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A review by studaslop
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
River of Teeth is a fast-paced, witty, and very indulgent work. The characters are distinct and fun and feel like they have long histories, despite the brevity of their introductions. Gailey’s alternative history is just grounded enough to be enjoyable, but not so alien as to be absurd. (That said, it is unfortunately absent of any explicitly Black or Indigenous people who would have made up a not insignificant portion of the population.) It was an unexpectedly queer story as well, which was a pleasant surprise.
My biggest issues with the novella really come down to the “-la” part—it’s too short! There are scenes and relationships I wish we could’ve seen develop more, and the third act felt rushed despite the fast-paced but balanced first and second acts.
All in all, though, I’m definitely going to get my hands on the sequel. I had a blast listening to the story. I *highly* recommend the audiobook. Some of the accents are suspect, but it’s very well done, really helps place you into the setting, and augments the campiness of it all.
My biggest issues with the novella really come down to the “-la” part—it’s too short! There are scenes and relationships I wish we could’ve seen develop more, and the third act felt rushed despite the fast-paced but balanced first and second acts.
All in all, though, I’m definitely going to get my hands on the sequel. I had a blast listening to the story. I *highly* recommend the audiobook. Some of the accents are suspect, but it’s very well done, really helps place you into the setting, and augments the campiness of it all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child death, Animal death, and Gore