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A review by jbriaz
My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars. My Monticello comprises a handful of unrelated short stories and then the titular novella at the end. I found two of the short stories to be terrific: "Buying A House Ahead of the Apocalypse" and "Control Negro." Johnson used unique and interesting backgrounds to construct these stories, melding real world issues with speculative fiction. I also found her prose style to be strong throughout these stories and others. Unfortunately, I found the other short stories wanting in different regards, not exactly hitting the point. The worst for me was "Virginia is Not My Home," which seemed to be a retread of so many other fiction stories that came before it. It added nothing that a 100 other authors haven't done already.
As for the novella, My Monticello, I have to say this is the rare book where it could've used more length. This would've allowed Johnson to grow out the world and flesh out the characters. It also would've allowed her to build in more plot, which is pretty lacking in this story. As to the strengths, Johnson's prose style remains strong as discussed above. And she uses our real-life political and racial situation to create a dystopic world in Charlottesville set in an unclear year in the 2030s where white supremacy and climate change led to the "Unraveling," which is basically the end of society. I found these portions of the novella to be enrapturing, and I wish she had used more pages to build this out. Overall though, the novella kept me hooked from beginning to end; perhaps Johnson can explore this all-too-possible dystopic hellscape in a future novel.
As for the novella, My Monticello, I have to say this is the rare book where it could've used more length. This would've allowed Johnson to grow out the world and flesh out the characters. It also would've allowed her to build in more plot, which is pretty lacking in this story. As to the strengths, Johnson's prose style remains strong as discussed above. And she uses our real-life political and racial situation to create a dystopic world in Charlottesville set in an unclear year in the 2030s where white supremacy and climate change led to the "Unraveling," which is basically the end of society. I found these portions of the novella to be enrapturing, and I wish she had used more pages to build this out. Overall though, the novella kept me hooked from beginning to end; perhaps Johnson can explore this all-too-possible dystopic hellscape in a future novel.