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bookishlyem's reviews
75 reviews
Grievers by adrienne maree brown
5.0
Such an important read for me. Afrofuturism, grief—specifically Black grief, struggle, pandemics, race, and so many more significant subjects were talked about throughout this novel right off the bat.
"Grievers" is a work of speculative fiction that revolves around Dune, a young, queer, Blasian Detroit native who—along with the city of Detroit—experiences immense loss and grief. Dune’s mother, Kama, seems to be Patient 0 of the H-8 "syndrome" which takes Detroit by a storm. Those who can afford to get out, get out. Those who cannot afford to get out or simply choose not to, stay and brave this sickness knowing the risks. H-8 isn't just like Covid-19 where one can potentially heal. There is no "healing" form H-8 for both the infected and the infected's loved ones.
The way brown wrote H-8 threw me for a loop in the best and worst ways. On one hand, it is such a brilliantly created virus by the author in that it inflicts the most pain. But on the other hand, that is the worst part: the pain. If you don't already know what H-8 does, it quite literally stops a person in their tracks no matter what they are doing in that moment. All control over the body ceases mid-sentence, mid-walk, mid-grocery-store-run, mid-LIFE. Some that are infected with H-8 mumble gibberish in their statuesque positions while some speak a group of coherent yet seemingly unrelated words. The conditions that H-8 imposes upon the people of Detroit sets the precedent for the tone of the book as well as strengthening the title, "Grievers."
Those not taken by H-8 grieve, those taken by H-8 grieve, the city itself grieves. H-8 only infects those with African ancestry and because of that, the social and cultural themes that ultimately govern the story become extra prominent and give way for more themes and topics to be discussed and explored. It really is a fascinating book when you really look deep inside of it and hone in on different aspects.
Sadness is talked about and described so often in works of art (movies, books, music, etc.) but grief—true, heavy, real grief—is not described nearly as much (although nowadays I suppose it is describes a lot more than before). True grief is immobilizing, debilitating, and chips away at your personhood. That is what a lot of this story describes. There is so much loss of life. Not just life as in the opposite of death. I mean life as in the ability to enjoy the rush of the wind against your skin, the way your heart swells when you see your mother smile or laugh, the sound of a city on a Saturday night. Detroit grieves for all of that on top of the deaths caused by H-8.
I read somewhere that brown started writing the story back in 2012, way before Covid-19 had taken the world by the reigns. I find it very interesting that the same problems Detroit faces in "Grievers" are/were faced by marginalized communities during Covid and the upheaval during Covid. Refusal of adequate medical care, immense prejudice, insufficient resources, etc. The book explores a lot of the Black experience from what I (not a Black person) can tell. I found myself saying to myself "It's not fair" at multiple points in the novel, but I suppose brown wasn't trying to show fairness. brown may be trying to communicate the multiplied of ways in which the world is unfair under the backdrop of a mysterious illness that somehow only takes the lives of a historically disenfranchised community for seemingly no reason. To know that something is unfair and unjust is not the same as feeling that unfairness and unjustness, and I felt as much of it as a person like me could while reading this book.
I originally went into this novel not knowing that this was the first installment of a whole series (I think it's a series but I'm not entirely sure), so I am really excited to move on to the second installment and learn more about H-8, read more of brown's social commentary, and find answers that I desperately want answered.
"Grievers" is a work of speculative fiction that revolves around Dune, a young, queer, Blasian Detroit native who—along with the city of Detroit—experiences immense loss and grief. Dune’s mother, Kama, seems to be Patient 0 of the H-8 "syndrome" which takes Detroit by a storm. Those who can afford to get out, get out. Those who cannot afford to get out or simply choose not to, stay and brave this sickness knowing the risks. H-8 isn't just like Covid-19 where one can potentially heal. There is no "healing" form H-8 for both the infected and the infected's loved ones.
The way brown wrote H-8 threw me for a loop in the best and worst ways. On one hand, it is such a brilliantly created virus by the author in that it inflicts the most pain. But on the other hand, that is the worst part: the pain. If you don't already know what H-8 does, it quite literally stops a person in their tracks no matter what they are doing in that moment. All control over the body ceases mid-sentence, mid-walk, mid-grocery-store-run, mid-LIFE. Some that are infected with H-8 mumble gibberish in their statuesque positions while some speak a group of coherent yet seemingly unrelated words. The conditions that H-8 imposes upon the people of Detroit sets the precedent for the tone of the book as well as strengthening the title, "Grievers."
