5/5 stars only because I can't go higher!

Rivers Solomon has blown me away yet again. I have never read Call of the Wild and the mystery section in our bookstore is the one I know the least about - I am a scaredy-cat. I had to read Sorrowland very slowly, supplementing it with lots of middle grade books to keep me from descending into the darkness and horror the book evokes.

And I adored it.

Rivers Solomon's writing is grounded, clear and unabashful as fae indicts the world (and the country) we live in, as fae depicts Vern's journey of unlearning shame around sex and desire, and a scene that especially stuck with me - an orgy among: two queer men who have been dead from AIDS-related illness for decades, a lesbian woman-creature, and her girlfriend who's called in from a gas station restroom. Fae is audacious, and it works so well and ends up feeling incredibly real.

The mystery kept me up late many nights while reading - where is Vern coming from? Where can she go? Who and what is she becoming? Most of the twists came as complete shocks to me, but made so much sense when thinking back. And the world Vern inhabits felt so real that I could almost feel the fire at the hearth, or the cold in the forest.

Pick this book up if you like horror, speculative fiction (leaning towards sci-fi and vaguely modern times), if a monstrous and #OwnVoices Black and queer survival story with no small share of fighting back sounds intriguing. I've already bought my copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC.

Vern is nine months pregnant and has decided to escape the compound she was raised in to protect her soon-to-be-born child. On the run in the woods, she gives birth to two babies and hides them away in the forest raising them in nature. Despite her best intentions, her community at the compound still hunts for her hoping to bring her home. In nature Vern discovers her body changing in supernatural ways and without any explanation, she fights the changes hoping to stay alive to keep her children safe.

This was a very pleasant surprise for me. I went in with no expectations and was given more than I ever could have expected to begin with. Sorrowland combined elements that shouldn't have worked together and created an original novel that I fell into easily. I love magical realism in books, but it is pretty hard to find ones that fold in magical elements without losing the story and the characters in the mix.

I loved the characters in this book even the supporting cast popped vibrantly. The writing was expansive and beautiful. I found myself deeply moved by Vern's journey, and surprised by smart humor from her wild little twins. Leaving this book felt difficult because I felt so enmeshed in all the moving parts. My only crtique is I felt a little lost in the action moments of this book towards the end. It felt a little rushed and disconnected from the richness of the rest of the book, but this was a minor distraction in an ocean of near perfect writing and development. Thank you Rivers Solomon, this was a decadent treat of a read!

Content warning: blood and gore, spiritual abuse manipulation and trauma, scenes of children in distress or in danger, semi-traumatic birth scene, gun violence, life threatening illness

Thank you Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux publishing for a copy of Sorrowland in exchange for an honest review

Sorrowland is out now! And can be found on bookshelves near you!

A strong 4 stars. There were places where I thought it was absolutely 5 stars especially in the rich language and the unflinching way it took on so many social issues, including the plight of black people and queer love. But there were other places where I was a bit confused about what was going on and it felt like the author brought something in just to make a point. I think I may have benefited from making this a buddy read as there is so much to unpack in this novel. My previous experience with this author was a novella, [book:The Deep|42201962] and I read that one and then about a year later listened to the audiobook. And I definitely picked up more the second time around. This is a book I think would do the same for me and it's something I could see myself listening to a second time and picking up more on the subtext. I loved the way the twins were both very different in many ways, especially at the surface level, but underneath all that, their love for their Ma'am was undeniable. As I said, this book covers racism in many forms, as well as queer love, but it also covers race in general, sexuality, motherhood, misogyny, religion, identity, spirituality, conspiracies, government control especially that of black bodies, medical experimentation and mostly the book does a good job with it. But as I said, there were times when I became confused about what was happening, and that may have also been because of the hauntings and what happened when Vern gets sucked into a haunting. I think this is definitely a book that defies classification, but it still gets a thumbs up from me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sorrowland is a truly wild ride. This book has a little bit of everything: cults, depictions of motherhood, oppressive religions, diverse characters, truly evil villains named things like The Fiend, cultural criticism of structural racism and oppression, and more. Sorrowland centers on Vern, a 15 year old who is about to give birth to twins, named Howling and Feral. The story follows Vern’s determination to break free from the cult and protect her children and the journey Vern goes on is vast and dark, deeply gripping and at times downright disturbing. The writing is beautiful and I’d definitely recommend this to anyone into speculative science fiction (with a pinch of horror and a gothic twist) -- as long as you’re ok with it being truly dark at times.

