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A review by znnys
The Membranes by Chi Ta-wei
4.0
Really quick and thought-provoking read! Towards the beginning/middle I really wasn't sure what to make of it. There's some interesting world-building, a lot of which I've seen done by more contemporary novels. At a certain point it begins to feel reminiscent of Never Let Me Go, though this was written a decade earlier. It's clearly a seminal work, one that should be getting much more recognition that it has thus far. As the book continues on into its shocking twist (which was the point where I went from tentatively enjoying it to explicitly liking it), I was reminded of
I think what really impressed me about this book is how clever it is. Every detail in the beginning that seems so non sequitor and confusing ties together neatly by the end. When I realized the book was over I felt genuinely disappointed, but I think there's a bittersweet element to Momo and her mother
Spoiler
Isabel Fall's I Sexually Identify As an Attack Helicopter, which similarly explored themes of gender, identity, and the exploitative nature of the military-industrial complex on the human body.I think what really impressed me about this book is how clever it is. Every detail in the beginning that seems so non sequitor and confusing ties together neatly by the end.