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A review by joshlynjavier
Model Home by Rivers Solomon
4.25
such beauty invites pain, because such beauty invites possession, devouring. who sees beauty and does not want to experience it?
there are no mansions without a torn-down forest.
it"s terrifying not to see coming the things that might harm us, but it's more terrifying to be seen ourselves. the darkness hides us as much as it hides the ghosts.
many tw: read at your own discretion
grooming, sexual abuse, racism, violence, death
a fascinating and abstract blend of racism intergenerational trauma, identity, grief and tumultuous family dynamics. a telling of three siblings and the ways in which they experience their home -- one of the only black families in an affluent neighborhood in the south-- and their mother, their mother as their home, and the ways in which it shapes them into adulthood. it reminded me a lot of in the dream house by machado. it speaks volumes to how the horror of humanity and the blatant pain we endure can often be more terrifying than the monsters under the bed that we're taught to fear.
it was disturbing, uncomfortable, and often confusing at times - an optical illusion i couldn't tear away from. everything leading up to the twist was super captivating and i literally couldn't put the book down. i will say that the ending was not my favorite, but i think it made sense in the context of the story and the neighborhood they lived in. the more i was immersed in the story, the more questions i had. the prose is a beautiful whisper you're constantly searching for above the noise, breathtaking and intimately vulnerable, and i enjoyed getting lost in this book.
thank you to netgalley, fsg, and rivers solomon for the digital advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions!
grooming, sexual abuse, racism, violence, death
a fascinating and abstract blend of racism intergenerational trauma, identity, grief and tumultuous family dynamics. a telling of three siblings and the ways in which they experience their home -- one of the only black families in an affluent neighborhood in the south-- and their mother, their mother as their home, and the ways in which it shapes them into adulthood. it reminded me a lot of in the dream house by machado. it speaks volumes to how the horror of humanity and the blatant pain we endure can often be more terrifying than the monsters under the bed that we're taught to fear.
it was disturbing, uncomfortable, and often confusing at times - an optical illusion i couldn't tear away from. everything leading up to the twist was super captivating and i literally couldn't put the book down. i will say that the ending was not my favorite, but i think it made sense in the context of the story and the neighborhood they lived in. the more i was immersed in the story, the more questions i had. the prose is a beautiful whisper you're constantly searching for above the noise, breathtaking and intimately vulnerable, and i enjoyed getting lost in this book.
thank you to netgalley, fsg, and rivers solomon for the digital advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions!