chirson's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I liked it more. Pinsker is an extremely talented writer and her characters still shine, as does her worldbuilding - A Song for a New Day takes place in a dystopian future US where congregating is forbidden in the aftermath of a combination of terrorist attacks (whose rationale / association is never discussed) and a pandemic. Most people live lives of physical isolation, working remote jobs or subsisting on basic state income, spending what little they have on monopolised products, their job that of a "consumer". There are some great touches of that. And Rosemary's phobias and panic were written very, very well, in a way that certainly foresaw the current attitude of many in the times of pandemic.
Nonetheless, I'd expected more, and better. A list of my doubts would go something like this:
2) Why does the novel acknowledge that there are surely already people working on subverting the current political / corporate status quo in an organised rather than individual way, but never give us examples of that, and at the conclusion, young people suddenly, as a result of hearing the song, that they should run for office or change the law. That's great, but there's very little to attach it to, because all along the politics have been all about "forbidding us from congregating to make music and forcing everyone to serve the corporate overlords is bad".
3) Didacticism getting a little clunky. I don't mind a moral message or idealism at all, and maybe this is just a thing with anarchism-adjacent literature, but I was frustrated with the dialogues where characters realise capitalism is evil, the insights where naive characters reach the right conclusions, the ways in which capitalist overlords are revealed as cartoonishly evil and incompetent at just the right moments to reveal that evil.
4) For a novel that's about collectivism and the value of found families, I felt like the emphasis on extraordinary individuals making change through their awesomeness without showcasing of the years and years of work it takes to create conditions for lasting change to be discordant.
5) I wished for more context. How has virtualisation of sex changed demographics? How are reproductive rights looking? What about queer people, and immigration? The novel is curiously apolitical for a political story. An allegory of sorts.
I think where the book shines is in talking about the fictional pandemic and importance of human connection - I could easily translate that into thinking about how online teaching does not compare to face to face for me, as the connection is missing, the energy is different, the transfer from peer to peer is limited. And as I'd said, I loved many of the characters and places. But the whole thing wasn't for me. Maybe I'm just not musical or anarchist enough to fully appreciate it.
Nonetheless, I'd expected more, and better. A list of my doubts would go something like this:
Spoiler
1) I find the complete inexistence of the rest of the world baffling. Is the US model omnipresent, or is it not? What happened elsewhere? And did everyone really follow the rules out of fear? I know this novel was pre-COVID, so it's easy for me to tell, but when restrictions were introduced in Poland, I fully expected non-compliance to be a huge problem. And yet, this world seems to be oddly compliant (plus romanticising non-compliance is not great).2) Why does the novel acknowledge that there are surely already people working on subverting the current political / corporate status quo in an organised rather than individual way, but never give us examples of that, and at the conclusion, young people suddenly, as a result of hearing the song, that they should run for office or change the law. That's great, but there's very little to attach it to, because all along the politics have been all about "forbidding us from congregating to make music and forcing everyone to serve the corporate overlords is bad".
3) Didacticism getting a little clunky. I don't mind a moral message or idealism at all, and maybe this is just a thing with anarchism-adjacent literature, but I was frustrated with the dialogues where characters realise capitalism is evil, the insights where naive characters reach the right conclusions, the ways in which capitalist overlords are revealed as cartoonishly evil and incompetent at just the right moments to reveal that evil.
4) For a novel that's about collectivism and the value of found families, I felt like the emphasis on extraordinary individuals making change through their awesomeness without showcasing of the years and years of work it takes to create conditions for lasting change to be discordant.
5) I wished for more context. How has virtualisation of sex changed demographics? How are reproductive rights looking? What about queer people, and immigration? The novel is curiously apolitical for a political story. An allegory of sorts.
I think where the book shines is in talking about the fictional pandemic and importance of human connection - I could easily translate that into thinking about how online teaching does not compare to face to face for me, as the connection is missing, the energy is different, the transfer from peer to peer is limited. And as I'd said, I loved many of the characters and places. But the whole thing wasn't for me. Maybe I'm just not musical or anarchist enough to fully appreciate it.
gsroney's review against another edition
3.0
I guess after living in a pandemic for a year and a half, this novel has lost some of its appeal for me. It’s good, but I suppose I was expecting something more profound.
sashas_books's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
“She hadn’t realized music could reach inside you.”
What an unputdownable book! It wasn’t because of the plot – it was because of the characters’ feelings, experiences, choices, growth. There was music everywhere, too, even when no one was playing.
I liked how Sarah Pinsker created her near future world. It does not feel dystopian, since we are looking at it from the inside. It does feel prescient, though. For so many of the characters, this is the status quo, this is how things are (evil monopolizing tech corporations included) – until they accept it no longer.
Both Luce and Rosemary are fascinating POV characters to follow – somehow, the mundane stuff becomes as exciting as when they experience something awesome for the first time. I loved both their journeys. When the POV’s finally converged, my heart melted, it felt so right. Isn’t it wonderful when such book moments happen to you?
I am trying to remember when I last read a book that described playing music, listening to music, having music inside you in such a fitting, true way… and I cannot remember. I wanted a playlist for this book so badly! Guess what, I found one :) Or rather: of course there was a playlist. It’s on Spotify, made by the author. Apparently, the chapter titles are song titles. This is so cool :))), even though it’s not quite the same thing as listening to Luce’s music. But I will listen for sure…
“Playing music was the fire that kept the monsters at bay. Nothing could touch me in the middle of a song.”
People made powerful by creating relationships and connections, being stubborn and finding a way, and the power of music – all this brought me joy.
What an unputdownable book! It wasn’t because of the plot – it was because of the characters’ feelings, experiences, choices, growth. There was music everywhere, too, even when no one was playing.
I liked how Sarah Pinsker created her near future world. It does not feel dystopian, since we are looking at it from the inside. It does feel prescient, though. For so many of the characters, this is the status quo, this is how things are (evil monopolizing tech corporations included) – until they accept it no longer.
Both Luce and Rosemary are fascinating POV characters to follow – somehow, the mundane stuff becomes as exciting as when they experience something awesome for the first time. I loved both their journeys. When the POV’s finally converged, my heart melted, it felt so right. Isn’t it wonderful when such book moments happen to you?
I am trying to remember when I last read a book that described playing music, listening to music, having music inside you in such a fitting, true way… and I cannot remember. I wanted a playlist for this book so badly! Guess what, I found one :) Or rather: of course there was a playlist. It’s on Spotify, made by the author. Apparently, the chapter titles are song titles. This is so cool :))), even though it’s not quite the same thing as listening to Luce’s music. But I will listen for sure…
“Playing music was the fire that kept the monsters at bay. Nothing could touch me in the middle of a song.”
People made powerful by creating relationships and connections, being stubborn and finding a way, and the power of music – all this brought me joy.
linwearcamenel's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sashahc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Just finished Sarah Pinsker’s cozy dystopian novel “A Song For a New Day.” I love the queer anti-capitalist optimism in her books. I’m amazed I didn’t hear more about this one, given that someone obvs gave her a time machine to 2020. Musicians will especially appreciate this story. Bonus points for Jewish rep. Recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
whitneeaboo's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
chyse's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
apodojil's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? No
4.75
onesime's review against another edition
5.0
Sarah Pinsker's dystopian novel is terrifyingly prescient: released in September 2019, it anticipates a world in which a pandemic of a new pox strain forces people into isolation. Sounds uncomfortably familiar, doesn't it? But while it could be a depressing read, the novel actually offers a rather hopeful perspective on in rather gloomy times.
While there are several well-crafted protagonists, the most important force in this novel is live music, and the feeling of connection and communion it provides for the people who attend gigs. Pinsker manages to deftly conjure the feeling of euphoria that sweeps through the fortunate crowds treated to electrifying performances.
