A review by klor
Severance by Ling Ma

dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

I initially picked up this book with the knowledge that it addresses a lot of the "working during a pandemic" discussions that are happening today despite the book being written in 2018. And while it does have elements of an eerily similar pandemic and the fact that capitalism overworks everyone underprivileged to death,
Spoiler (literally, like, the big thing about this disease is that people keep working and working and working until they aren't people anymore)
the book explores more things than that.
Spoiler From the nostalgic and heavy background of Candace and her immigrant parents (especially her mother) coming and adjusting to the US and having the notion to work harder and keep going just to see success (and I don't think a lot of people fully get this thinking too) to the complicated relationship she has with her post-apocalyptic, almost cult-ish group with Bob (and how tragedies such as this can sometimes produce not-so-great leaders like him); and how this new group she's with in a way exploits her body  just like her old job and work culture.
 

Survival is the heart of this book, portrayed in different forms.
Spoiler And yes, even in the ending that I know a lot of people didn't like. Because there's no other way to end a novel like this but to keep on surviving, now for the sake of the child she's having


It was a lot to take in but it's also one of the books that has made me feel strongly about what's happening in it for a while. Excellent read.
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