A review by bookitchewie
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

4.25

I didn't know what to expect with this book, and I'm glad I didn't make any predictions or go in with expectations, or they would have been immediately wrong. From line 1, this story was unpredictable and unhinged in the best way possible. Dystopian? Sure. Scavenger? Nothing new. Flying giant bear and a creature that's a cross between an intelligent snail and Alf? That's a new one. This book works because it builds its foundation on Rachel: her curiosity, her trauma, her overwhelming desire to good and to nurture.

She has a solid relationship with Wick, which is tested as Borne comes into her life, with his insatiable curiosity and penchant for violence. As events get more and more bizarre, these relationships are the tether that brought me back time and time again to the story's heart: a woman trying to build connections and not get mauled by a bear.