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A review by mmefish
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I liked the main heroine and the writing well enough to keep reading but I had a few problems with this book:
1. First of all, the novel is set on a ship in space 325 years into the future, yet there is no advanced technology, most people are uneducated and everyone acts like they’re stuck in 19th century. Oh yes, and religion plays a huge role (how I am tired of it). Not something I expect from scifi but maybe that’s just me.
2. Ultimately, it is a book about racism in space (accent on racism), not about space traveling, life on a space ship, not even about the future. Nothing like that. Imagine “The Handmaid’s Tale” but in a closed space and you’ll get something close to “An Unkindness of Ghosts”.
3. The message couldn’t be more in your face.
1. First of all, the novel is set on a ship in space 325 years into the future, yet there is no advanced technology, most people are uneducated and everyone acts like they’re stuck in 19th century. Oh yes, and religion plays a huge role (how I am tired of it). Not something I expect from scifi but maybe that’s just me.
2. Ultimately, it is a book about racism in space (accent on racism), not about space traveling, life on a space ship, not even about the future. Nothing like that. Imagine “The Handmaid’s Tale” but in a closed space and you’ll get something close to “An Unkindness of Ghosts”.
3. The message couldn’t be more in your face.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Torture
Moderate: Abortion, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia