SORROWLAND by Rivers Solomon

Vern’s mother found her refuge at the Blessed Acres of Cain, a cult formed to protect African American’s from white oppression. She stayed to keep Vern, her daughter, safe and give her a better life than she could have provided elsewhere. However, this story begins with Vern bearing twin boys, Howling and Feral, alone and in the forest after escaping from that sanctuary.

She hunts, defends, protects and sometimes neglects the twin infants. Vern is always running from something. She swings from trees with one child on front and one on back. She teaches them to find food, to make a shelter, to survive.

Vern knew that something sinister was going on in Cainland and she was right. Since they deprived her of any useful education including the ability to read, it was hard for her to look into the things she saw as abuse. As she raises her children, she gets stronger and more fit but the illness that is causing a fungus to encapsulate her spine and taunt her into insanity is insidious and unrelenting, causing vivid and nearly fatal hallucinations that distort Vern’s stability and her grip on reality.

Vern meets people along the way that both support her freedom and pursue her for the purpose of returning her to Cainland. It becomes clear to Vern, over time, that the government is behind the corruption of Cainland and her people were duped by them.

When Vern takes Howling and Feral to the city, they find that the world is bigger than the forest they were raised in. The children are fascinated by city life and the contrast of their glee with Vern’s desperation shows that there is hope for the next generation if they are given half a chance to grow and prosper.

Vern’s sexuality torments her as much as anything else. Caught between her strong, primal libido and her history in a shame culture, she pursues women with a powerful naivety. Her sexuality is raw and course but also beautiful, organic, authentic and real to the core. I applaud the author for her honesty in portraying a sexuality that might offend the sensibilities of some,yet felt so primal yet repressed, joyful and fatal.

One thing that interested me was that Vern’s escape from Cainland seriously resembled many stories about slaves escaping their bondage. The FBI or other government officials opportunistically co-opted Cainland, corrupting it for their own selfish motives. This is timely as it seems that today, any group that begins as a movement for a worthwhile cause is infiltrated by others who turn it into something ugly and tainted. If this novel opens even one person’s eyes to the malevolence of the government, the novel has done its job.

The story moves in fits and starts rather than progressing in a linear style. The backstory about Vern’s mother was placed near the end of the story, which was awkward but effective in raising empathy and compassion for her without completely exonerating her of blame.
The science fiction aspect of this was a fun ride. It was allegorical more than straight narrative speculation. White America has and continues to create monsters with their disregard for the sanctity of human lives.

This is an excellent story. It is timely and relevant but most of all it offers a new and exciting voice in contemporary literature. I recommend it highly, however, there are triggers all through the story, including abuse, rape, murder, suicide, cults, mind control to name a few. I point that out so no one is caught unawares.

I have never read anything like this. It's critical yet lyrical of society and the lack of changes we have done to our life-style. Vern's story is not only an action pact adventure but one of a character that has been wronged by society. Facing sexism, racism, homophobia, and more this protagonist, faced social issues after social issues that society burdened her with (which you will most likely see yourself in). The tone is extremely gothic and gruesome at some parts so the reading experience can be a hard one to digest. I strongly believe that this is a strong contender for my favorite book of 2021. I recommend everyone to give this a shot.

Thank you Netgalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and Rivers Solomon for this arc.

Holy cow, this book was wicked good! It totally exceeded my expectations and features all my favorite things: fantastical plot seeped with history, well-developed side characters to fall in love with (wiley babies included), a thriving sense of place, and a fierce protagonist not to be reckoned with. Can't wait to share with everyone I know. Thanks for the ARC!

This was a fantastic book. Dark, vivid, sorrowful, raw. A unique take on gothic horror that explored so many issues and themes with incredible nuance. The characters were visceral and the plot, while slow-moving, was perfectly paced for the author's intent. This book isn't for everyone, but for many I think it could widen teir horizons and expand their perspective.

Vern is a young woman who escapes a mysterious commune, giving birth to her children, and trying to find out the truth of her upbringing as well as her strange physical changes.

