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A review by andeulea
Severance by Ling Ma
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s interesting this book was published before the COVID-19 pandemic. It definitely reminded me of how many people felt when the virus was first spreading. However, unlike the pandemic, large corporations in this world did not thrive. Even NYC was crumbling. Here, a deadly plague impacted everyone, regardless of social class.
It did take a while for me to get into the book because the narrative kept switching from the present, to the main character, Candace’s past in NY, to the present, to the families past, etc..
I'm curious about the author's decision to introduce Candace's Fujianese background and family's past in a post-apocalyptic setting. Other than maybe identifying her as a person of color? The present and future offer no references to the relevance of this information, but not sure if it even matters. At least I got to learn about my ancestors’ history? I guess?
Overall, I had fun reading about the world falling apart while the apocalypse unfolded. It was a depressing but also thrilling read!
Update: After some reflection, the mention of Candace's background becomes clearer. It seems that the apocalypse served as an allegory for the "severance" of any ties that Candace may have had to her Chinese background. Following her family's arrival to the US, she began losing that part of her identity, a common experience for many immigrant children. However, Ling Ma's writing style made me feel like this comparison was more of a stretch.
But! The use of the apocalypse as an allegory for the modern day 9-5 workday was more prevalent through the Shen Fever. This fever served as a metaphor for the monotonous routine of middle-class laborers operating on autopilot, without reflection or thought.
It did take a while for me to get into the book because the narrative kept switching from the present, to the main character, Candace’s past in NY, to the present, to the families past, etc..
I'm curious about the author's decision to introduce Candace's Fujianese background and family's past in a post-apocalyptic setting. Other than maybe identifying her as a person of color? The present and future offer no references to the relevance of this information, but not sure if it even matters. At least I got to learn about my ancestors’ history? I guess?
Overall, I had fun reading about the world falling apart while the apocalypse unfolded. It was a depressing but also thrilling read!
Update: After some reflection, the mention of Candace's background becomes clearer. It seems that the apocalypse served as an allegory for the "severance" of any ties that Candace may have had to her Chinese background. Following her family's arrival to the US, she began losing that part of her identity, a common experience for many immigrant children. However, Ling Ma's writing style made me feel like this comparison was more of a stretch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gun violence