Basically, the novel revolves around how musical communities subvert the government's fear-mongering and the dreaded congregation laws that prevent people form gathering in large numbers. Woven into the narrative are casual discussion of how corporate interests and politics interact and how government measures that might have started out as necessities were never loosened, even once the danger from the pandemic has receded.
Thus, while very clearly close to what is going on in the real world at the moment, the novel takes place at a very different place in the pandemic's trajectory: the major outbreaks are years in the past and there are no signs that the pandemic is still an issue by the time of the story. So while I am very taken with the novel's subversion of government guidelines and the utopic quality of the concerts in the novel, I do not think this is something we should be doing at the moment (just in case anyone gets the wrong ideas about what I'm saying here).
While it might not be the thing you want to read at the moment, this book is highly recommended for lovers of live music and those who are thinking about the long-term dangers of the current situation beyond the direct health effects of the Corona virus.
While there are several well-crafted protagonists, the most important force in this novel is live music, and the feeling of connection and communion it provides for the people who attend gigs. Pinsker manages to deftly conjure the feeling of euphoria that sweeps through the fortunate crowds treated to electrifying performances.
Basically, the novel revolves around how musical communities subvert the government's fear-mongering and the dreaded congregation laws that prevent people form gathering in large numbers. Woven into the narrative are casual discussion of how corporate interests and politics interact and how government measures that might have started out as necessities were never loosened, even once the danger from the pandemic has receded.
Thus, while very clearly close to what is going on in the real world at the moment, the novel takes place at a very different place in the pandemic's trajectory: the major outbreaks are years in the past and there are no signs that the pandemic is still an issue by the time of the story. So while I am very taken with the novel's subversion of government guidelines and the utopic quality of the concerts in the novel, I do not think this is something we should be doing at the moment (just in case anyone gets the wrong ideas about what I'm saying here).
While it might not be the thing you want to read at the moment, this book is highly recommended for lovers of live music and those who are thinking about the long-term dangers of the current situation beyond the direct health effects of the Corona virus.
jenmat1197's review
3.0
This is the story about Luce and Rosemary. The book starts with Luce in the past and Rosemary in the future, and soon their paths cross. In Luce's past, a pandemic is about to start. A pox of some sort is killing people and it drives people indoors. No one is allowed to gather in large groups, and working from home becomes the norm. Rosemary is a young woman who is working for a large company, from home because that is what she believe is the only choice she has. When she gets a chance to switch jobs and actually go outdoors and meet people she isn't sure what to think. At first she is terrified of being so close to people, but soon she discovers what she has been missing. Her new company wants her to search for bands to bring to their virtual platform. She "discovers" Luce and her band and when she reports the find back to her new job, things take a change that Rosemary cannot undo. The story unfolds with Luce who is trying to find her way as a musician in this new world and Rosemary trying to find where she belongs.
This was an okay book. I was looking for a dystopian novel to listen to and found this available at the library. I would say this is a light dystopian. Meaning that most of the story was about the musicians and the music and the bands. It barely covered the pandemic and what happened. Didn't really unfold how the world came to be the way it was. So it didn't really fulfill for me the whole "dystopain" genre based on that.
Iwill say - this was written in 2019- another author who wrote about a pandemic that drove people into a virtual world - without knowing what was coming. Also - if you really love bands and stories about them - this book is for you.
This was an okay book. I was looking for a dystopian novel to listen to and found this available at the library. I would say this is a light dystopian. Meaning that most of the story was about the musicians and the music and the bands. It barely covered the pandemic and what happened. Didn't really unfold how the world came to be the way it was. So it didn't really fulfill for me the whole "dystopain" genre based on that.
Iwill say - this was written in 2019- another author who wrote about a pandemic that drove people into a virtual world - without knowing what was coming. Also - if you really love bands and stories about them - this book is for you.