This book was unexpected in the best possible way.

Sorrowland follows Vern, a pregnant Black woman, as she flees an abusive husband and the religious cult he leads and starts a new life in the woods. However, she soon learns that cult she fled is even more powerful than she could possibly imagine.

This book was absolutely captivating. Once I started I could not put it down. I would recommend this to anyone who loved Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Vern is running away, desperate to escape Cainland, a cult-like compound. To make matters worse, she is fifteen and seven months pregnant. Escaping to the woods, where she gives birth and lives with her children for many years, Vern is desperate to stay out of the clutches of the Blessed Acres of Cain, but they don’t want to let her go so easily. As she is forced to face these enemies that she thought were friends, Vern soon discovers that she is not a typical teenager as she goes through a tremendous metamorphosis, a metamorphosis that leads her to the truth about the Blessed Acres of Cain and their unusual beginnings.

Honestly, I was rather disappointed with this novel. I really liked the general idea, but the execution was lacking for me. It seemed as though the narrative was jumpy at times, leaving me lost as to how the characters got where they were and what their various motivations were for their actions. Certain ideas were stretched too far, even for a science fiction/fantasy novel, and some things--events, characters-- that could have been developed more were just glossed over. For the most part I liked the characters; Vern is one tough woman. The ending was a bit of a letdown, especially considering how strong the opening of the novel was. I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t.

Thank you to MDC and NetGalley for providing an electronic advanced copy of Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own. Sorrowland will be available May 4th.

I don't know where to begin. This was powerful and moving, but also just a great story. I found myself reading slowly to really enjoy the words and to think as I read of Vern and the experiences described. I loved The Deep, but this is next level. I can see reading it again for sure, and getting something new from it with each reading.

Sorrowland
By. Rivers Solomon
P. 368
Format: eArc
Rating: ****1/2
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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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Rivers Solomon write my favorite book of 2020 - An Unkindness of Ghosts. Sorrowland is very different. Sorrowland is an urban fantasy book about a young individual who grows up in a cult for African Americans and decides to leave. They discover that there is more to the home that they have called home, and that their is more too themselves.

Sorrowland is a story that has a lot to unpack with you read it. The story has never left my mind since I read it. After a while I plan on picking it up and reading it again. The story itself is dark, but buried in that darkness is a sense of hope. It is a fantasy, but it is also very very real.

If this all sounds vague, that is because to say anything about the plot would be to give something away. There is a lot going on, and it will take you a bit to even ground yourself enough to figure out where you are. However, you will not leave the story with everything tied up in a neat little bow. No this is speculative fiction at it’s best, it will leave you thinking about everything.

My favorite and least favorite aspect of the book are the twins. They are my least favorite, because they are written to old. They were not believable. They were as mature in the start of the story at 18 months old as they were at the end when they were five(ish). I get the difficulty of moving along the narration of when there is only one adult and two children, but they were too old too young. However, the twins were also my favorite aspect. The way they were described is brilliant. The way you see them through their mother’s eyes and the way you get glimpses as to how others see them is remarkable. I loved it.

Gosh, what a beautiful story, and such a unique and clear voice. All the characters (including and especially Howling and Feral!) are so well-written, such full and complex people. I think the element that most stood out to me was the incredible marriage of form and content. This book explores ideas of identity and culture, sexuality and connectedness, memory and grief through a vision of magic that comes from nature.

Cainland is a fascinating concept, I really admired the way the author wrote about both its liberatory goals and the trauma of it. In particular, something I really appreciated was that, though the world of the book was a contemporary one, it didn't fall into the some of the trends I've seen a lot of recently where a contemporary or futuristic setting is a utopic one. Vern is Black and queer and disabled and those things are hard to be in this world. Those identities make her vulnerable to violence, and her upbringing in Cainland leaves her with internalized shame about herself and her desires. We get to see her unlearn that shame in some of the most beautiful depictions of sexuality and desire I've ever read.

I think the one place the book lost me was how quickly Vern makes the connection between Cainland, her fungus, the hauntings, Ollie, and the FBI. (Spoilers!) It's not at all unbelievable, but it didn't feel like Vern had enough information at the time to connect the dots. Added to that, it did feel like the end moved a little fast as compared to the pacing of the rest of the book, and we never really found out why the FBI was conducting said experiments (to create human weapons? Subjugate Black separatists?) and what Ollie's real connection was to Cainland. I wanted a little bit more in terms of resolution in that respect. That said, overall, I thought this book was incredibly wonderful, and beautifully written.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I am truly grateful as this is one of my favorite books that I've read so far this year. This book was beautiful, gripping, and so different. What a creative plot that moved quickly and kept my attention the ENTIRE way through.

