Scan barcode
A review by laurareads87
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
4.25
Sorrowland is a hard book to categorize in terms of genre -- horror and science fiction and more -- and covers many important, difficult, & complex themes. As always, Solomon's writing is incredible -- I found myself highlighting passages not just because they spoke to me, but for their sheer beauty. The book is told from a single POV -- that of Vern -- but many supporting characters are multi-faceted + well developed (with much diversity of representation). The pacing felt slightly inconsistent in a few places but overall, the plot captivated me and contained a number of twists that I did not anticipate; that said, I do think this is equally as much a character-driven book as a plot-driven one. I have read every book Solomon has written thusfar and this will certainly not be the last -- highly recommend.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Transphobia, Car accident, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, and Racial slurs