A review by saccharinewoe
Severance by Ling Ma

adventurous dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

even though i don't live in new york, the commentary on mindless consumerism in a late-stage capitalistic society that was touched on in this was painfully relatable for the city that i *do* live in. the concept of the mundanity of life and routine that we all eventually settle into turning us into zombies isn't new at all but i love how it was approached in this book. a fever easily spread, an illness anyone is susceptible to. touches on a couple more themes along with this one, like the complicated identity battle for diaspora kids and how cultism/autocratic leadership is bred in the face of a literal world-changing event. death, the transcience of memory and how that feeds into nostalgia even (which was masterfully weaved between the presentation of past and present). breezed through this one, i really liked ling ma's writing style; it was super easy to get sucked in and keep reading. i seriouslllyyyy enjoyed this so much, it might be one of my favourite books ever now! 
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