The characters in this book are so intriguing, and Solomon does an amazing job creating this science fiction world. I can't even pick one character that was my favorite because each one has their own phenomenal addition to this story, but I think I legit have a soft spot for Howling and Feral. They add a lot of levity and grounding to a story based in something out of this world.

There were so many things I did not see coming and I won't list them because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. There's a reason there are so many people talking about this book. What a great sci-fi read.

Sorrowland is a gripping, atmospheric and utterly terrifying read. The reader is thrown straight into the action, and taken on a journey unlike anything I have ever read before. The writing was stunning, both beautiful and unsettling, and the oftentimes disturbing imagery kept me on the edge of my seat. It was creative and inventive, and as well as tackling discussions on race, sexuality and disability, it took so many twists and turns I wasn’t expecting, and once I hit the 25% mark, I couldn’t stop reading. I also loved the diverse cast of characters, who were all incredibly well-developed. Vern, the main character, was complex and flawed but also utterly compelling, and I especially loved seeing her relationship with her children, Feral and Howling. Overall, I absolutely loved this story, and couldn’t ask for anything more. This book will haunt me for a long time.

Content Warnings: death (inclu: animal death, death of a loved one, death of a child, drowning, burning, hanging, gun violence, massacre, dead bodies), self-harm and suicide, religious cult, discrimination (racism, fatphobia, ableism, homophobia and reclaimed use of the ‘d’ word, transphobia - all challenged), torture, blood and gore, child abuse, alcoholic parent, rape of a child, drugging and medical experimentation, chronic pain, hallucinations, childbirth, consensual sexual content, mention of intimate partner abuse

Shadow of Sorrows is a genre-bending interesting mix, that's for sure. The premise is wonderful, however I found the tone of the narration made it very hard for me to get into the story. Unfortunately this book was not for me, That being said, I will definitely keep my eye on the author as I sense major potential in the wonder of story-telling.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy for my honest review.

I found this really hard to get into and had to push myself to read it. Unfortunately this was not for me, having said that please give it a go, you might like it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Rivers Solomon is an incredible writer, let's start with that. The dense, phenomenal writing packs a real punch and they manage to craft their story in such a way that it makes it hard to put the book down at all. "Sorrowland" is a deeply fascinating and intense, sometimes disturbing piece of art with an intriguing and complex protagonist. Vern is unique, wild, blurring the lines between beast and human as she transforms into something, someone much more. The story is exciting but also touches on important both contemporary and historical issues of race, of colonialism and slavery, of sexuality and gender and much more. This book is a reckoning that the reader won't forget for a long time.

Still, at times the story seemed to lose itself, especially later on. At times I felt like Solomon wanted to make certain points that deviated from the story as such, leading to some scenes that almost seemed gratuitous. The end left me a little confused, too, concerning the way - to stay unspoilery - the world and people in power react to what they witnessed at Cainland. In general I found the first half of the book incredibly intriguing but the second half didn't manage to keep the promises of the first half's quality.

Despite these flaws this is a more than solid read that leaves a lasting impression. It's a 3,5 stars read for me personally, rounded up to 4.

An astonishing, genre-defying story. Beautiful writing, and fascinating characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I think I loved this. This was strange, horrifying and gruesome at times, but it was also hauntingly beautiful. We follow Vern as she escapes the religious compound she grew up in and gives birth to twins. With people still trying to find her, she tries her best to protect her children and deal with these strange changes happening to her physically and mentally.

The writing was amazing; poetic and atmospheric. The story took many different turns, and did not go where I anticipated, which is part of the reasons why I enjoyed this so much. I've read a quote where Rivers Solomon wanted to write within the "literary tradition that problematizes who and who isn’t branded the monster". (Tor.com), and they definitely succeeded. This is a gothic fiction novel that expertly questions who we label monsters in our society.

So good. Seriously. I was all in from page one.

A young girl escapes from the cult she was brought up in and runs away into the woods... pregnant... with twins. This girl not only has to learn to fend for herself and her babies, while hiding, but also her past, her memories, her attackers AND her strange metamorphosis.

Don’t worry. It’s not just another creepy thriller (it’s a “genre-bending work of Gothic fiction”!). It’s thoughtful. We grow with this girl and her children, we learn, discover, love and suffer with her. We follow her on her frightening and beautiful journey.

It’s the good stuff.

Special thanks to MCD; Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for this ARC.
#Sorrowland #NetGalley

The novel opens with protagonist Vern giving birth in the woods, alone. A true outsider, she has rejected both the strict, isolationist religious community she escaped from (called Cainland for short) and the broader U.S. society from which they sought to separate. As she reflects on her life there more and more background details get filled in. But it turns out that her realizations about the true nature of the community only begin to scratch the surface.