Those not taken by H-8 grieve, those taken by H-8 grieve, the city itself grieves. H-8 only infects those with African ancestry and because of that, the social and cultural themes that ultimately govern the story become extra prominent and give way for more themes and topics to be discussed and explored. It really is a fascinating book when you really look deep inside of it and hone in on different aspects.
Sadness is talked about and described so often in works of art (movies, books, music, etc.) but grief—true, heavy, real grief—is not described nearly as much (although nowadays I suppose it is describes a lot more than before). True grief is immobilizing, debilitating, and chips away at your personhood. That is what a lot of this story describes. There is so much loss of life. Not just life as in the opposite of death. I mean life as in the ability to enjoy the rush of the wind against your skin, the way your heart swells when you see your mother smile or laugh, the sound of a city on a Saturday night. Detroit grieves for all of that on top of the deaths caused by H-8.
I read somewhere that brown started writing the story back in 2012, way before Covid-19 had taken the world by the reigns. I find it very interesting that the same problems Detroit faces in "Grievers" are/were faced by marginalized communities during Covid and the upheaval during Covid. Refusal of adequate medical care, immense prejudice, insufficient resources, etc. The book explores a lot of the Black experience from what I (not a Black person) can tell. I found myself saying to myself "It's not fair" at multiple points in the novel, but I suppose brown wasn't trying to show fairness. brown may be trying to communicate the multiplied of ways in which the world is unfair under the backdrop of a mysterious illness that somehow only takes the lives of a historically disenfranchised community for seemingly no reason. To know that something is unfair and unjust is not the same as feeling that unfairness and unjustness, and I felt as much of it as a person like me could while reading this book.
I originally went into this novel not knowing that this was the first installment of a whole series (I think it's a series but I'm not entirely sure), so I am really excited to move on to the second installment and learn more about H-8, read more of brown's social commentary, and find answers that I desperately want answered.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
5.0
I went into this book feeing really apprehensive. Sci-Fi has never been my thing despite my interest in it. But this book seriously changed my mind about Sci-Fi! I absolutely adored this book. I adored the characters, the writing, the tie back to the title, all of it.
The book is mainly character driven but the call backs to the plot are seamless. I believe the point of the book is to, yes--tell the story of how the Wayfarer gets to said small, angry planet, but more importantly describe a dysfunctionally functional found family. Each crew member has a chance to narrate the journey from their point of view, so I suppose if I had to categorize the point of view this book is in, it would have to be third-person limited x9. (Forgive me if there is an actual name for a multitude of third-person limiteds, I'm still learning all of the correct names for different aspects of literature.) If I could name one or two of my favorite characters, I would. But the truth is I loved almost all of the characters.
I found the history of the GC and the general occupation of space to be extremely interesting. There are humans and then there are actual alien species. The way Chambers goes about writing all of the different species throughout the story is truly masterful. There is history, anthropology, geology, race-relations, and so much more Chambers covers both explicitly and implicitly. Because of how intricate this future way of living is written, the world building felt very real and harmonious. The details that Chambers brought to life in this book are ridiculously cool! Vocal, food, locations, tech...the works!
Personally, I found Chambers' writing to be extremely easy to read, understand, and absorb. The way she weaves in small details that end up being pivotal to the whole story is amazing. The way she introduces new characters, planets and such things is incredibly captivating. As the story progressed, I didn't find myself tripping up or getting super confused with the world building--I grew into it pretty quick which is great. Another aspect of her writing that I found great was how she didn't reveal much about each character until necessary. Even though she didn't reveal much, Chambers revealed a lot implicitly about each character. There are small nuances about each character that Chambers wrote in that seems to reveal a lot about the characters and the world around them.
