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A review by tigger89
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm hesitant to say too much and spoil the reveal, but the history of the cult had me on the edge of my seat. Vern's lack of knowledge about the world was also very well handled, particularly in the latter parts of the book where she has to navigate the modern world.
I went back and forth on how well I thought Vern's time in the woods was handled. There were a few scenes in particular where I felt like she wouldn't have left her children, yet for plot-related reasons, she did. Ultimately, I've concluded that it was in character, by virtue of the fact that she was a teenager at the time. A teenager with great responsibilities, yes, but still a teenager, with all the risk-taking behavior and poor judgement that entails. The book is written to guide us to forget this, but Vern begins the story as a child and has barely entered adulthood by the climax.
This story contains LGBTQ and disability representation. For the latter, in addition to Vern having albinism and a vision impairment, the progression of her transformation is treated like a chronic illness that affects her ability to perform some tasks. I also caught a vibe that Vern might be neurodivergent, but due to her upbringing the character lacks the vocabulary to think of herself that way so there was no clear confirmation of such. Similarly, she speaks around her gender and sexual identities — I'm unclear if she claims something like a nonbinary gender identity or not — but readers alert for such will be able to spot that something is there, even if the details are elusive.
I went back and forth on how well I thought Vern's time in the woods was handled. There were a few scenes in particular where I felt like she wouldn't have left her children, yet for plot-related reasons, she did. Ultimately, I've concluded that it was in character, by virtue of the fact that she was a teenager at the time. A teenager with great responsibilities, yes, but still a teenager, with all the risk-taking behavior and poor judgement that entails. The book is written to guide us to forget this, but Vern begins the story as a child and has barely entered adulthood by the climax.
This story contains LGBTQ and disability representation. For the latter, in addition to Vern having albinism and a vision impairment, the progression of her transformation is treated like a chronic illness that affects her ability to perform some tasks. I also caught a vibe that Vern might be neurodivergent, but due to her upbringing the character lacks the vocabulary to think of herself that way so there was no clear confirmation of such. Similarly, she speaks around her gender and sexual identities — I'm unclear if she claims something like a nonbinary gender identity or not — but readers alert for such will be able to spot that something is there, even if the details are elusive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence and Death