This is a really innovative story blending a cult with anti-colonialism and almost supernatural elements. While the concept was very interesting and I appreciated the extremely diverse cast, among them several Native Americans, and albino characters, the graphic violence and sex as well as the distance I felt from most characters made it difficult to truly enjoy this novel. Part of it is certainly due to my own sensibilities, but the lack of emotional insight, the somewhat confusingly described supernatural/superhuman elements, and the slightly unsatisfactory ending expanded beyond that.

Readers should be aware that this book includes explicit sex scenes, violence, and several suicides.

Definitely an experimental and bold work, just not particularly for me.

*4.5 stars*

Content Warnings: self harm, rape, sexual assault of a child, homophobia, pregnancy + birth, death, murder, gore, body horror, mass killing, torture, racism.

I have been sitting here for a long time trying to compile my thoughts to no avail. I just can't seem to find the right words to encompass a story such as this one. Sorrowland will not be for everyone. It defies typical genre conventions with elements of horror, scf-fi, surrealism, and gothic fiction.

The story opens on Vern, a seven month pregnant teen narrowly escaping the confines of a strict religious cult. After birthing her twins, Howling and Feral, Vern is determined to raise them away from society. But Cainlands claws do not want to relinquish her so easily and Vern will have reenter society in the attempts to escape once and for all.

Rivers Soloman is a master at their craft. Vivid description, nuance, unique imagery, dynamic characters, and a fantastically navigated themes. This truly is unlike anything I've ever read before.
It took me a while to grasp what was actually going on, but when I was in I was hooked. I actually think this is a great example of an author keeping their cards close to their chest and not revealing too much too soon.

I do think the pacing was slightly uneven and the ending was slightly rushed. However I wholeheartedly recommend you pick this up if it sounds interesting to you. Sorrowland releases May 4th.

With its challenging plot and diverse characters (lgbtq+ and bipoc) this is not an easy book to just rate and move on. I’ve been thinking about this story since I finished and if I had to use one word to describe Sorrowland it would be ‘overwhelming’.

Solomon blends Gothic horror with SFF to cover slavery, U.S. history, motherhood, generational trauma, identity, gender and transformation. Even with that long of a list I’m sure I’m leaving so much out. I won’t say much about the plot beyond the blurb, but that it’s innovative and devastating with gorgeous prose. We see Vern fend for themselves and their twins, start finding who they are, and quite literally change into something more. I honestly loved all five main characters, but especially Howling and Feral and their interactions with the outside world.

A few things kept me from giving this a higher rating. The pacing was a little off for me, the second part being a bit too slow while the third part sped up so much it started to come off the rails. Because of this the ending felt clunky. Sometimes so much was happening on the page that it was hard to visualize or understand what you were reading. I read an uncorrected proof, so there were a few mistakes that took me out of the story (wrong character names, time inconsistencies, wording). I’ll have to reread this once published and see how those change the story for me. There was a random pov change that happens in the second part of the book and I still don’t know why it happened and why it’s the only one. This may seem petty, but how was Vern knitting wool sweaters in the forest?! Where were they getting yarn and needles from?

I can’t believe this is only Solomon’s third book, I’m already looking forward to reading what they write next.

Thank you FSG and MCD for the ARC.

As a total aside, Solomon fits in so many historical, cultural, and philosophical references within this novel that it’s clear they are extremely well read (Derrida, Marx,and Le Guin amongst many). Makes me wonder if they read about radical mycology and that’s why Vern’s story is connected to fungus and mycelium. Or I’m just crazy.

This book by Rivers Solomon was alright. He had interesting characters and prose. But for me the pace was just entirely to sliw for me. I loved her Unkindness of Ghost but im so sad this book was not for me.

Rivers Solomon truly created a story unlike any I had read before. The discussions on race and gender and sexuality were so real and crossed over with each other in so many ways, which made the story that much more poignant. At times, I struggled with following exactly what was happening and understanding Vern's character, but the prose was really beautiful and the deep-rooted issues that affect every aspect of how the United States runs were mirrored throughout the entire story. The ending seemed a little rushed to me and I wish we had gotten to learn more about Cainland as a whole since there still seemed to be a lot of mystery surrounding the circumstances in which it was created and maintained, but overall the story was really innovative and, at times, devastating to read.

I really like Rivers Solomon's writing style and that's initially what piqued my interest in this book.

Follow Vern and her struggle with young motherhood, her sexuality, the real world, a cult and the visions that plague her. This story had me enthralled from the moment I picked it up. A definite MUST READ.

Solomon’s latest novel is a genre bending, action-packed story of a young girl on the run from a cult. The vivid imagery instantly peaked my interest. The backstory was riveting.

Sorrowland is very much a story of human experimentation, cult based societies, a love story in more than one way, and most importantly a story of humanity during great adversity.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the book. I’d recommend others to read it. I think it would be nice if this was adapted to the either a movie or TV show.

Sorrowland is my first time reading any of River Solomon's work and while there were some captivating moments sprinkled across almost 400 pages of text, I found the majority of the novel to be overly ambitious, stretched out, irritating, and extremely repetitive.

I don't want to get into any spoilers or big plot threads as I think everyone should go in with a fresh lens and form their own opinion; even though I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

The first third of this novel is more or less contained to Vern and her children, Howling and Feral. The naming of her kids made sense early on as it seems Vern has limited knowledge of the outside world and only knows the things she was tough in Cainland. However as the pages fly by and when it becomes convenient for the plot, she just seems to know almost anything and everything her children ask her. Even when she has interactions with people in the "real world", she's not surprised or taken aback whatsoever. But back to my primary point, part one is mostly our lead raising her children, meeting someone, and getting further away from Cainland to find somebody she knows after a not surprising incident. It drags quite a bit here and this is almost 40% of the text.

One of my biggest gripes early on is the passage of time. Because the story is written from a 3rd person narration, you get a lot of "aaaaand moving on" from chapter to chapter. No spoilers here but in just the first few chapters, Vern births her children, next thing you know with no transition they're saying their first words, and right to the next section they're walking. The only bit of reference to time you get is that months have passed, making them less than a year old. It's not impossible for all of this to happen but more unlikely than not. And since they're being raised in nature, in the woods close to Cainland, it makes those odds even more slim. Not that Vern is a bad parent but it's something I have trouble suspending my disbelief for.

One smaller thing is that we're told Howling and Feral are so smart and intelligent for their ages and so well spoken at the age of three or four. Also not unlikely, but they'll be speaking like an adult would one moment but then in the next sentence speak like children do without a grasp of language and sentence structure. It's very distracting.

Vern is also very irritating and unlikeable throughout. Constantly arguing, aggressing every little moment, and acting like she's too good for anyone. It makes sense for the story, I won't argue that, but it doesn't make you want to stick around and read about her.

Part 2 becomes a little more interesting with the introduction of Gogo but this is where the novel becomes bogged down in the conversation instead of letting the story and characters happen. Any subtlety is thrown out the window and you're told what characters think about when it comes to personal politics, queerness, the message of children's books, the list goes on and on. But not only do the characters get side lined, the narrator does too. It begins to feel like River Solomon really wanted you to read mini essays on what they think about the United States and how it is being queer. These are VERY important topics that just don't work with the fantasy narrative halfway in. It's jarring to say the least.

Part 3 shifts so much it feels like a different book. Action, intrigue, being more on the run, it's all here! And written to wrap it all up so fast it'll make your head spin. Literally without full details, the antagonists right at the end more or less go "Well I guess that's that. Time to go now." and they just kind of leave. There's your big finale! Also, we get an entire chapter dedicated to Vern's parent's backstory that derails the action even further and honestly could have been completely removed to gain the same effect.

I think to really enjoy this novel you have to completely throw out any logic out the window. It didn't work for me and I'm not sure if I'd attempt reading another book by the author. They're definitely ambitious but their skills need to be tightened up further before writing something this long.

Desperate to escape the religious compound in which she was raised, a very pregnant Vern flees into the surrounding woods where she gives birth to twins. Hunted by the community that refuses to let her go, Vern survives off the land and vows to protect her children from both the commune and the evils of the outside world. When Vern's body begins to undergo mysterious changes she is forced to seek help from the outside world in order to protect her family.

This is a "new to me" author and I really wanted to love this novel. There were many aspects of it that I enjoyed but sadly it just wasn't a good fit for me. The novel started off with a bang...a young pregnant girl is forced to give birth to twins while being hunted down by an individual who wants to return her to the cult she just fled. We quickly learn the Vern has albinism which causes light sensitivity as well as significant vision impairment. Vern's character completely drew me in with her resourcefulness, strength, and determination. I also found the community to be quite fascinating as it was established as a refuge for black people fleeing the oppression and prejudice faced in society. They practice a religion that pays tribute to African American history and those individuals who made significant contributions in America. Once a safe-haven; The Blessed acres of Cain, is led by Vern's husband Reverend Sherman who has evolved the community into a place of abuse, manipulation, and murder. As much as these aspects drew me, I felt confused through much of the novel. The writing style combined with the main characters "experiences" had be questioning reality and where the story was going. Vern's body begins to undergo changes giving the book a sci-fi feel. Although I didn't really understand this novel I think there are many readers who will appreciate the writing style and what the author is trying to convey.

Vern has grown up in a commune, one that is organized by a religious cult. As a bright child, she begins to question the beliefs of the adults raising her and chafes at the rules imposed on her. At the age of fifteen, she has already been married off to the cult leader and is pregnant. Desperately unhappy and with no one she can relate to, she escapes into the surrounding woods.

Rivers Solomon has drawn Vern's character in a well-written, intelligent manner. Vern is a young woman who is torn between some of the teachings of Cainites and what her intelligence perceives to be her truth. It is important to the story that the Cainites are African-Americans who separate themselves from the surrounding economy, especially white culture. The members of this community have sought to live together and help one another without persecution and mistreatment. However, as Vern slowly realizes, the Cainites are still victims. There is an atrocity happening here, and it's told as an unfolding mystery.

Vern's life in the woods is filled with birthing and raising twins, survivalist skills, and finding herself. She is a complex character who is damaged and confused by her childhood, angry with the adults in her life, especially her mother, and trying her hardest to be a better mother to her children. It is during this time in the woods that this novel begins to seem like science fiction--the way Vern is changing and her superhuman skills and strength alert us that something has been done to her.

Without giving away too much of the story, Vern does eventually become involved with other people and is able to confront her past as well as her present.

The events I'm leaving out in this review are quite fascinating. The action is well-paced, the characters come off the page, and it's a pleasure to read about such strong female characters. This is a thought-provoking, good read.

Thank you to Netgalley for this opportunity!

1.5 stars.
This book was very hard for me to finish. I almost DNF this. Almost.
It started out okay and I was kinda interested to find out about all the hauntings, Cainland etc., but the plot was dragged so much that it was so boring to read. I kind of liked Vern’s time in the forest but all the answers for Vern’s condition were given so late into the plot that I wasn’t even thrilled.
There was so much filler between the important plot points.
I liked the LGBT+ representation and Vern’s view on labels.
I hoped for some good fantasy/sci-fi elements but that was not the author’s focus. It was more about Vern’s journey to self-acceptance.
The part I loved the most in the book was Ruthanne’s story. I was bored to tears and her story piqued my interest.
When the story picked up at the end, I wasn’t even excited- I was just hasty to finish it.
And the end? So the government leaves Vern alone- even after the extent of her power?

Total time spent: 9 freaking hours.

~ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

🌸 Adult • Cult• Sci-fi• LGBT+ 🌸

✍🏼 Book Quote:
Maybe it was hard to give the world your best when the world always gave you its worst.
~Sorrowland

Vern has always been different. Growing up in a strict religious compound was never going to be enough for her. At 15 years old, heavily pregnant, Vern runs away into the woods. Here, she gives birth to her twins while being stalked by the one she calls the fiend.

While running for her life, and the protection of her babies, Vern does some pretty extraordinary things. It soon becomes clear that what’s happening to her isn’t exactly normal. Is she sick, dying? Or have the people from the compound done something to Vern?

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. The first part of the book captivated me. I was really interested in Verns story, her children and what their futures held. But after the first few exciting chapters the story slows down a lot. It felt like it really lost its momentum. I was sure after such an intense start there was bound to be more action ahead which is why I kept pushing through. By 60% I wanted to DNF the book as I was so bored. I kept going though, positive the story would take off at any moment. Unfortunately, once I got to the end it didn’t seem all that climactic.

