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cassidy_99's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Slavery and Murder
sophia_ryann's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Slavery
Moderate: Colonisation and Grief
Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
kaymaxwell's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Colonisation, Genocide, Blood, and Slavery
bucketsjen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The children of pregnant African women thrown overboard by slavers have adapted to the water and built their own society. They appoint one person every generation to be the Historian that holds all of their memories - but the current historian is struggling as the only person holding the awareness of pain and history. She returns the memories and flees, leaving her people to grapple with their history alone as she tries to find herself... but of course, their unprocessed pain effects everything.
Has themes of cultural, generational, and personal trauma, the pain of being the only one who Knows and Understands, and processing/healing to move forward. It's REALLY well done. While the subject matter is heavy, it's managed deftly and the book is surprisingly healing to read.
I really recommend the audiobook for this one. Daveed Diggs does an incredible job, and the work's musical history really lends it to auditory retelling. There's an Afterward by Diggs which was an awesome addition to the story (he's funny and insightful).
Has themes of cultural, generational, and personal trauma, the pain of being the only one who Knows and Understands, and processing/healing to move forward. It's REALLY well done. While the subject matter is heavy, it's managed deftly and the book is surprisingly healing to read.
I really recommend the audiobook for this one. Daveed Diggs does an incredible job, and the work's musical history really lends it to auditory retelling. There's an Afterward by Diggs which was an awesome addition to the story (he's funny and insightful).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Self harm, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Death
Animal death, Attempted suicide, Grief, Hallucinations, Slavery (past), Self-harm, Trauma (personal, generational, cultural), violence, references to familial death.numerous_bees's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Colonisation, Blood, Child death, Slavery, Genocide, Pregnancy, and Animal death
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
sproutedpages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Profound and heartbreaking. Discusses the importance of remembering and passing on a people’s history, and what it means to bear a significant, collective trauma— and more specifically, how that applies to the descendants of the victims of the Trans Atlantic slave trade. A genuinely important piece of modern mythology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy
anaheeta's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I seem to be very very fortunate lately as I keep reading books that make me want to start from the beginning right as I finish them.
This was so so so beautiful and heartbreaking in a good way. And also the creation of the story and the multiple steps it took for this book to come to be (read the editor’s words) was fascinating. It was based on a horribly tragic historical genocide, one of pregnant/in labor African women thrown off of slave ships.
Without giving away any more of the story, it’s sci-fi fantasy about life, love, and generational trauma. The book delves into the traumas of an underwater civilization and how the traumas are handled. How individuality and community interact. How change and progress works.
It was just a beautiful beautiful work of fiction and I have become a fan of Rivers Solomon, can’t wait to read more of their work!
Trigger warnings: slavery, racism, blood, death, misogyny, grief, generational trauma,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Genocide, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Death, Violence, Racism, and Slavery
Minor: Animal death and Blood
sydapel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Read as my singular contribution to the Trans Rights Readathon 2024 (I strive to do better next year!). I strongly suggest reading about how this project came about before diving into this, but I do have a deep appreciation for the power of Solomon's prose and the way the novella tackles through fantasy elements the burdens of generational trauma, ancestry and remembrance. Super compelling, I will absolutely be seeking out more by River Solomon.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
c100's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
ramreadsagain's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it has a fantastic concept and has a lot to say about the dangers of forgetting your past, while also acknowledging the burdens of knowledge and generational trauma.
My main critique is that I feel it's the wrong length. It should have either been shorter—and just focuson the central plotline—or a bit longer. If it was longer, we could have had more development of the events that happen during a different time in this book and perhaps some more character interactions. My gut feeling though is that it should have been shorter and really pack a quick punch.
My main critique is that I feel it's the wrong length. It should have either been shorter—and just focuson the central plotline—or a bit longer. If it was longer, we could have had more development of the events that happen during a different time in this book and perhaps some more character interactions. My gut feeling though is that it should have been shorter and really pack a quick punch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Slavery
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Pregnancy