Rivers Solomon’s sophomore novel, "Sorrowland," is a gorgeously evocative writing style wrapped around a clash of genres—a heartwood of dark fantasy and science fiction that would make Stephen King proud with the added surprise of horror elements standing starkly against a romantic plotline diving momentarily into erotica, and a few other dashes of this and that.

"Sorrowland" explores motherhood, trauma, the unbreakable connections between people and cultures, and ideas of bodily ownership through the story of Vern, a young woman who escapes from the cult of Cainland she grew up in to give birth to twin boys in the woods and raise them on her own. But as time goes by, Vern realizes that Cainland might not have been as easy to escape from as she realized and that, in truth, it may never have left her.

This engaging plot goes in a number of unexpected directions and had the potential to be a genre-bending phenomenon. But instead, it felt stratified. Like oil and water, the different parts of the narrative seemed unwilling to mix together and ended up feeling indecisive for much of the novel.

In the end, as the story veers into an almost pulp sci-fi type storyline that seemed much too simplistic for the initial set-up, readers will find themselves divided depending on their preferences. Half—those like myself—will be left wishing that the story had gone into even weirder territory and left more unexplained while others will wish the tangibility of the ending would have been reflected all along and that the story would have been more mainstream fiction and consumable for a wider audience. Both groups will no doubt find the ending unfinished, lying open as if waiting for a sequel that doesn’t appear to be in the cards.

Hovering uncertainly in between, the story will be hard-pressed to find its perfect audience. Yet the ambitiousness of it all does not go unnoticed and is impressive in its own right. Likewise, Solomon’s exceptional writing skills—most evident in the first handful of chapters—should not go without recognition and was often hauntingly beautiful in a way that will certainly make me pick up more by the author.

I rated "Sorrowland" 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

A look at how so many forces have combined and collaborated against black women. Kept them in poverty and disease. Took away control over their lives, their children, and even their own bodies. Against all odds there is a strong message of hope in the ending.

This is an extremely powerful book, but it is also a harrowing read. Know that going in. Save it for a time when you feel strong yourself.

This was my first book by Rivers Solomon, and it will not be my last. I loved the rich, thematic content and the gripping plot. The characters were fleshed out, and the book was very well paced. It is beautifully written.

In this genre-bending story set in a dystopian-type U.S., a pregnant young woman escapes from a cult into the woods where she gives birth to twins. The small family lives alone in the woods, trying to stay hidden from the people who are hunting her down. Meanwhile, her body is changing in curious and other-worldly ways that give her super strength and healing abilities. Staying in the woods, however, is becoming increasingly dangerous and they must find a way back to civilization, while also hiding from the cult community who is after her.

This novel has a little bit of everything - mystery, fantasy, scifi, romance, conspiracy, horror, and thrills. There are strong female leads who you can root for despite their flaws. There is a good amount of representative diversity and social commentary that keeps this book grounded in the face of some fantasy elements.

While the last quarter of the book went off the rails and the ending fell a little flat for me, there is excellent momentum for almost the entirety of the book. It also contains significant gore in that last section, and one of the most shocking and odd open door gay sexual encounters I have ever read. Because of those reasons, I rated this one 3 1/2 stars - It was good, and I would recommend it to the right person, but it's not for everyone.

Best for folks who aren't too "pearl-clutchy" and open to a wild ride of a book!


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!)

Thanks to FSG for a free finished copy of this title, which was published on May 4, 2021. I'm writing this review voluntarily.

Whoa. I think "Sorrowland" is going to be a pretty divisive book: it's confidently uncategorizable, which means it won't be what a lot of readers are expecting. The novel is surprisingly slow-paced and way more focused on a Black woman's personal journey of self-discovery, a la Alice Walker or Toni Morrison, than anything else. But there's also uncanny physical transformations straight out of Cronenberg, white supremacists co-opting supposedly progressive spaces to use Black bodies for government experimentation, and great queer sex scenes featuring ghost fingering. It's a wild ride.

Our main character is Vern--a fifteen-year-old Black girl with albinism and nystagmus who escapes from her restrictive religious compound and gives birth to twins in the woods. Vern would be content raising her children in the forest in peace, but she quickly learns that she's being hunted. Plus, odd things are starting to happen with her body. Seems like her religious family isn't going to let her go quietly, and Vern's determined to stay alive and figure out why. This means venturing into the outside world, accepting help from new friends and lovers, and uncovering the lies of her upbringing.

Rivers Solomon's prose is gorgeous and twangy, and their subject matter ranges widely from COINTELPRO to the works of Jacques Derrida and everything in-between. "Sorrowland" rocks back and forth between beauty and rage, showing how wonderful a gender fluid, anti-racist, environmentalist world could be, and then depicting the fearful forces who are determined to destroy this vision with senseless violence. Vern is a powerful character, someone incredibly tough and strong-willed who begins to understand the value of being vulnerable. Her connection to nature, especially, is something we could all learn from.

Rivers Solomon never fails to blow me out the water with their books. This was no exception. The physical and grotesque manifestation of grief and trauma in Rivers' book is what makes them exceptional. I love the prose and the symbolism beyond words. It makes the content easier to digest while still acknowledging the heavy nature of the subject matter.

This was a horror fantasy that was beautifully written with some ambiguity in its metaphors, but still hard hitting enough for me to understand a little bit about what Rivers Solomon wanted to get at. Vern, the lead character, is a messy mix of unlikable but understandable, strong and vulnerable, confused and clearheaded. Because it involves a cult as one way for their group to stay strong in the face of institutional disenfranchisement, the book covers that, but the cult acts as a warning against the ways in which cults can turn into dangerous ones if there's no way to check leadership. It has some really good twists that are just devastating, and the ending is much more ambiguous than I think some folks will like.

It has all the trappings of traditional dark fantasies but still manages to add some twists and turns that are amazing. Whether or not people can sympathize with Vern as a character will make or break the experience. Everything is told from Vern's perspective, and her journey is not a pleasant one. She's frustrating and unlikable at times, but I could sympathize with her just throwing herself away from the cult of Cainland (which is what Sorrowland is) in order to be freed of the mental and physical abuse that she endured. At the same time, the cult was very careful to educate its children, so Vern's natural curiosity was satiated, and she could mostly function outside the compound with no problems. But she still is terrible with people, especially people she, ironically prejudges based on the teachings of her ex-cult.

I know I will get somethings differently out of this from others, but I was glad that Vern's self acceptance also had a new family that just wanted to support her as opposed to abuse her. This book is viciously antigovernmental oppression, but still warns of the ways in which people try to rebel against it. It also uses a fungus as its main fantastical element, so its comparison to the ongoing pandemic is kind of undeniable. There are some other things that are excellent, but they're spoilers, and are just massive gut punches when they are revealed.

This is a tough one to recommend. It is a great fantasy horror with some social commentary thrown in. It can also be an emotionally difficult book to read, despite Rivers Solomon's beautiful writing. Vern is not a character most folks can connect with, but she is interesting. She is also a lesbian and struggles with her sexuality in all aspects of it, so some folks may not like to read about it, especially for a 19 year old. I know I didn't necessarily enjoy the story at points, but I am glad I read it.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

This was not what I was expecting, but in a good way. The imagery in this was fantastic. Definitely an eye opening story!

