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A review by lucybbookstuff
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Dang.
This was a lot. 😆 Not in a bad way. It just was.
I had a lot of fun with this. I'm very glad I realized early on how great the audiobook is, or I would have had a much tougher time sticking with just the paperback. Robin Miles absolutely crushed it.
I think this book would be really hard for anyone who needs a clear plot or who needs their fantasy to make total sense. It didn't really provide either of those things.
Usually I'd have a harder time with things like that, BUT I loved Jemisin's immersive writing, the characterizations of these people/cities, and I appreciated that this book is, first and foremost, a love letter to New York City. Having visited and appreciated NYC, and having loved another city this deeply myself, I totally get it.
Apart from that, I think this book is also mainly about its allegory. Its extremely heavy-handed allegory of racism, gentrification, and MAGA attitudes. I'm not always into this kind of heavy-handedness, and this was no exception, but again, I liked and appreciated those other facets enough to get over it.
It did REALLY start to drag towards the end, and felt a bit anticlimactic. Anyone who wants the full story is definitely going to need to read book 2. I think I will, eventually.
In summary: really liked! Didn't love. But makes me very excited to keep reading more Jemisin.
This was a lot. 😆 Not in a bad way. It just was.
I had a lot of fun with this. I'm very glad I realized early on how great the audiobook is, or I would have had a much tougher time sticking with just the paperback. Robin Miles absolutely crushed it.
I think this book would be really hard for anyone who needs a clear plot or who needs their fantasy to make total sense. It didn't really provide either of those things.
Usually I'd have a harder time with things like that, BUT I loved Jemisin's immersive writing, the characterizations of these people/cities, and I appreciated that this book is, first and foremost, a love letter to New York City. Having visited and appreciated NYC, and having loved another city this deeply myself, I totally get it.
Apart from that, I think this book is also mainly about its allegory. Its extremely heavy-handed allegory of racism, gentrification, and MAGA attitudes. I'm not always into this kind of heavy-handedness, and this was no exception, but again, I liked and appreciated those other facets enough to get over it.
It did REALLY start to drag towards the end, and felt a bit anticlimactic. Anyone who wants the full story is definitely going to need to read book 2. I think I will, eventually.
In summary: really liked! Didn't love. But makes me very excited to keep reading more Jemisin.