Something has been happening to her body, which only truly comes into focus when she leaves the woods for civilization with her twins. Based on very little information, she seeks out her old friend Lucy, but instead finds Lucy's Native American protector Bridget and her niece Gogo. The timing is fortunate, because the fungus that has been transforming her body has gone into overdrive. She has begun to grow a kind of exoskeleton, and experiences a high fever and vivid hallucinations that she calls "hauntings."

It turns out the hauntings are real memories, both hers and those of other Cainland residents. They are all united by the fungus, which has an amazing origin story that is not fully revealed until near the end of the book. Finally fully aware of the government conspiracy that has manipulated her and the rest of Cainland, Vern goes on the offensive, culminating in a huge climax in which she faces a massive armed force.

Excuse the dog LOL
Book review
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Vern's story was compelling, as a 15-year-old they left this sect while pregnant, birthed twins, and continued to provide for themself. r cult in order to remove themselves from the American mainstream and only follow their cult leader. However, as a young person, Vern breaks free and as someone who has been taught survival skills and is able to keep safe despite the fact that there are people looking to collect and return Vern home.
A very satisfying book to read and finish, and a must-have for anyone who enjoys a story that emphasizes the resilience of young people. It is also a wonderful story that explores gender roles and the concept of gender itself in our society through Vern's tale.
There is magic and mystery to this story that presents itself in the tale regarding Vern's "transformation".
A very satisfying book to read and finish, and a must-have for anyone who enjoys a story that emphasizes the resilience of young people.

What a beautiful, poignant novel. Rivers Solomon definitely has a fan in me!
Vern, a 15 year-old heavily pregnant teenager, escapes the cult where she was raised for the shelter of the forest. She gives birth to twins there. She is hunted by the cult, which refuses to let her go and is experiencing "changes" all while fighting for her little family. Her metamorphosis is harrowing and extraordinary. Do not miss this amazing novel.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this special book.*

This astonishing book covers so many issues I don't even know where to begin. Motherhood, mental health issues, queerness, race and identity, intimacy and relationships, and over all of that, the willingness and even eagerness of the US government to experiment on and discard Black bodies. Because while the events in this book are fictional, we all know the US government is no stranger to the utter disrespect and disregard of Black people. This book was heart-wrenching and gutting, but reading it was an incredible journey. An absolutely breath-taking experience.

Rivers Solomon is SUCH a talented writer. This book was so very, very ambitions but they knocked this one out of the park.

This was the first book written by Rivers Solomon that I have read and now I'm wondering if this book is typical of her writing. I enjoyed the creativity and diversity of her characters but it ended up being too weird for me. The first section was really great and I really enjoyed the mystery aspect, but things broke down for me after that. I've liked many novels with strange elements in the past so I don't believe it was purely the other-worldliness aspect that I struggled with. I was also left unsatisfied with the ending, it felt abrupt to me.

I was so happy to receive an arc of this book (especially because I had the publication date wrong and thought it was coming out in March when it isn’t coming out until May). I read The Deep a few months back and after reading Sorrowland, I’ll definitely be reading An Unkindness of Ghosts and anything they put out in the future. This book was so fascinating, with its sharp societal commentary, well-developed characters, and marvelously gross body/environmental horror. Reviewing this book is a challenge because it feels like an experience for me to learn from rather than something for me to critique. That being said, it’s not like there would be much for me to critique anyway, as this book is incredible just as it is. It’s a perfect combination for me of hard hitting topics as they relate to our world, weird paranormal phenomenon, and beautiful relationships. Vern is the type of protagonist I love, strong willed, resilient, and capable, unconcerned with convention. And every aspect of her character feels earned, believable, dimensional. Rivers Solomon truly did a fantastic job with this book, and i can’t wait to see what they do next.
Thank you to Farrar, Straus, and Giroux and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

This is my second Rivers Solomon book and I find myself even further enamored with their work the more I read. I was immediately captivated with the main character of Sorrowland, Vern, a 15 year old girl who escapes a religious cult into the woods to give birth to twins. Vern is an incredibly strong, interesting character to follow. Sorrowland blends horror, fantasy, gothic, and speculative genres into one superb story that also tackles many serious topics such as race, lgbt+ issues, religion, abuse, sexual abuse, pedophilia, etc. In my opinion, Sorrowland tackles all of these themes realistically (even though this story has a lot of fantastical elements) with nuance and care.

However, things took a nosedive for me in the second half of the book. The mushroom thing was just too weird for me, and also, the sex scenes were way overdone - one in particular was actually very disturbing. I really liked the idea of the cult of Cainland and the background behind it. I wish this book dealt more with that then the weird aspects of the story.