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A review by esseastri
The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg
3.0
Hm.
I feel some kind of way about this book, but I cannot identify the feeling.
The prose is beautiful, seriously, this book is lyrical, poetic, and the syntax and tone choices are...well, choice. I loved this book on a craft level. And I adore a queer-normative world with queer characters whose stories do not center on their queerness, even if that is a part of their stories.
I still don't know how I feel about the plot. I want to believe that Ranra earns the end of this book, but I don't think she does. I think the narrative is unfair to Ranra, and I think? that's the point? of the book? But it's definitely something I need to sit with. I'm ok with the story being unfair to the characters, but I need a reason beyond, "Life's not fair." That's how the real world works; I don't want that in my fiction.
All this to say, this book is absolutely beautiful, but I think it is not for me.
I feel some kind of way about this book, but I cannot identify the feeling.
The prose is beautiful, seriously, this book is lyrical, poetic, and the syntax and tone choices are...well, choice. I loved this book on a craft level. And I adore a queer-normative world with queer characters whose stories do not center on their queerness, even if that is a part of their stories.
I still don't know how I feel about the plot. I want to believe that Ranra earns the end of this book, but I don't think she does. I think the narrative is unfair to Ranra, and I think? that's the point? of the book? But it's definitely something I need to sit with. I'm ok with the story being unfair to the characters, but I need a reason beyond, "Life's not fair." That's how the real world works; I don't want that in my fiction.
All this to say, this book is absolutely beautiful, but I think it is not for me.