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A review by jackiehorne
Above by Leah Bobet
4.0
An urban fantasy that will appeal to those who take pleasure in language and narrative voice, and in thinking about big issues. In a world where some people are born "Freak" (with animal parts; our narrator, 18-year-old Matthew, has lion-feet and fish scales on his back) and others are born or become "Sick" (mentally ill), where should the lines between human and not human be drawn? Between actions that are nonconforming, and those that are unconscionable? Between hiding to be safe, and hiding to keep from growing? Between love and need, especially when the two conflict?
Difficult to get into, initially, because the narrator was born and grew up in "Safe," an underground community separate from the normal world "Above," and doesn't know enough about "Above" (i.e. our world) to know what Abovers would need to have explained to understand his. But worth the effort, especially in its consideration of the challenges of mental illness through the lens of fantasy.
Am very curious about people's thoughts about Corner...
Difficult to get into, initially, because the narrator was born and grew up in "Safe," an underground community separate from the normal world "Above," and doesn't know enough about "Above" (i.e. our world) to know what Abovers would need to have explained to understand his. But worth the effort, especially in its consideration of the challenges of mental illness through the lens of fantasy.
Am very curious about people's thoughts about Corner...