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sheriffrockyraccoon 's review for:
Severance
by Ling Ma
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
I wonder how Ling Ma feels about her work, considering the effects COVID-19 has had on the workplace and American life in general. Her writing is scarily accurate, and highly addicting.
As soon as I finished this book, I felt eager to mark it as finished and write this review. I am still buzzing with excitement and absolutely understand why my copy had four pages of praise before the novel began. Severance builds tension in such a way that it is impossible to put it down. While the first half may be a bit slow in comparison, I ultimately read the last half in a few hours. Ma’s comparisons between office life and a post-apocalyptic America are both poignant and hilarious at times, all the while weaving together narratives of immigration, love, and family.
While I am still thinking about the ending and how it serves the story, I ultimately felt the work paid off. It felt sudden, but I can’t imagine another way this novel could possibly end.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in critiques of the American workforce, especially in how recent times have become so hostile to young employees. Especially after experiencing a pandemic eerily similar to Ma’s Shen Fever, this novel has only strengthened over time.
As soon as I finished this book, I felt eager to mark it as finished and write this review. I am still buzzing with excitement and absolutely understand why my copy had four pages of praise before the novel began. Severance builds tension in such a way that it is impossible to put it down. While the first half may be a bit slow in comparison, I ultimately read the last half in a few hours. Ma’s comparisons between office life and a post-apocalyptic America are both poignant and hilarious at times, all the while weaving together narratives of immigration, love, and family.
While I am still thinking about the ending and how it serves the story, I ultimately felt the work paid off. It felt sudden, but I can’t imagine another way this novel could possibly end.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in critiques of the American workforce, especially in how recent times have become so hostile to young employees. Especially after experiencing a pandemic eerily similar to Ma’s Shen Fever, this novel has only strengthened over time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Gore, Car accident