A review by uss_mary_shelley
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

This book is enchanting and bursting with thrill, danger and love. I’ll try not to spoil too much, nor talk in detail about the many cw topics. But it is a book, about racism, about fear, about dehumanisation and metamorphosis, about power and abuse, and about the state all the same. But it is also about love, love without conditions, love that spans generations, communities and people. When I started reading, the first thing I said to my other half was “It starts with a land acknowledgement!” and although that is not the main thing I will take away, it underlies the whole story. This book is rooted in human connections and human experience, all the way through to Vern’s view of the world. We are taken with her, and it is not a story I will forget. Rivers Solomon has captured so much, so well. Reading the sex scenes felt respectful, knowing and genuine. When reading the violent scenes, the turbulence and decisions made sense, and the difference between violence coming down and violence going up was weighted and realised. I definitely be reading more from Rivers Solomon, although I want to sit with this for a day or so.
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