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A review by cassholland
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
4.0
Am I a person?
I'm not entirely sure what I just read. But in the best way.
This book opens with absolutely no explanation of what has happened to the world, just drops right in on Rachel, a scavenger, and her life in an unnamed city with her partner, Wick. The action of the story begins when Rachel finds a piece of biotech, brings it home, names it Borne.
From there this book goes in so many weird, fantastical, complicated directions. VanderMeer's prose is a little indecipherable at times (maybe why this book took me almost six weeks to read) but so beautiful, so melancholy, and so devastating. I wish I understood the world more, I wish some of the gaps were filled in, but at the same time I don't--I think that's exactly how it's supposed to be.
At the heart of this story is not so much the destroyed scifi world but the relationships between the three main characters. They were so compelling and intense and complicated and honestly outshone the plot, again in the best way possible. There's so much to discuss here, so much about love and family and humanity and survival and memory, but I know that I would not do it justice. Go read this book, and then go stare into space for an hour marveling at the nature of personhood like I did.
I received this book from the publisher as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
I'm not entirely sure what I just read. But in the best way.
This book opens with absolutely no explanation of what has happened to the world, just drops right in on Rachel, a scavenger, and her life in an unnamed city with her partner, Wick. The action of the story begins when Rachel finds a piece of biotech, brings it home, names it Borne.
From there this book goes in so many weird, fantastical, complicated directions. VanderMeer's prose is a little indecipherable at times (maybe why this book took me almost six weeks to read) but so beautiful, so melancholy, and so devastating. I wish I understood the world more, I wish some of the gaps were filled in, but at the same time I don't--I think that's exactly how it's supposed to be.
At the heart of this story is not so much the destroyed scifi world but the relationships between the three main characters. They were so compelling and intense and complicated and honestly outshone the plot, again in the best way possible. There's so much to discuss here, so much about love and family and humanity and survival and memory, but I know that I would not do it justice. Go read this book, and then go stare into space for an hour marveling at the nature of personhood like I did.
I received this book from the publisher as part of a Goodreads giveaway.