A review by being_b
The Book of Flora by Meg Elison

2.0

Collapsed like a flan in a cupboard. I loved the realism of the first book which chronicles society's collapse, and the second book which gives a pretty good sampling of the various ways people are trying to survive in this new world. The conclusion goes in some some fantastical directions and gets a bit preachy (luxuries = slavery, etc), plus the ending is a weird out-of-nowhere letdown.

Also, apparently nothing of interest has happened to Flora for 40 years, from 104 to 144- she's found no new lovers, no family, no changes in her worldview or role at all? Beggars belief.

Spoiler warning for enbyphobia:

Spoiler

Can we please not have the only nonbinary character in the book turn out to be a murderous genocidal crazypants? Like, after three books of juggling gender and identity in many fascinating permutations, we end with "nonbinary person, traumatized by their body, tries to kill everybody"? How does that work? I'm left with the impression that the author thinks almost any way of doing gender is fine except opting out entirely. No thank you.