This is my favorite work by Rivers Solomon. I expected rich thematic content going in based on An Unkindness of Ghosts and The Deep and I still got that in this work, what I did not expect was such an engaging page turning story. I did not look into the synopsis before reading this book, I just knew it was about a mother and her kids in a forest and things are weird and I think going in that way is perfect. A lot of the plot momentum was based of the mystery of "what is happening" so I am glad I had that there to drive things. I also really liked all the quiet moments where the characters are reflective and forming relationships. Very few books are able to balance the thematic richness of this work and still be extremely enjoyable stories in their own right for me and this book did that so well. If you are good with heavy themes, creepy and sometimes grotesque imagery and want a genre-bendy good time you need to try out this work. Its really something awesome.

Rivers Solomon’s latest novel Sorrowland, a gothic techno-thriller is a meditation on racial trauma, bodily autonomy, sexual repression and the inheritance of identity. The novel brings the violent racist past (and present) of the US up against a radical defiance embodied in its protagonist.

Vern is an albino Black intersex teenager who escapes a Black separatist cult, the Blessed Acres of Cain, while heavily pregnant with twin boys she names Howling and Feral. For four years, she raises her boys in the woods while surviving threats both external and internal. In addition to the hazards of living in the woods, she must also evade a “fiend” who attempts to smoke her out of the woods by killing animals and dressing them up in baby clothes. But that’s not all. Her body is taken over by a “traveller” – an infection she suspects of causing eerily-realistic visions or “hauntings.” What she does know: all the threats in her life can be traced back to her past at Cainland. In a move that exemplifies her incorrigible courage, she leaves the forest to find answers.

As its core, Sorrowland is a biting dissection of the long violent history of settler colonialism in the United States. While Solomon references the genocide and forced sterilizations of Native American people, KKK lynchings, and the environmental damage caused by the introduction of new species by colonizers, the book primarily focuses on the history of medical experimentation on Black people’s bodies – Vern being a result of one such experiment at Cainland.

As Vern recognizes the extent to which Cainland, and by extension, racism has shaped her life, we begin to see a level of growth in her intellectual approach to that influence. She begins the books as a child bride traumatized by the sexual and emotional abuse she suffered in her marriage to Father Sherman, the cult leader. She wishes “to make every moment of her life a rebellion, not just against the Blessed Acres of Cain but the world in all its entirety. Nothing would be spared her resistance.” Her journey leads her to genuine human connection, the value of interdependence, and sexual liberation. She finds a chosen family in Bridget and Gogo. And as she comes to understand the revolutionary beginnings of Cainland, she also comes to terms with her own rootedness to that community. A fifteen year old girl who would forget her children for a one night stand becomes a nineteen year old woman who can harness her ability to nurture in defiance of the wrongs done to her community. Solomon’s genius is that in Vern, fae embody a nurturing force that is truly revolutionary in its ability to reverse the violence of white America.

If I have a gripe with this novel, it is that it needs more – more for the supporting characters and more for the themes it touches. While Vern is a fully realized and beautifully rendered character, every other character only exists to serve her story. Her children become extensions of her own insecurities and are conveniently removed from the story to free her up for the climax and Bridget facilitates this removal in her role as little more than glorified child care. The HIV/AIDS crisis gets but a nod and Sacred Stone gets used as a resume bullet to establish Gogo’s medical credentials. Solomon takes up too much for the world fae create to hold and develop.

Overall, Sorrowland is a testament to the power of revolutionary rigour. Extending the gothic aesthetic to the present day and combining it with elements of the fairytale, Afrofuturism, and speculative fiction, the book dares to imagine that USian racial violence can be reversed. It is an admirable project and a worthy addition to Solomon’s ouvre.

I had to request this new work from Rivers Solomon after I read and loved The Deep in 2019. Sorrowland shares of a lot of the same themes, but expands on and dives deeper into ideas on race, gender, community, and sexuality. The writing is gorgeous, and while the pace and storyline got a little confusing for me in the latter part of the book, Sorrowland is an excellent contribution to the black horror/fantasy/sci-fi genre.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon is a smartly-written combination of many literary genres, from fiction to magical realism to sci-fi. It also critiques racism, history, and government in the US. The story follows Vern, a fiercely independent teenager. She has recently escaped a black religious compound pregnant with twins. We follow her over the next several years as she has and raises her children, living in the forest. The story takes a strange turn and the rest of the novel is spent determining the reasons behind Vern's changing body and existence. I really liked the portrayal of parental love and sacrifice and how it can take on different characteristics. Though this novel is standalone, I'd love to read a sequel to find out what happens to all the characters in the future. I listened to the audiobook, which was masterfully narrated by Karen Chilton. She was a perfect choice and kept me rapt in attention.

Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux/ MCD and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

SORROWLAND is a beautifully written Gothic Sci-Fi Horror story of Vern--a 15-year-old, pregnant, and on the run.

Imagine growing up in a strict compound of a religious cult. Every part of your life is controlled by Reverend Sherman--so much so he forces you into marriage and, of course, the duties that dictates. Your best friend runs, she is free, so you take your shot--and leave.

You run into the woods, but labor pains hinder your getaway. Now you must avoid The Fiend, a ruthless creature sent by the Reverend to force you to return to Cainland, while giving birth. Twice.

Vern and the twins survive, but the world they have been born into is more complicated and dangerous than she ever imagined. She learns betrayal and survival, but more importantly, she learns the truth.

Solomon crafted a main character I couldn't necessarily relate to, but I could definitely empathize with and I feel that is important when reading diverse authors. White readers might not connect deeply to Vern, but that is ok. We can examine the strong and delicate ways POC are represented in literature and expand our experience.

This novel is a gorgeous tale of a defient Black child becoming a fierce Black woman. Thank you Rivers for taking me to your wickedly flawed world. I hope we get to return.

Thank you MCD Books and NetGalley for gifting an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF.

I could not get into this book. I didn’t enjoy the very beginning at all and I wasn’t inspired to continue reading. The descriptions were very intense to me and I did not expect the book to be like this. I truly tried to keep reading but it just isn’t for me.

Sorrowland takes us on a harrowing race by Vern the lead character to safe place to give birth. We learn several truths in this tale . The first being Vern has lived in a cult for most of her life. The cult leader is the father of her children. He wants her back. It is a society as unforgiving inside as the country is outside. Bringing her and her children back ,she looks to escape again. The plot line is a bit fragmented, the author touching on a HIV like illness with little emotion spent addressing its challenges. It is obvious the challenges in this novel are similar to ones facing the Black community today as it moves to a more equitable solution to social justice. It was a good first novel.

WOW. I did not like this. At all.

From the very first page, I could tell that it wasn't going to be a book for me, but I received an ARC from Netgalley and I like to complete books that are given to me for reviews. Let me tell you - this book went from "not for me" to a solid "wtf am I reading?"

Have you ever read Kafka's Metamorphosis? Did you like it? If you answered yes, then Sorrowland may be right up your alley. If you, like me, could never understand why a dude being turned into a bug is a highly revered classic, then I am warning you now: this book is not for you. Instead of being turned into a bug, Vern starts sprouting a "fruiting" fungus from her spine that gives her a super strong exoskeleton and some weird powers. When I read the word "fruiting," I actually became physically nauseated. All I could picture was a giant mushroom springing from her back and oh boy, words can't express how much that is NOT for me.

There were some themes of racism/anti-racism in here and there was LGBT rep, but I couldn't even take those in because of the magic fungus that lets you see ghosts.

What.

I'm not even embellishing. All infected with the magic fungus can have "hauntings."

I just... no. I'm not even gonna continue on. There's no need.

The story of a runaway pregnant girl with a fruiting magic fungus that makes people see ghosts gets one star from me. The end.