Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

41 reviews

judassilver's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Slavery, Grief, and War

Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Violence, Xenophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

crispr_breadboard's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I didn’t hate it, but I typically prefer more depth and complexity to plots and characters. The allegorical symbolism didn’t go unnoticed (ie, understanding the complex emotions produced by generational trauma of the oppressed due to white supremacy). I enjoyed the portions that leaned into that message, but looking beyond that I felt the story lacked. Which made it feel simple- more like a grim fable than a novel. Probably intentional, but doesn’t mean I have to like it 😅

Truthfully, the afterword made me appreciate the novel more than actually reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Stalking, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, and Suicide attempt

violetends's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Blood, Grief, and Colonisation

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Pregnancy

culpeppper's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I already wrote out a review and it didn't save, so I'm gonna do a bullet point style thing here:

• The metaphors were immense, sometimes clever and sometimes a little too on the nose, but largely the use of weaving those metaphors into the story was done well and enhanced the reading experience. As an example, the descriptions in the underwater mimic the setting, relying on feelings and ideas to form the world before Yetu goes to the surface where descriptions change to more solid things rather than concepts. 
• The story has multiple perspectives. Though I do feel it worked thematically to have these other perspectives, and the stories they told enhanced our perspective, but it was always jarring and confusing in a way that took me a bit out of the story sometimes. 
• It's a work of creative wonder, filled with countless concepts, and it's inspired me to read more of Solomon's work so I can have a longer experience that I think will suit their style of writing better. 

Overall, there were some things it lacked that could have built out the world a bit more, and the pacing felt weird and off at times, I think that's partially the form and maybe some stylistic elements I don't fully understand. But I liked the experience of this world, of this look into our world, and the use of history and remembering as critical to it. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and War

rainbopagn's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a heavy hitter, with the MC being an allegory for generational trauma. The author intentionally makes you uncomfortable as you are not sure if you want the MC to return home or not. I think this is a must read for anyone who as the privilege of NOT knowing intergenerational or racial trauma.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Abandonment

sophia_ryann's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Blood

Moderate: Grief and Colonisation

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

kaymaxwell's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Genocide, Slavery, Blood, and Colonisation

numerous_bees's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Slavery, Blood, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury

anaheeta's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-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

5.0

I seem to be very very fortunate lately as I keep reading books that make me want to start from the beginning right as I finish them. 

This was so so so beautiful and heartbreaking in a good way. And also the creation of the story and the multiple steps it took for this book to come to be (read the editor’s words) was fascinating. It was based on a horribly tragic historical genocide, one of pregnant/in labor African women thrown off of slave ships. 
Without giving away any more of the story, it’s sci-fi fantasy about life, love, and generational trauma. The book delves into the traumas of an underwater civilization and how the traumas are handled. How individuality and community interact. How change and progress works. 

It was just a beautiful beautiful work of fiction and I have become a fan of Rivers Solomon, can’t wait to read more of their work!


Trigger warnings: slavery, racism, blood, death, misogyny, grief, generational trauma,

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal death and Blood

biobeetle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, and Colonisation

Moderate: Death, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Child death