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srubin12 's review for:
Vera, or Faith
by Gary Shteyngart
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read this if you want to be swept into a near-future world that feels both eerily possible and deeply human, told through the unforgettable voice of a child.
Vera, or Faith is one of those rare novels that makes you stop and marvel at the sheer creativity and imagination it takes to build a story like this. Narrated by young Vera—a whip-smart, precocious girl juggling school, friendships, and her fractured family—it weaves together the intimate challenges of childhood with a chillingly plausible future America.
Hints of the setting slip in gradually: self-driving cars, omnipresent AI, and harsh immigration laws that seem ripped from current political rhetoric made real. The contrast between Vera’s everyday struggles (friend drama, her dad and stepmom’s fighting, her search for her birth mom) and the weight of the world around her makes the story all the more powerful.
What makes this novel shine is Vera herself. She’s funny, sharp, and heartbreakingly earnest, and you can’t help but root for her as she learns to seek strength in others while facing both ordinary fears and extraordinary dangers.
A brilliant, moving, and timely novel. Five stars, no question.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read this story in exchange for an honest review.
Vera, or Faith is one of those rare novels that makes you stop and marvel at the sheer creativity and imagination it takes to build a story like this. Narrated by young Vera—a whip-smart, precocious girl juggling school, friendships, and her fractured family—it weaves together the intimate challenges of childhood with a chillingly plausible future America.
Hints of the setting slip in gradually: self-driving cars, omnipresent AI, and harsh immigration laws that seem ripped from current political rhetoric made real. The contrast between Vera’s everyday struggles (friend drama, her dad and stepmom’s fighting, her search for her birth mom) and the weight of the world around her makes the story all the more powerful.
What makes this novel shine is Vera herself. She’s funny, sharp, and heartbreakingly earnest, and you can’t help but root for her as she learns to seek strength in others while facing both ordinary fears and extraordinary dangers.
A brilliant, moving, and timely novel. Five stars, no question.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read this story in exchange for an honest review.