A review by wetherspoonsgf
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is real (Queer) Horror Pantheon stuff imo.

The prose just fucking rules. Love is written so tenderly, hate is written so pure, and Vern’s internal battles just invade your brain with how clearly they’re put onto the page.

Solomon uses language in such interesting ways, especially tracking
Vern’s removal from Cainland as we lose the KJB style preacher’s tongue
and presents a conflicted motherhood that’s gut wrenching to watch evolve. The transfer of that internal conflict into a
Doomed (?) Lesbian Romance
is done  incredibly. I probably cried once every 10-20 pages for the last 150 pages.

Also, and this is not Solomon’s writing by definition BUT - this is the first Good Blurb I’ve read maybe ever? Gives almost fuck all away but builds stakes and tension, good work.

(I do sort of want to write 1500 words on the parallel metamorphoses in this and OWUTS now).