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A review by queerofcups
The Book of Flora by Meg Elison
2.0
This book was bad. The writing itself was fine, Elison clearly knows how to put a sentence together well and every one of these characters are interesting. I wish Elison had given them time and space to be as interesting as they were. I'm not sure how a book can be too long while also feeling like the writer didn't have enough time, but this one did. Everything that was supposed to be emotionally heavy about the last chapter needed to have started in the second book and I found myself skimming through literally anything characters added in the final hours of the book had to say.
Also, I thought what Elison was trying to do with the meditations on sex, sexuality and gender were interesting in the second book, but the introduction of "frags" and confusing discussion on what I guess were supposed to represent intersex people ended up feeling really gross and dehumanizing (also...I don't think evolution works that way.). All in all, it felt like Elison (or her manager) wanted to bank on the success of Book of the Unnamed Midwife and didn't give herself enough time to write a worthy sequel of what was a really great book.
Also, I thought what Elison was trying to do with the meditations on sex, sexuality and gender were interesting in the second book, but the introduction of "frags" and confusing discussion on what I guess were supposed to represent intersex people ended up feeling really gross and dehumanizing (also...I don't think evolution works that way.). All in all, it felt like Elison (or her manager) wanted to bank on the success of Book of the Unnamed Midwife and didn't give herself enough time to write a worthy sequel of what was a really great book.