The circle back to the title is really important in my opinion. Because the book is very character centric, it can be hard for many writers to flawlessly reintroduce the plot/keep the plot at the front of their readers' minds. I've read character-driven books where the plot had absolutely no correlation or no importance whatsoever, or books where there wasn't even a plot when there should've been. But I think that because of the fact that the title literally describes the plot/a significant part of the plot, Chambers was given a constant reminder of its importance. It's because of the plot that these characters are learning so much about each other and going through so much development. Chambers could've easily named this novel something like "The Wayfarer" or whatever, but "The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet" is perfect. So much has happened on this journey and I'm so glad I was there for the ride. I enjoyed the plot itself, giving us the chance and a reason to learn so much about the galaxy.
Overall, I am really impressed with this novel and I am immensely looking forward to reading the other books in the Wayfarer series as well as Chambers' other works!
The book is mainly character driven but the call backs to the plot are seamless. I believe the point of the book is to, yes--tell the story of how the Wayfarer gets to said small, angry planet, but more importantly describe a dysfunctionally functional found family. Each crew member has a chance to narrate the journey from their point of view, so I suppose if I had to categorize the point of view this book is in, it would have to be third-person limited x9. (Forgive me if there is an actual name for a multitude of third-person limiteds, I'm still learning all of the correct names for different aspects of literature.) If I could name one or two of my favorite characters, I would. But the truth is I loved almost all of the characters.
I found the history of the GC and the general occupation of space to be extremely interesting. There are humans and then there are actual alien species. The way Chambers goes about writing all of the different species throughout the story is truly masterful. There is history, anthropology, geology, race-relations, and so much more Chambers covers both explicitly and implicitly. Because of how intricate this future way of living is written, the world building felt very real and harmonious. The details that Chambers brought to life in this book are ridiculously cool! Vocal, food, locations, tech...the works!
Personally, I found Chambers' writing to be extremely easy to read, understand, and absorb. The way she weaves in small details that end up being pivotal to the whole story is amazing. The way she introduces new characters, planets and such things is incredibly captivating. As the story progressed, I didn't find myself tripping up or getting super confused with the world building--I grew into it pretty quick which is great. Another aspect of her writing that I found great was how she didn't reveal much about each character until necessary. Even though she didn't reveal much, Chambers revealed a lot implicitly about each character. There are small nuances about each character that Chambers wrote in that seems to reveal a lot about the characters and the world around them.
The circle back to the title is really important in my opinion. Because the book is very character centric, it can be hard for many writers to flawlessly reintroduce the plot/keep the plot at the front of their readers' minds. I've read character-driven books where the plot had absolutely no correlation or no importance whatsoever, or books where there wasn't even a plot when there should've been. But I think that because of the fact that the title literally describes the plot/a significant part of the plot, Chambers was given a constant reminder of its importance. It's because of the plot that these characters are learning so much about each other and going through so much development. Chambers could've easily named this novel something like "The Wayfarer" or whatever, but "The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet" is perfect. So much has happened on this journey and I'm so glad I was there for the ride. I enjoyed the plot itself, giving us the chance and a reason to learn so much about the galaxy.
Overall, I am really impressed with this novel and I am immensely looking forward to reading the other books in the Wayfarer series as well as Chambers' other works!
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
4.0
I would rate this closer to 3.5, but I *thoroughly* enjoyed it nonetheless!
Nate and Stassie are so cute together and their relationship went through so much throughout the book, starting form when they didn't even have a relationship to when they were both so committed to each other wholeheartedly. Their rivalry, their passion, their love, and their story is so swoon worthy and it definitely follows the progression and writing of a classic rom-com, so don't expect anything super transcendent.
If you're looking for a short, quick, lighthearted read this likely isn't for you (you never know, though!), but if you're willing to commit, I think it's definitely worth it. Yes, it was long--longer than it should have been to be completely honest. Did I still eat up every moment? YES!--yes I did. Icebreaker is over 400 pages, but could easily be cut down to muuuuch less if you take out all the smut and random, unnecessary moments between Stassie & Nate or Nate & the team or Stassie & the team etc.
Full of cliches, tropes, and classic rom-com banter, Icebreaker had everything needed to satisfy my tastes. I was in the mood for a classic romance filled with all of those things, and it definitely delivered those specific aspects. The multitude of smut was just an added bonus ;) At times, though, it was giving 2014 Wattpad (which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all! It can mean that the writing may come off as a little immature or somewhat lacking in depth at times). There were parts where I didn't even realize I was actually reading, and there were other parts that kind of snapped me out of that mindset with little nuances in the writing/writing style. But still, this satisfied me. It more than satisfied me; it thoroughly entertained me and had me hooked!
