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A review by mcf
Phantom Pains by Mishell Baker
5.0
I LOVE THESE BOOKS SO MUCH OH MY GOD.
Or, in slightly more intellectual terms, Baker picks up in Phantom Pains right where she left off in Borderline, in terms of both story and audacity. I love her world-building, and the fact that she not only asks questions of her own world that lesser authors wouldn't, but also answers those questions flawlessly, in wildly original ways. What makes the books so special, though, is that Baker's spectacular alternate reality exists alongside one of the most ably drawn, sensitive portraits of someone living with mental illness and physical disability that I've ever read. In the first novel, Millie is still struggling with managing her body, and her mental challenges are often linked very closely to her physical state. In the second, her challenges are different, accurately reflecting the journey of someone who is learning to live in a new reality, and how to cope with the way her mind responds to challenges. I love the growth Millie is allowed to show, and how nuanced and prickly her characterization remains -- she's still incredibly difficult to deal with, and Baker isn't afraid to embrace that aspect of Millie, allowing her spectacular fuck-ups when her choices and behavior merit them.
TL; DR: AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE AND THAT WAS OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD.
Or, in slightly more intellectual terms, Baker picks up in Phantom Pains right where she left off in Borderline, in terms of both story and audacity. I love her world-building, and the fact that she not only asks questions of her own world that lesser authors wouldn't, but also answers those questions flawlessly, in wildly original ways. What makes the books so special, though, is that Baker's spectacular alternate reality exists alongside one of the most ably drawn, sensitive portraits of someone living with mental illness and physical disability that I've ever read. In the first novel, Millie is still struggling with managing her body, and her mental challenges are often linked very closely to her physical state. In the second, her challenges are different, accurately reflecting the journey of someone who is learning to live in a new reality, and how to cope with the way her mind responds to challenges. I love the growth Millie is allowed to show, and how nuanced and prickly her characterization remains -- she's still incredibly difficult to deal with, and Baker isn't afraid to embrace that aspect of Millie, allowing her spectacular fuck-ups when her choices and behavior merit them.
TL; DR: AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE AND THAT WAS OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD.