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A review by deedireads
The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The World We Make is not as strong as The City We Became, IMO, but it was still fun and smart and definitely worth reading.
For you if: You have ever lived in NYC.
FULL REVIEW:
The World We Make is the much-anticipated follow-up to N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became, which tells the story of New York City’s essence coming to life in human avatars as they battle an opposing force intent on preventing the city’s birth. I really loved TCWB — especially as someone living in Jersey City (IYKYK) — and liked TWWM, although not as much as the first one.
The good stuff: A lot! Jemisin is clever and funny and so smart. I loved spending more time with these hilarious, big-hearted characters. And she just really knows how to write an exciting, engaging story.
The neutral: TWWM goes much deeper into the sci-fi part of the story, whereas the first book concentrated more on personifying NYC and each of its boroughs — this duology is an homage and critique of Lovecraftian sci-fi in a super smart way. I am afraid it might lose steam for some of TCWB’s readers who don’t do as much sci-fi, but it’s absolutely worth a shot.
The less-than-stellar part was that the ending did feel rushed and not as surprising as I would have expected from Jemisin. The reason is pretty clearly laid out in her acknowledgments: She started this series, originally planned as a trilogy, before COVID and Trump. Those things changed us, and changed NYC, while she was in the middle of the project. It took all of her emotional labor just to give the story an ending — and as a reader, you can feel it.
Still, I really enjoyed this duology and I think it’s 100% worth reading, especially if you’re from or have ever lived in NYC!
TL;DR REVIEW:
The World We Make is not as strong as The City We Became, IMO, but it was still fun and smart and definitely worth reading.
For you if: You have ever lived in NYC.
FULL REVIEW:
The World We Make is the much-anticipated follow-up to N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became, which tells the story of New York City’s essence coming to life in human avatars as they battle an opposing force intent on preventing the city’s birth. I really loved TCWB — especially as someone living in Jersey City (IYKYK) — and liked TWWM, although not as much as the first one.
The good stuff: A lot! Jemisin is clever and funny and so smart. I loved spending more time with these hilarious, big-hearted characters. And she just really knows how to write an exciting, engaging story.
The neutral: TWWM goes much deeper into the sci-fi part of the story, whereas the first book concentrated more on personifying NYC and each of its boroughs — this duology is an homage and critique of Lovecraftian sci-fi in a super smart way. I am afraid it might lose steam for some of TCWB’s readers who don’t do as much sci-fi, but it’s absolutely worth a shot.
The less-than-stellar part was that the ending did feel rushed and not as surprising as I would have expected from Jemisin. The reason is pretty clearly laid out in her acknowledgments: She started this series, originally planned as a trilogy, before COVID and Trump. Those things changed us, and changed NYC, while she was in the middle of the project. It took all of her emotional labor just to give the story an ending — and as a reader, you can feel it.
Still, I really enjoyed this duology and I think it’s 100% worth reading, especially if you’re from or have ever lived in NYC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Transphobia and Police brutality