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mraddd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Pregnancy
honey_buns's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
the book transitions between the present and a series of flashbacks as we follow Candace Chen through her decisions. I found that the flashbacks helped me understand Candace’s decisions and thought process. Without giving anything away I will say that it approached some dark subject matter in a light-hearted and humorous way that made this book difficult to put down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Confinement, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, and Misogyny
svmreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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? N/A
5.0
This is 100% the type of book where you finish it and the only thing you can do is stare at a wall.
Words can’t express how much Severance captivated me. Ling Ma’s exploration of religion, routine, and ritual under apocalyptic conditions/late-stage capitalism is absolutely brilliant, and reading this book as Covid still has a hold on the world brings a chilling relevance to the text.
Severance is a new all-time favorite of mine and I cannot recommend this book enough. I am so thrilled to read Ling Ma’s collection of short stories, Bliss Montage, when it is released in September!
Words can’t express how much Severance captivated me. Ling Ma’s exploration of religion, routine, and ritual under apocalyptic conditions/late-stage capitalism is absolutely brilliant, and reading this book as Covid still has a hold on the world brings a chilling relevance to the text.
Severance is a new all-time favorite of mine and I cannot recommend this book enough. I am so thrilled to read Ling Ma’s collection of short stories, Bliss Montage, when it is released in September!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Murder
mlthomas234's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Original, funny, perfect mix of satire and genuine existential horror. Something you’ll want to read multiple times to unpack the details.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence, Suicide, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Murder and Vomit
eemilycolleen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
5.0
BLEAK and horrifying and so smart. loved the workplace satire stuff, loved the wandering through the city documenting things fall apart, loved the central through-line of the fevered caught in nostalgic cycles forever. loved the ending. also like - more poignant than i expected! some touching mother/daughter shit here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Death, and Pregnancy
rachbake's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Suicide, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
kat_mayerovitch's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book, overall. The main character and her situation were interesting, but the post-pandemic sections of the book lacked depth for me. I wanted to know more about the characters, their lives, and their plans, to care about them as much as I did about our main character and her parents, coworkers, and boyfriend, but they ran together for me.
That said, I liked the concept and the way the book was structured, alternating between past and present to finally connect into a more comprehensive picture of the whole. For a book written pre-Covid, it's got some eerily prescient bits, but any pandemic lit would. Read for the critique of capitalism and nostalgia, stay for the main character and also weirdly satisfying info about Bible printing.
That said, I liked the concept and the way the book was structured, alternating between past and present to finally connect into a more comprehensive picture of the whole. For a book written pre-Covid, it's got some eerily prescient bits, but any pandemic lit would. Read for the critique of capitalism and nostalgia, stay for the main character and also weirdly satisfying info about Bible printing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Confinement
sylvia_wrath's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Suicide
gteng's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I definitely did not always enjoy this book, it was at times too dark, gross, and depressing, but I felt wholly immersed within it. The prose is beautiful, words carefully chosen but not pretentious. It feels like a story that could be real, and with COVID still happening in real life, sometimes I felt like the distinction between reality and fiction were blurred. I would say if you have had too much pandemic in real life, and I can't blame you if you have, then do not read this. If you like dark and reflective books, however, I definitely think its worth a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, and Gun violence
acherry913's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.75
This book was a deeply troubling but amazing read, especially now during the COVID pandemic. The novel follows a young Chinese-American woman through her journey of safety, self-actualization, and understanding of the world. Taking place during a fungal epidemic, the dystopian environment eerily matches our own, complete with N-95 masks and locked-down cities. Themes of womanhood and perseverance guide this narrative through explorative travels and self-reflection. This is a great book to understand the immigrant struggle from a nuanced lens and an altered perspective of our current pandemic. However, with its closeness to reality, I would emphasize that Severance is not for the weak of heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, and Murder