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abrittlebee 's review for:
We Can Never Leave
by H.E. Edgmon
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Personally, while it is advertised as a fantasy, I think We Can Never Leave leans far more into surrealism than it does any other genre. And while surrealism isn’t my favourite, this one did blow me out of the water in terms of the quality of the symbolism and the pure imagination involved in constructing its narrative. Working through themes of parental trauma, enmeshment, queer identity, conscience, and autonomy; We Can Never Leave brings all of these ideas to the forefront of its plot, but in a way that does not hand hold the reader and lead them into any obvious premeditated conclusions.
My favourite aspect of this book is how unlikable the characters are—something that is intentional, as the novel actually calls it out. The cold start sort of forces you into the lives of these monstrous/magical teens, none of whom seem to like each other, but all of which are stuck together. You are not asked to empathize with them, but you are made to learn about them on both an individual level, and as a group. The cold start and unlikeable characters act as both a hook and a means of engagement, drawing the reader further and further into the mystery until all the pieces come together. However, even near the very end I was still surprised by the conclusion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was shocking, elaborate, weird, and at times incredibly gross, but it was never stagnant. I think this is one of those books that will mean more to me the longer I ruminate on it, and as such I wholly recommend it.
My favourite aspect of this book is how unlikable the characters are—something that is intentional, as the novel actually calls it out. The cold start sort of forces you into the lives of these monstrous/magical teens, none of whom seem to like each other, but all of which are stuck together. You are not asked to empathize with them, but you are made to learn about them on both an individual level, and as a group. The cold start and unlikeable characters act as both a hook and a means of engagement, drawing the reader further and further into the mystery until all the pieces come together. However, even near the very end I was still surprised by the conclusion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was shocking, elaborate, weird, and at times incredibly gross, but it was never stagnant. I think this is one of those books that will mean more to me the longer I ruminate on it, and as such I wholly recommend it.