There was some really interesting moments but then I’d find myself skim reading again. My ratings are always based on my own enjoyment. Just because this one wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it. If you’re into a slower paced, gothic, sci-fi vibe then this one might be exactly your thing 👌🏼

🎧 Song vibe:
River by Bishop Briggs

This book was incredibly interesting, the premise was fascinating and the book made you think deeply. The premise, plot, characters, and world building were incredibly well done, but the writing felt distant and it made it difficult for me to get in to the book. That being said, sticking with it is absolutely worth it, as this is a really good story.

This is a dark unhappy book with a very upsetting premise and many situations that made me shudder. Young teenage girls being married to old men cult preacher types and bearing their children; the government running unauthorized experiments on cult members, family members who betray each other - the sadness is overwhelming. I'm also still confused about some of the plot but I did find myself skipping over parts because I was so disturbed by the book.

Many thanks to Netgalley, MCD, and Rivers Solomon for sharing this digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest review of the book.

Sorrowland tells the harrowing story of our protagonist black albino 15-year old Vern who is seven months pregnant with twins (named Howling and Feral) as she escapes from the cult Cainland,. As if escaping an abusive and tyrannical cult isn't enough she is also developing a strange illness that affects her in ways she doesn't quite understand (and when you do find out what it is? it's definitely not what you''d expect). Vern is a fascinating character and I really enjoyed following her journey as she escapes Cainland and feeling her struggles with being a new and inexperienced mother to her two children, living off the land and reintegrating into society, trying to provide for her babies in horrible conditions, and having to also deal with being hunted by Cult members determined to bring her back to the compound.

There are so many themes that are touched on in this story that shape Vern's story and the journey she takes, from race, sexuality, religion, misogyny, poverty, violence towards black bodies, and the loss of identity. Vern begins the story as being very closed off, distrusting, and confrontational towards almost everyone she encounters, but when she encounters Bridget and Gogo? Man, that's when the character development shines. I am a BIG fan of found family stories, and I absolutely adored the family unity of Vern, Gogo, Bridget, Howling, and Feral. The author brilliantly wove them into a beautiful family unit and fleshed out all the dynamics wonderfully. An unexpected delight in a otherwise very bleak story of survival.

I would be remiss to not mention the relationship between Vern and Gogo, Their relationship is definitely a highlight of the story and a beautiful addition to this very haunting story. Gogo, a nonbinary native american, comes into Vern's life like a hurricane and ends up becoming one of the few reasons for Vern's gradual changes throughout the story. Her character is written very well as a source of constant support and love for Vern - which is something that she was never much used to and takes time to adjust to. Their relationship develops so naturally and beautifully, and avoids a lot of often used tropes when it comes to :LGBT couples in books which was a huge relief. I worried for a moment near the end that this book would follow an awful and often used LGBT+ trope, but it was avoided thankfully. We love a happy ending.

The story takes you on a long journey where you gradually learn of Vern's struggles with past/generational traumas (her own and her mothers) that are shown with recurring hallucinations that are vivid and harrowing. Vern is simultaneously struggling with a mysterious and debilitating physical transformation while constantly on the run from a fiend who is hunting and haunting her. The voyage and resolution of her pursuit for answers surrounding Cainland and its leaders, her friends, and family was sharp and exhilarating journey of a story that I was glad to be on.

It's a tough story content wise to get through, but it is such a beautiful story of transformation in the face of extreme adversity and finding the strength to discover how strong you can be no matter your circumstances in life. I highly recommend picking this one up, and I will definitely be looking into the authors other works in the near future.

This book gave me everything. Sorrowland tells the story of Vern, a young, resilient female protagonist who fights for freedom despite the demons that haunt her. It opens on a birth and ends in rebirth with Vern sorting through many traumas on her mysterious past, dangerous present, and finite future. As she travels further away from home, her vulnerabilities harden navigating new roles of mother, lover, and what feels like a monster, but is so much more than she ever could have imagined. Rivers Solomon pens a beautifully fleshed out story (and stunning debut) from delivering a well-paced mystery with Vern's home in the Blessed Acres of Cain, to becoming enraptured in Vern as a messy, magnificent force of nature to be reckoned with. A survivalist tale with lesbian romances and ghosts, this riveting journey is guaranteed to leave you breathless. Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and NetGalley for the advanced copy!