A review by ireadinbed
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
Beautiful book!
Should have known I would love another N. K. Jemisin book. She is genuinely so talented. The definition of a wordsmith.
Reading this book is a very descriptive, aesthtic experience.
I'm not a New Yorker so a lot of this was both very foreign and also familiar to me because of how mythologized NYC is. But it was all held together do well by the bourrough avatars that let me get a grip on the idea of the city as a creature.
This book feels very new weird? Lots of like weird warping of the familiar. I'm surprised I don't see more people talking about how much they loved it.
I feel like it might be because the metaphors about racism are kind of on the nose but I don't think that's fair as it's a more real world analogous fantasy? Like it's set not just in our world but like deeply in our world.
Thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Should have known I would love another N. K. Jemisin book. She is genuinely so talented. The definition of a wordsmith.
Reading this book is a very descriptive, aesthtic experience.
I'm not a New Yorker so a lot of this was both very foreign and also familiar to me because of how mythologized NYC is. But it was all held together do well by the bourrough avatars that let me get a grip on the idea of the city as a creature.
This book feels very new weird? Lots of like weird warping of the familiar. I'm surprised I don't see more people talking about how much they loved it.
I feel like it might be because the metaphors about racism are kind of on the nose but I don't think that's fair as it's a more real world analogous fantasy? Like it's set not just in our world but like deeply in our world.
Thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Sexual harassment