This was just… Woah. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this one. There are so many thoughts. This was a wild ride, I’m definitely glad I read this though.

I’ll start and say that this will not be a book for everyone. Sorrorwland is an unapologetically disturbing book that’s beautifully written, that follows a complex storyline. However, it has no clear answers until the end of the book. The summary while it seems descriptive is actually very broad in terms of the full events that occur within these pages.

Sorrowland takes social and political issues primarily regarding race and showcases it in a fictional manner that, while being fictional, isn’t completely far-fetched. Along with the issues highlighted, this book touches on so much more. From sexuality to gender identity to motherhood.

I will say this book is a slow burn. However, I was so captivated by the storyline that this slower pace didn’t bother me too much. I was completely entranced that I knew I wanted to reach the end no matter what. And there were several “what the…” moments that would make me uncomfortable and unnerved. Some scenes were very disturbing and unsettling.

Overall, I think this is a great read and definitely worth pushing through to the end. That being said, as I mentioned, I don’t think this is a book for everyone. Sorrowland is a combination of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Maximum Ride by James Patterson, and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia that pushes the boundaries of what we know with no remorse. This book will make your skin crawl. However, if you’re interested in science fiction and dystopian books that are dark, I definitely recommend trying this one out.

[Rep: Black albino intersex lesbian MC cult survivour, other: Black, Lakota, wlws, winkte]

I was putting off writing this review but this masterpiece came out today and I need to finally make some noise. Bear in mind that I will probably write this from scratch again after rereading the book because this quick note is definitely not sufficient.

This book, so rich in intertextuality, symbolism, and rawness all enveloped in the most excellent prose, was not only words but a whole experience and made me live and breathe with its complex characters which seemed to be alive beyond just pages.

It was ambitious, it sets out to explore many themes, like:
- Black pain and exploitation of Black people in the USA,
- Black women being pushed down the bottom in both white feminism circles and Black liberation circles,
- exploration of abuse -- its many forms & perpetrators, recognising it, healing from it,
- separationism vs. suffering through the worse parts of the society/ self-reliance vs. letting people in,
- WoC helping WoC,
- gender & sexual exploration,
- the bond between mother and her children & the unit of family,
and many many more that are skipping my mind, probably. And it does explore them wonderfully!

Oh, and the f/f content? Magnificent!

Unfortunately I have decided not to finish this book. So much was going on but at such a slow pace that at 72% I decided that this book was not for me. I will not be reviewing this on any other platforms

This was a beautiful book. The writing was lyrical, engaging and made for an immersive and intimate read. The storytelling and premise were unique, and while I had one idea about where the book was going, I was taken on a surprising journey over the course of the book. Solomon explores not only Black identity and history in America, but stereotyped gender roles within the Black community in the cultish compound called colloquially called "Cainland." The protagonist Vern is a raw, honest and fierce character who defies all odds to survive and ensure the survival of her twins, Feral and Howling whom she births alone in the woods. The simultaneous critique of life on the compound (that is preached as a separatist utopia) and the horrors and ignorance of white America is sharp and well done. Vern survives on the margins of both, and her transformation throughout the book is a beautiful and terrifying thing to behold.

Solomon knows exactly how to write a story that parallels and questions our existence and does so in Sorrowland in depicting a non-standard community within a contemporary world. Where does the line fall when it comes to defining what should be considered the right way of structuring a community and when does that line point to a construct that epitomizes a cult.

Vern is young, defiant, and not afraid to question what it is that Cainland represents; fleeing to establish her independence in the woods, away and apart from all she has known but strained against, skirting involvement with the wider world, until fear and survival sets her running again, because this time she has more than just her freedom to protect.

Melding the modern world with what feels supernatural, Solomon writes with ferocity that propels her story, keeping readers on their toes, anticipating what comes next and what that will mean. Vern's journey from commune to the wilds to the outside world traces her transformation and resilience. She becomes a mother, provider, protector, defender, and something more, more than even she knew. She must now learn how to exist not only in the world, but with all the changes that are happening to her body and what that could mean for the ones she love.

Sorrowland is a mashup of concepts and is a unique read as Solomon infuses her work with the realities of brutality and exploitation that is very recognizable, especially when it comes to Black and Brown bodies. However the ending felt as if it was approached and dealt with too quickly.

I found this book to be deeply intimate, and at its strongest when it touched into those intimate moments; the touches between partners, the disappointments between family, a child’s confusion with their parent. That these were wedded to a story of generational memory and someone slowly losing control of their own body is all the more remarkable.

I feel ill equipped to discuss this book.

Sorrowland is a truly gritty tale that encompasses so many topics from disability, queerness to racism. It's brutal, dark and does not shy away from the lessons its meant to give. I went into it, with absolutely no expectations and was left surprised.

Solomon's writing draws you into Vern's horrific story of survival. You question her, don't like her, but as you go further into her story you understand why she is how she is. You understand her pain, her feelings and you empathise.

I loved the discussion of gender and sexuality in the book. Nothing like I've ever read. Vern is open to who she might be, who her children might be or who others might be. The discussion on racism and white supremacy is spot on and makes the novel even powerful and brutal

While I loved how it started, halfway through it slowed down and my interest was wavering. There wasn't enough happening for me. That's my only issue. Else, Solomon has written an impactful thought-provoking novel

"Sorrowland" defies easy categorization. It is horror and science fiction, and also an exploration of social justice issues and and the brutal realities of African American history.

It follows the young and pregnant Vern, who flees from the commune where she has lived her entire life for the relative safety and freedom of the forest. She gives birth and raises her two young children alone, all while being watched and hunted by the mysterious Fiend and coming to terms with the way her body is changing in strange and terrifying ways. Vern eventually leaves the forest with her children, and what she experiences outside the forest is increasingly more terrifying as she learns about the legacy of Cainland and what she is becoming.

This is a strange, haunting and often quite gruesome story. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Vern's life in the forest, and admired her courage and tenacity. The backstory on Cainland was interesting reading as well. However in the second part of the book I found my interest waning a bit as the action slowed.

Rivers Solomon is undoubtedly a skilled an innovative writer. I look forward to reading more of their work in the future.

Rivers Solomon's Sorrowland was hundreds of pages of enthralling insight. That's the best way to describe this incredible experience.

It follows Vern, who has escaped from a cult and is experiencing odd changes in her body. Living in the woods with her children, she struggles to survive, and the secrets about her cult--and who the true enemy is--begin to unravel.

From the very beginning, this book sucked me in. The circumstances of the cult are incredibly intriguing, and they only get more complex as the book continues. As we learn more about the reality of this cult, who controls it, and its purpose, we discover truths about our government, society, and systemic racism. I wish I could write an essay on the concept of the cult alone.

This book grapples with many different themes, all of which are incredibly important today and in real life.

The characters are interesting to read about, and they are very unique compared to the general protagonist and supporting cast common in books today. Vern is obstinate and strong in the best way. Her relationship with her children and the children themselves is strikingly natural. I loved Gogo and Bridget, who were kind and talented people. I even enjoyed learning about Vern's mother, who Vern grew to despise.

It discusses gender and sexuality. Vern does not fit into the typical gender binary, and neither do many of the characters. Throughout their interactions with society and internal struggles, Solomon discusses the complex aspects of this part of society. Similarly, Vern is queer. Throughout the pages, readers explore the demonization of queerness but also a kind of internal genesis and acceptance.

Race and its relationship to the United States is also a central theme of this book, and I think it is really well-explored. Generally, it discusses the co-optatation of liberation movements, the exploitation of Black people to benefit white society, the brutal legacy of slavery, intergenerational trauma, and the US government's role in all of this. Most strikingly, the events of this book were unquestionably real, even if the specifics were the stuff of fantasy. Horrible things occurred on those pages, but there are seeds of this dystopia in events that have happened not so long ago in the United States. Therefore, I think its discussion of institutionalized racism and violence is important, real, and truly thought-provoking.

There are also important conversations about society, motherhood, the treatment of indigenous people, and religion. This book touches on so many different important topics that this review would be hundreds of pages long if I tried to mention all of them.

Overall, this text is truly rich; I could go on and on about the themes this book discusses. I think everyone should experience it, but particularly, I recommend this book to people that are interested in the legacy of systemic racism in the United States. As a political science major that has been focusing on these topics, I absolutely loved all of the ways this book bent my mind. I felt like my understanding of society was expanding, and I left reading it with the special type of invigoration that only comes with the unique rumination this book facilitates.

Blog:
Another Rivers Solomon book was my favorite read of last year (An Unkindness of Ghosts, review), so when I saw their new book come available on NetGalley - featuring a religious, Black Power compound - I requested it immediately and was thrilled to receive a copy. Like all of Rivers Solomon's work this book is a gorgeous, intertwining mixture of compelling and challenging.

I was startled by the focus on pregnancy and mothering at the beginning of the book. It hadn't been the focus of the other Rivers Solomon books I've read, and I must admit as a person who has never been pregnant or a mother myself, I always struggle a bit more to connect to these characters. And, indeed, by the end of the book it was not Vern as mother I connected to but rather Vern as a person caught in a complex web of the world as we know it with her ability to right wrongs and change the future limited. That twist in the gut of being caught inside of something much bigger than yourself, that I was able to relate to.

"Who cared who knew if the knowing didn't prevent future occurrences?"
location 5089

The fantastical elements are immediately engaging - beautiful and grotesque. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice to say her transformation took my breath away in a manner that reminded me of my feelings watching Season 1 of Hannibal. I mean that as a complement. It's a fantasy that both feels like a fantasy and also real and leaves one wondering if Vern is right in the head or not? Can the world really work like this? What is happening to her?

The social commentary in this book is astute and apt without being preachy. Characters say what they say because their very lives have lived it - these are their experiences and real feelings. What may to some readers seem the most out there about the book can easily be traced to real occurrences in US history. It's not far-fetched but one hopes its realness will reach more people because of how it is couched in fantasy.

There is rich queer content in this book, both in the sense of gender and in the sense of sexual relationships. There is two sex scenes, one of which I would consider explicit with people of multiple genders participating. However, contrary to how some booksellers are listing it, I absolutely would not call it "er*tica." This is a serious fantasy book about issues of justice that just happens to have queer characters have sex "on screen" twice. Queer sex is not automatically "er*tica."

With regards to other representation, there are many Black and two Indigenous (Lakota) people. Two characters have albinism, and this book eloquently depicts the visual impairments that come with that.

Overall, this book delivers what I have come to expect from a Rivers Solomon book - an engaging fantastical imagining with queer content and different abilities represented that draws attention to social issues. Readers who are able to keep an open mind to the book potentially not going the places they were anticipating or hoping for but who are willing to let the book lead where it may will enjoy this one.

GoodReads:
A moving exploration of atrocities committed against Black and Indigenous people set in the framework of scifi, but acknowledging that it's happened before, is likely currently happening, and can happen again.

I liked this a little less than the author's other books simply because I personally related less to the main character than I did to the main characters in her other two books. I think there are many that will relate to Vern, though.

This book includes: queer content (both in the sense of gender and the sense of sexual relationships), representation of disabilities (Vern has very limited eyesight, I believe it meets the criteria for legally blind), and two characters have albinism. The Indigenous people in this book are Lakota.

This book didn't quite work out for me. I feel the first half of the book was completely different from the rest of the book and overall, it was just too strange for my taste. It had elements of science fiction, historical, political, fantasy, and definitely had Gothic qualities, which are generally genres I enjoy, but, unfortunately, it didn't work for me in this situation. I seem to be an outlier, but I just didn't get excited or love reading this one.

***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book!

Sorrowland was certainly an interesting read. At the tender age of 15, flees from Cainland, the isolated compound where she has spent her entire life, and makes a life for herself and her twin children in the woods. The spectre of Cainland and its dark secrets continues to threaten Vern, Howling and Feral even in the wilderness and they find themselves in a fight for their very survival.

I was really taken with the beginning of the book, I was intrigued by Vern's story and eager to learn the truth about Cainland. I was also incredibly impressed by the diverse representation in the book - albinism, disability, LGBTQIA2S+, BIPOC. I adored the characters especially Howling and Feral, and I was so happy when Vern and her twins built a "found family" with Gogo and Bridget. River Solomon created empowered characters that faced racism, abuse, homophobia, transphobia, religious indoctrination, and yet refused to accept oppression or succumb to circumstance. I really wanted to give the book 5 stars ... and then the big reveal.

For more than half of the book I had assumed a supernatural/haunting theme to the story and then suddenly the book switches gears and we're into government conspiracies, human experimentation and hybridization with sentient fungi. That's where Solomon lost me, it just seemed very disjointed and I just couldn't suspend disbelief as Vern turned into an immortal, psychic, exoskeleton covered fungus creature. It became hard for me to remain engaged in the story and I almost DNF'd the book. It was unfortunate because Sorrowland had started out so strong. Maybe other people will appreciate the book's twist, but it simply wasn't for me. I did really enjoy the author's rich storytelling and character building though, so I'd still be willing to try reading more of their work in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing an eARC of this book for review.

This is fiction at its finest. From the very first page this novel pulled me in, the voice of the narrator so knowing and jaded for being so young. A book that defies categorization, readers are swept into something sci-fi, horror, speculative, and gothic all at once. This books discusses so much: race, religion, identity, community, control, sexuality, transformation, the harm this world and this country does to Black bodies, etc. Though this book can be quite harrowing, the themes of birth and re-birth that we are given from the very beginning cast hopeful light on the story. Sorrowland is absolutely an essential read and I can't wait to come back to it again and again to explore its wisdom.

What a strange, but beautifully written book. This is a deeply atmospheric and haunting read. There is so much behind the writing with this one, truths written into fiction, realities hidden within the words, and horrors of experimentation hiding behind religious liberties.

This is a different type of reading experience and one I highly recommend.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley providing me with an E-Book. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

This book is an intense ride and I was completely enthralled from start to finish. Vern gave birth to her children alone while hiding in the woods from her abusive husband and the repressive religious compound she grew up in. Only more surprising than her not knowing she was pregnant with twins is Vern´s age. At only 14, Vern is now tasked with not only her own survival against a dark and evil force, but that of her children as well. Deep in the woods, Vern and her small family spend their days gathering, foraging, and hunting their food while spending their nights drying and preserving their surplus. As the days pass on, her children grow into inquisitive toddlers as Vern discovers her own body changing and developing as well. When the forest fiend gets too close to her children, Vern knows she must finally ask for help. Packing up her children and their meager supplies, Vern and her children set off across the country to find an old friend from Vern´s childhood. As the days pass, Vern continues to change and hallucinations from her childhood return with greater force. With no one to trust but herself, Vern must learn more about her past in order to secure a future for herself and her children.
Sorrowland is one of those magical books that crosses so many genres that it becomes something new altogether. It is part historical fiction, part science-fiction, and a whole lot of gothic horror. Solomon´s writing is intense and compelling with richly drawn characters caught up in an intricate and complicated plot. Much of the book's impact comes from it's too-close-to-reality storyline of racism, misogyny, and distrust in authority. Spoiler, everyone has every reason to distrust all authority in this book. It's also incredibly fast paced and I was so engrossed in the story that I finished it in one sitting. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This almost has touches of Toni Morrison's Beloved. The story consists of hauntings, transformation of the body in a surrealist way, and the perseverance of a mother's love.

This was a really hard book to give a rating to. The beginning of Sorrowland captivated me - I found Vern's struggle and the more general themes of memory, race, gender and sexuality and trauma really compelling. I'm not sure you can call Sorrowland enjoyable, but it was a read that really stuck with me, even days after I finished it.

However, I think the novel struggled a bit in terms of pacing. This may have been my own fault, as from the blurb, i was expecting a bit more of a fast-paced sci-fi horror novel. Instead, Sorrowland is much more of a character study, exploring the ways in which Vern's upbringing shaped her and is shaping her children. So, personally, there were moments where the pacing slowed to a crawl and I grew a bit bored with the novel, but this is just my own personal experience.

Overall, I would recommend Sorrrowland if you're looking for an introspective, (lowkey) sci-fi and horror novel with a compelling protagonist.

Many of themes in Sorrowland will be familiar if you've read other books by River Solomon before, including memory, intergenerational trauma, gender as a construct, and the oppression inflicted by the government on black bodies. It is similar in tone to both The Deep and An Unkindness of Ghosts as well, in that it is haunting and at times horrifying, but also has moments in which love (particularly queer love and motherhood in this case) shines through, refusing to be stopped by anything in its path.

Described as a scifi gothic horror, this feels more grounded than I expected, in that it takes place on our earth (not space), and follows Vern, who has run away from her cult-like compound, giving birth to twins in the woods. As the book develops, you watch as Vern's body slowly changes, and learn more about the horrifying secrets of the compound. The writing was phenomenal -- and while I'm very reluctant to read horror, I found it impossible to turn away. However, I found this book so hard to rate because of the feelings it left me with, from unsettling to poignant.

I truly do not know how to share anymore about this book without spoiling it, but if you are looking for something unique, with incredible representation of intesex, trans, black and native characters, seek some magical realism elements inside of a horror, and have enjoyed Solomon's books in the past, don't miss this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

I spent this entire book thinking about how I had no idea where it was going and what was going to happen.
The beginning of the book was very confusing but the story still captivated me, I wanted to understand what was happening, and that it was what made me read this book so quickly, to want to know and understand what was happening.
This is not a book for everyone, in fact, I do not know how to explain this story very well, I would say that you have to enter this book with an open mind and go on accepting things without further explanation in order to like it.
I still don't know how much I liked this book, but I can say that I didn't hate it and the reading experience was good, the writing is wonderful it was just the story itself that leaves me with mixed feelings.
I think in the end I recommend it if you like very different and surprising books!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was perfect, the plot was original and gripping, and the characters (particularly Vern) were well thought out and grounded. It tackled a myriad of issues throughout which I thought was done really well.

It is a deeply troubling and haunted commentary on the world we live in. I do think parts of the story (particularly the last half of the book) got a little lost, but the overall message and themes of the novel itself were really well done. Overall, I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend.