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A review by bookandcoffeeaddict
My Name Is Iris by Brando Skyhorse
3.0
First things first - My Name is Iris has an unresolved/open ending that left me confused (and worried my copy was missing pages), so if that's not your thing, here's your warning. There's no closure of any kind. More on this later.
While more literary than dystopian leaning than I was hoping for, the writing and story are compelling and engaging. The magical realism of the wall, changing and growing following Iris's journey, adds a really interesting element to the story and keeps you thinking. I usually like to shut off that part of my brain while reading, but my mind kept dissecting what circumstances and actions of Iris led to changes in the wall and what that meant. The dystopian premise felt so uncomfortably close to possible that it gave me nauseous goosebumps.
Iris, while maybe not classically "likable", behaved in a way that felt real and if not relatable, believable. All of the characters in this book are like that and it gives it a very real, true-to-life feel.
Unfortunately, just as we reached the rising action - tensions high, overt racism at a fever pitch, Iris and her family searching for sanctuary in a country gone feral with fear from "us" versus "them" rhetoric - the story ENDS. Nothing resolved. It's so sudden and unexpected that it honestly feels like a chapter is missing.
It could be seen as a hopeful open ending. Iris completes her character arc and feels shame for sneering at others, "them", for not conforming to "us"; she makes amends with her family and is searching for safety for all of them, not just herself. But as a personal preference and pet peeve, I need a resolved ending (or at least a pathway or promise of closure in the future).
All in all, I was really intrigued by My Name Is Iris. The use of magical realism and dystopian prophecy creates an empathetic window into what very well could be the future and I think it would make a really great book for discussion in book clubs and classrooms. It's too bad the abrupt ending kind of ruined it for me.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy
While more literary than dystopian leaning than I was hoping for, the writing and story are compelling and engaging. The magical realism of the wall, changing and growing following Iris's journey, adds a really interesting element to the story and keeps you thinking. I usually like to shut off that part of my brain while reading, but my mind kept dissecting what circumstances and actions of Iris led to changes in the wall and what that meant. The dystopian premise felt so uncomfortably close to possible that it gave me nauseous goosebumps.
Iris, while maybe not classically "likable", behaved in a way that felt real and if not relatable, believable. All of the characters in this book are like that and it gives it a very real, true-to-life feel.
Unfortunately, just as we reached the rising action - tensions high, overt racism at a fever pitch, Iris and her family searching for sanctuary in a country gone feral with fear from "us" versus "them" rhetoric - the story ENDS. Nothing resolved. It's so sudden and unexpected that it honestly feels like a chapter is missing.
It could be seen as a hopeful open ending. Iris completes her character arc and feels shame for sneering at others, "them", for not conforming to "us"; she makes amends with her family and is searching for safety for all of them, not just herself. But as a personal preference and pet peeve, I need a resolved ending (or at least a pathway or promise of closure in the future).
All in all, I was really intrigued by My Name Is Iris. The use of magical realism and dystopian prophecy creates an empathetic window into what very well could be the future and I think it would make a really great book for discussion in book clubs and classrooms. It's too bad the abrupt ending kind of ruined it for me.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy