Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

20 reviews

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.0

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started reading the book. Usually I know at least a little bit of the plot or have some vague idea what it might be about. But this time I knew nothing. And I have to say, it's not a book I would usually pick up, but I flew through it, and I'm glad I read it. 

It's a story about Vern, who is raised in an isolated cult community. After she is forced to marry the reverend and gets pregnant, she flees the compound and tries to survive on her own.

It's a very raw and gritty story, with fantastical and horror elements. I really liked the writing, even though the graphic violence, gore, body horror and visceral descriptions were not my favorite thing. Although, they created a great atmosphere that fit the story. 

I was surprised how mysterious and introspective the story was while still being a page turner full of action. Important themes like racism, misogyny, religion, identity, belonging, motherhood and queerness were very prevalent in the book. I especially enjoyed the found family trope and the survival aspect of the story (please be aware that animals are harmed and eaten, though) as well as the diversity. There are queer, intersex and disabled characters and the protagonist is all of it combined. Vern is a very flawed but also resilient character, I loved her and was rooting for her. The character development is amazing, as well as the relationships and their development. And I absolutely adored Howling and Feral! 

I had some issues with parts of the plot and the pacing, but in the end everything fit so well together, and I was not expecting to like the ending as much as I did. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

dustghosts's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

Sorrowland had a little bit of everything that I wanted from the other horror books I read this past October. Visceral and mysterious body horror intertwined with a really compelling and (unfortunately) timeless, unflinching look at the mycelium of systemic racism (colonialism, human experimentation, systemic poverty and the lengths it might drive someone to, religious bigotry, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia and interphobia— etcetera). I think this should be a must-read for people who lean too heavily on “blaming the system” while turning away from personal responsibility for the way that participation in those systems hurts people specifically. Vern is a complicated protagonist with mostly uncomplicated motives— and she compelled me more than anything else about this book. The supernatural “twist” to the story doesn’t soften the issues at hand, but underlines it. At times, it this read a bit too blunt/heavy-handed for me— but by and large this felt like a purposeful narrative choice, so it’s splitting hairs. The horror and the sorrow and the misery of it all is balanced, all the way through, by a thread of tender togetherness that I think will stay with me for a long time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Confinement, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

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

4.75

GOD i did NOT heed the trigger warnings and I honestly don't even have an excuse like I knew this was a horror novel and still picked it up. don't make my mistake and please be safe. Anyway this BOOK!!!! /pos
absolute fucking masterpiece

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Rape, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Cancer, Infertility, Racial slurs, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Transphobia

graphic: cult

itsmrlol's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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

5.0

This book had its confusing moments, but gosh, it was so good. I love books about Black women concurring everything. It's inspiring.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

_fallinglight_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This book is phenomenal hands down amazing. I'm so clumsy with words to describe the real exhilaration and anxiety and rage and indignation and love and wholesomeness and ache and everything else I felt while reading this but this book is a treat. Vern with the twins and their whole dynamic were my favorite moments.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual assault

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

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

5.0

This book is beautiful. It is not an easy read. It gets rough, and dirty, and depressing, but it is ultimately beautiful. Rivers Solomon seems keenly aware of this, and they do a masterful job weaving this story. If you think you’re ready for it, please do yourself the hard kindness of reading this story.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

k_mimmsy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Mass/school shootings, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse

esmithumland's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This is a new favorite book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, and Suicide

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

kylieqrada's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

EXCUSE ME, WHAT?!?!? Rivers Solomon is truly one of the best authors in the game, as is evidenced by the fact that I picked up this book, a horror novel, just because it is by them. I was not disappointed in any way shape or form, however I do have a lot of feelings and I do not know how to process them. The only reason I am giving this four stars is because I am basing my rating on pure enjoyment (there was one sex scene that involved acts that were triggering for me personally), but please know that the writing and literary value absolutely deserves five stars. I am Rivers Solomon trash, and I am not worthy. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

storieswithbee's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Genre: adult fiction, paranormal, horror, LGBT, Sci-Fi, Gothic, Speculative fiction, dark fiction

Age range: 18+

Overall: 2.5/5

Characters: 4/5 

Plot: 2/5

Writing and Setting: 4/5

Content warning: *sex scenes, adult language, racism, violence, gore, sexual abuse, religious cults, forced institutionalisation, self-harm, plus many many more.

The gist of my review:  

This book... my god. I don’t know how we went from a girl fighting the cult and government that imprisoned her to becoming a super human due to a fungus that had morphed with her body, but it happened. And if I’m being honest, I’m disappointed that it did happen. 

This book has a very extensive list of trigger warning so please be cautious when considering reading this book. 

In my opinion, this book would have been perfect if it stayed on the same path it initially started on. We have a cast of strong and diverse characters from different cultures and sexual orientations, the representation is phenomenal, but the Science Fiction element totally encompassed the initial storyline and swept it off into a very strange and often confronting direction. 

I think there is definitely an audience for this book, however, I can understand why people stop reading it at the 20% mark. This is clearly displayed by the polarising ratings and reviews. 

All together, the writing is very challenging, the characters individually are astounding,  but there wasn’t any content warning provided at the start of the book so readers are entering into some very pressing and troubling scenes blind. In addition, as I mentioned, the book took on a very strange direction when I don’t believe it needed to. My review will be very polarising considering I have given the book a rather low rating, but I think the best way I can describe it is that the book is quite literally unforgettable, but for both good and bad reasons. 

Characters: 4/5

There are a few distinct characters in this book but I’m only going to talk about the ones that are most prominent. When I mention race, it’s because it very important to the plot of the book, I apologise in advance if I offended anyone.

Vern:

Vern is a very unique main character. To begin with, she is a albino black young women who has grown up in a very oppressive black person’s cult. She rebels against just about every rule and social construct, not only while in the cult, but also after she escapes. 

Throughout the story we discover that she is bisexual and she is open to exploring her sexuality and seeking out her own pleasure. She has offhanded sex with a fair few people (and... beings), and develops a deep relationship with two women. 

In addition, Vern is a teen mother to twins, however her parenting isn’t socially conventional considering she raises her children in the wilderness when leaving the cult. Her children, Howling and Feral, are products of her free spirited nature, and their behaviours are often reflections of the previous traits and actions we’ve seen from Vern throughout the book.

The way that Vern was written was phenomenal. In short, the only way I can accurately describe her is that she reminds me of a fierce Lioness. She is an incredibly diverse women who is a marvel both due to what happens to her throughout the book, but also just plainly as a character. I haven’t come across a character written in this way in all my years of reading and I found her totally fascinating. I think it will be a long time before I forget Vern.

Gogo:

Gogo is a character we’re introduced to after that 20% mark in the book and I’m thankful that I read further to be introduced to her. 

Gogo is a strong, opinionated and incredibly intelligent lesbian black women. She knows what she wants and she battles tooth and nail to achieve her goals. Gogo has a medical degree and is the person the local community look towards when they can’t go seek conventional medical treatments due to stigma and costs. 

Gogo is one of the two intimate relationships that Vern experiences throughout the book. In comparison to all of Vern other sexual partners, the partnership with Gogo comes across as one that shares a very deep understanding and passion for one another. Gogo provides Vern with a sense of solace, especially when Vern’s body and mind take on a supernatural turn. The two are very compatible and they reflect on each other incredibly well. 

Plot: 2/5

I’ve mentioned it a few times now, but I really detested the supernatural/ paranormal / science fiction element to Vern’s story. I think the book could have been a very fascinating read if it had gone down the path of fighting the cult and the government as a ‘human’. Obviously this would have changed a large proportion of the story but (not trying to give away spoilers so I’m being purposefully vague), but an exoskeleton...? Spurs...? Mind control...? Really...? *rolls eyes* It was just too much. 

Writing and Setting: 4/5

The writing is in 3rd person, which normally I don’t enjoy as much as first person, but with Solomon’s writing style, it was a really fascinating way to digest this story. The writing itself was incredibly complex and it requires the reader to be very engaged at all times. 

The settings throughout the book are very unique in a multitude of different ways. In each different location, which was beautifully written, we see different levels and new developments in Vern, her ‘condition’, and her family.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Grief, and Gaslighting