This book takes place at some point in the future as unprecedented rain has left San Fransisco uninhabitable. With her family and friends gone to other countries and states, Bo still cannot leave. She cannot bring herself to let go of the only home she's ever known, even if she can't recognize it anymore. To pay the bills and keep her busy, she signs a contract to be a caretaker for Mia, a 130-year-old woman who lives in her building.
As their friendship grows, Bo gets a glimpse into Mia's past, her marriage, her interests, and her relationship with her daughter. Mia's life inspires Bo to work on a project to serve as a memorial for Mia when she is gone. But as it turns out, the project is much bigger. It's a way to bring those still left in the city together and grieve everything they have lost.
_____________________________________________
"Awake in The Floating City" is such a moving and yet simplistic book. It reads almost like an essay, without too much flourish and too many subplots. It feels raw and real, although parts of the story give off almost a dystopian feel. Of the 41 books I have read this year, often full of love and sadness, this is only the second one to bring me to tears.
I ABSOLUTELY encourage you to add this to your TBR list for its release on May 13,2025. If you're a fan of contemporary fiction and endearing friendships, you're sure to enjoy.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
Awake in the Floating City is an extremely well written debut novel by Susana Kwan. I loved her beautiful writing style that was full of poetic imagery. It is set in a futuristic (around 2050) San Francisco where there is extreme climate change so the city is flooded by a never ending rain. I really loved the snippets of the world we got, like how they had mycelium walls to grow mushrooms in their houses and had rooftop markets.
Plot - Bo is an artist, who is suffering from depression and art block, while also trying to move past the death of her mother. When her cousin arranges transportation to leave her only home, she begins taking care of Mia, a 130 year old in her building, as an excuse to stay. As Bo gets closer to Mia she rediscovers herself and her love for art.
Characters:
Bo - she had a strong tie to the city as her home. Through Mia opening up about her past, Bo is able to reawaken her love for art.
Mia - a very capable elderly woman who no longer has no family left in the city. As her health declines Mia hires Bo to help take care of her. Mia pretends she doesn't care that she is alone, but through her interactions with Bo, she opens up, sharing what the past was like. This results in Bo wanting to find a way to remember things that will eventually be forgotten.
While I did enjoy this book, I didn’t feel like I was the right audience/age group for the book. The main characters are in a completely different stage of life than me, so while I could relate to them, I don't think I was as impacted as I could have been. It’s definitely the type of book I can see myself rereading when I’m older. This is an extremely character driven novel with heartwarming relationships. Overall it was a lovely journey that shows realistic struggles of trying to reset one's life without forgetting one's past. I would consider reading another book by Susana Kwan.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing a ARC.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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