A review by rae_diant
Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I quite enjoyed the book! A really fun read. Some of the humor is very crude, but if you get past that there's just SO MUCH goodness in here. I loved how Poore used vignettes throughout Milo's lives, giving us a taste of his existence. I think Poor was strongest with his emotional glimpses through life. Milo and Suzie felt incredibly down to Earth. Some parts lagged but I don't think it at all detracted from the read. I appreciate how Poore condensed Milo's lives down, and I appreciated what we saw in terms of the lives we lead with him. I personally wouldn't trust other reviews that say it felt unfinished or it focused on the wrong lives. This book isn't about those lives, it was about Milo coming to terms with the reality that he's running out of time. Explores the themes of what makes a meaningful life, what is a good action, sacrific, class conflict, and more. Very well woven together. 

I will warn you, there does seem to be a lot of flippant use of South Asian belief systems. I would say distasteful to an extent, but I truly don't know. I caution readers who are sensitive to cultural appropriation and racism, more under the spoiler.

Now I will say, it was EXTREMELY uncomfortable the way Poore used the N word in the Europa chapter. I'm not sure of his racial background, but I'm not a fan of his use if he is white, which he appears to be. It was used in a way that was antagonistic since it was used by the bad guys, but I still don't know if it was the right thing to do.
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