I have to ask, what is it with all these romance writers and their obsession with hulking, tall, strong men??? The amount of times Stassie had to remark about Nate's size (both body and...body part ifykyk) kind of annoyed me. Like... we get it! He's a big boy! That's what's so great about books--once something is written down, it doesn't have to be repeated more than 3 times (if even that) because it is canon! Also..."bub??????" BUB????? I genuinely love Nate and Stassie with my whole heart, but some of the lovey-dovey jargon and interactions had me cringing.
One thing I also really admired about the book was the casual diversity. Diversity doesn't just mean diversity amongst the characters' ethnicities, but it also means diversity in ability, social class, neurodiversity, etc. The casual integration of Robbie's wheelchair, JJ's ethnic background, I suspect there is a character on the spectrum but it is not confirmed nor denied so I'll just leave it at that. Hannah Grace has proven that she doesn't shy away from the more sensitive topics of the world. I would like to list a bunch off but I fear those would be considered spoilers. But I will say one thing: I am so glad consent was always brought up and so smoothly, too! Grace didn't sandwich it in just because she felt like she had to. It totally worked with Nate's character as well as adding to the casual incorporation of sensitive topics that most people would usually tiptoe around or approach heavy footed. I also LOVED the pop culture references. Cruel Summer, The Kiss Quotient, and more!
So yeah, I'll leave it at that for now :)
Nate and Stassie are so cute together and their relationship went through so much throughout the book, starting form when they didn't even have a relationship to when they were both so committed to each other wholeheartedly. Their rivalry, their passion, their love, and their story is so swoon worthy and it definitely follows the progression and writing of a classic rom-com, so don't expect anything super transcendent.
If you're looking for a short, quick, lighthearted read this likely isn't for you (you never know, though!), but if you're willing to commit, I think it's definitely worth it. Yes, it was long--longer than it should have been to be completely honest. Did I still eat up every moment? YES!--yes I did. Icebreaker is over 400 pages, but could easily be cut down to muuuuch less if you take out all the smut and random, unnecessary moments between Stassie & Nate or Nate & the team or Stassie & the team etc.
Full of cliches, tropes, and classic rom-com banter, Icebreaker had everything needed to satisfy my tastes. I was in the mood for a classic romance filled with all of those things, and it definitely delivered those specific aspects. The multitude of smut was just an added bonus ;) At times, though, it was giving 2014 Wattpad (which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all! It can mean that the writing may come off as a little immature or somewhat lacking in depth at times). There were parts where I didn't even realize I was actually reading, and there were other parts that kind of snapped me out of that mindset with little nuances in the writing/writing style. But still, this satisfied me. It more than satisfied me; it thoroughly entertained me and had me hooked!
I have to ask, what is it with all these romance writers and their obsession with hulking, tall, strong men??? The amount of times Stassie had to remark about Nate's size (both body and...body part ifykyk) kind of annoyed me. Like... we get it! He's a big boy! That's what's so great about books--once something is written down, it doesn't have to be repeated more than 3 times (if even that) because it is canon! Also..."bub??????" BUB????? I genuinely love Nate and Stassie with my whole heart, but some of the lovey-dovey jargon and interactions had me cringing.
One thing I also really admired about the book was the casual diversity. Diversity doesn't just mean diversity amongst the characters' ethnicities, but it also means diversity in ability, social class, neurodiversity, etc. The casual integration of Robbie's wheelchair, JJ's ethnic background, I suspect there is a character on the spectrum but it is not confirmed nor denied so I'll just leave it at that. Hannah Grace has proven that she doesn't shy away from the more sensitive topics of the world. I would like to list a bunch off but I fear those would be considered spoilers. But I will say one thing: I am so glad consent was always brought up and so smoothly, too! Grace didn't sandwich it in just because she felt like she had to. It totally worked with Nate's character as well as adding to the casual incorporation of sensitive topics that most people would usually tiptoe around or approach heavy footed. I also LOVED the pop culture references. Cruel Summer, The Kiss Quotient, and more!
So yeah, I'll leave it at that for now :)
Manacled by SenLinYu
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