afinalgirl 's review for:

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

3.75

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective tense fast-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

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sorrowland had me by the throat from the beginning, a book i needed to devour featuring our young, strong, Black girl Vern. she’s albino, half blind, queer and ran away from a cult. she gives birth to her children in the woods, and lives there for a few years. she’s absolutely amazing.

the second half of the book takes a sharp turn that i was blindsided by, and it truly felt like i was reading a different book. the characters are incredible, all so sure of themselves and knowing exactly who they are in their own skins. their relationships are amazing too, even the minor characters - but there’s suddenly mk ultra vibes and fungi superpowers.

the second part of the book felt like a slog to me, which was disappointing because i wanted to feel the way i did in the beginning. maybe if i knew what was going to happen i would have followed it better, despite my preference to go into books somewhat blind.