A review by sebs_gaybooks
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Are the flaws of the main character a main focus of the book?
mmmm, well you could say that *flash through of all Franny's questionable decisions fueled by her immense trauma*

It's been a bit of a cold period in terms of my heart being truly shattered by a book. I haven't had the soul-crushing emotions that come from a devastating read, and I was beginning to think I'd become to tough; not to fret, I do indeed still have some semblance of a heart. And this book reminded me of that fragment I do have left.

god, this book. Migrations, you son of a bitch, how DARE YOU make me feel so many things. It's a rough journey, so if any of the content warnings are triggering, please take heed when reading this. Especially
car accidents, death of loved ones, suicide, and abandonment
.  Plot wise, it does jump around a lot, and I did see from other reviews that it bothered some people, but I personally think the way McConaghy wove it all through so delicately, pieces fell into place so seamlessly. I hesitate to use the words "reveal" as that might indicate towards a  "thriller mystery" sort of book which this is not. Don't come into this thinking the mystery of it all will be a shocking twist. It is and it isn't. The information that's given isn't really, in my opinion, trying to be like a thriller where it's keeping you on your toes with suspense. It's the way we, as the reader, become more and more understanding and increasingly stressed for Franny. And it is shocking. But not in a way that makes you gasp with glee. It's painfully human and real. 

This futuristic dystopian-like world McConaghy created is honestly more terrifying then the most AI centered ones of past and recent. The idea of nearly ALL of wildlife going extinct, it's horrific. And not just because it feels so likely for our current world. The way she writes about silent forests, beaches with no seagulls and the magic of finding a cave with terns nesting. It's the conversations around conservation, but only of species that have a direct positive impact and desirability for humans. That sort of 'environmental savior' purely for the benefit of our own species. 

Franny's desperate fight to see the terns, something that changes meaning with every chapter. And when we get to the end and see the birds, and we know what this means, it was just so hard to read. I have never been one to throw books across rooms with rage or intense passion, mostly because my books comes from the library, but I did gently nudge this book off my bed. 
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