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A review by ashar_allaire
It Will End with Us by Sam Savage
1.0
Seeing as Firmin is one of my favorite books, I was extremely disappointed to read this.
I found myself starting to really enjoy it at times just for that to come to a jarring halt at the many slurs and racial stereotypes that added nothing to the narrative, and were not analyzed or commented on in any meaningful way.
I know many will say that "it was culturally accurate," but what point is there to telling that story, even if culturally accurate, when it's been told, and continues to be told in much more meaningful and insiteful ways. I have no desire to learn about a racist person who never reflects on their views or actions.
At times it even seemed the narrator was reminiscing about these horrific things positively, critiquing the mother for discouraging the children from this language.
This story could have been impactful and a wonderful character study if not for this. I kept hoping there would be some reflection, some statement, some REASON for the inclusion of this, and it never came. Savage puts the responsibility on the reader to assume he doesn't mean harm despite what he's actually saying, which is either bad writing, or just racist. I'd like to think it's the former but given that nothing in the text indicates his intention behind using racism as an integral part of this character, and in turn this novel, I can not give him the benefit of the doubt.
Based on his writing style, I was hopeful I had found a new favorite author, but unfortunately this will be the last book I pick up by Savage.
I found myself starting to really enjoy it at times just for that to come to a jarring halt at the many slurs and racial stereotypes that added nothing to the narrative, and were not analyzed or commented on in any meaningful way.
I know many will say that "it was culturally accurate," but what point is there to telling that story, even if culturally accurate, when it's been told, and continues to be told in much more meaningful and insiteful ways. I have no desire to learn about a racist person who never reflects on their views or actions.
At times it even seemed the narrator was reminiscing about these horrific things positively, critiquing the mother for discouraging the children from this language.
This story could have been impactful and a wonderful character study if not for this. I kept hoping there would be some reflection, some statement, some REASON for the inclusion of this, and it never came. Savage puts the responsibility on the reader to assume he doesn't mean harm despite what he's actually saying, which is either bad writing, or just racist. I'd like to think it's the former but given that nothing in the text indicates his intention behind using racism as an integral part of this character, and in turn this novel, I can not give him the benefit of the doubt.
Based on his writing style, I was hopeful I had found a new favorite author, but unfortunately this will be the last book I pick up by Savage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs