Excellent futuristic and dystopian novel about a post climate disaster world where climate disasters cause mass migration and loss. Corruption and disception abound but love and human decency are the ultimate saviors. Well written and compelling read.

Obreht conjures up some vivid imagery and a fantastic sense of place in this oddly enchanting tale set in a (future?) world just a little off from our own. Strong characters and a strange, unpredictable story.

In a world that might be our own, on an island that might be Manhattan or not, the 12-year-old narrator and her mother live in a crumbling luxury apartment as the sea slowly claims the city. The west is burning and the east is drowning. The Repopulation program promises to lure citizens back to the city and provide them with free housing - but where is the evidence? Among all this all-too-possible and not-too-distant glimpse of our own climate-crisis nightmare, this small family struggles to escape the memories of the country they fled due to violence and war. Is the lady in the penthouse a fighter for social change or a malevolent guardian spirit? Who is the radio DJ who anonymously spreads truth to the city? Obreht weaves together her own Eastern European past and folklore with an eerily parallel world from which we are only years away. And she reminds us that family will be with us always - no matter the conditions, for better and for worse.

I was really interested in the premise of this book, but unfortunately it didn't grip me. I found myself reading quickly and not invested in the story.

Tea Obreht is a wonderful writer and in this unusual book she does a very good job of using her talent to world-build a dystopian future. By referring to the past oblique fragements the story takes on a mysterious feel which I found very engaging. This is more of a coming of age novel than a dystopian story but the two aspects work well together. The plot is sublte and paced very well. I recommend you pick this up if you are looking to break out of a reading rut and try something a bit different.

I have read and loved Téa Obreht's The Tiger's Wife, so I was excited to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Morningside. And I was absolutely not disappointed at all!

It is a bit of a coming of age story, layered in a look into what our future might look like in the distant future. It is also a story of finding out who you are, where you came from, and love.

I fell in love with Silvia... almost instantly. She is bright, inquisitive, and very savvy for her age! She seems to have a knack for knowing who to trust and who to give a wide berth... sort of. Her curiosity gets her into some tricky spots.

If you are looking for a book with characters that you will love, you will love this book! I highly recommend it!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the digital copy of this book! It will be published on March 19, 2024.

My god, does Téa Obreht knows how to structure a book. Her previous novel, Inland is one of my favorite novels—lyrical, atmospheric, haunting, and built with a deft command of language, so this follow-up had an impossible legacy to live up to. The Morningside is a very different story which follows Silvia (Sil) and her unnamed mother, displaced refugees who take residence in a high-rise apartment complex. Sil's aunt tells her a folktale that twists into an obsession for Sil, as she tries to prove a dark secret about the elusive tenant who lives in the penthouse. This is a novel about displacement, memories of home, who gets to tell certain stories, and about rebuilding cities—who benefits and who is used to "hold the edges while it finishes falling."

As is tradition in Obreht's novels, the territory is invented. The story is set in Island City, which I pictured as a half-flooded Manhattan, but there is plenty of reference to other states and countries, none of which actually exist. The Morningside has the most world building of any of Obreht's novels, and while it's a fascinating critique on climate, rising water levels, and government efforts to revitalize cities in the wake of ruin, the lore feels a little uneven and underdeveloped. It never feels dense, but it could have benefitted from more.

Obreht's language in this novel also felt uneven, especially after Inland which had such a precise command on language. Maybe it's that Inland being a Western required a different writing style, or that The Morningside follows a young protagonist, but Obreht's prose is different here—simpler, less nuanced. In places, it shines, but as a cohesive whole, there was less to hold onto, fewer lines that really stuck out to me.

But the story. The STORY. Every one of Obreht's novels reminds me how efficient plotting can make or break the story. The Morningside is airtight. Every thread comes back around, often in ways that later seem obvious, various "why didn't I put the pieces together sooner?" moments. The four parts to the novel grow in intensity, with the final act a rare demonstration of sticking the landing (or, in Obreht's case, a common W.) It's tense, it's beautiful, it's completely captivating.

I think the most likely comparison to this novel will be Celeste Ng's Our Missing Hearts: both share a coming-of-age story set in an alternative history (or kind of post-apocalyptic/dystopian setting?)—the government initiative of P.A.C.T. in Ng's is in conversation with that of the Repopulation Program in Obreht's. Obviously different in scope, but both with world-building aspects that ask powerful questions about identity, sustainability, and the explicit and implicit ways in ways these initiatives operate.

The Morningside is a rare novel where I could feel an internal debate bourgeoning as I was reading it. At times being pulled forward, then pushed back, then forward again. I wasn't sure how I felt about the prose, about the interior monologues, but it builds upon itself, slowly taking shape and guiding you somewhere new—"the world underneath the world." It's timely without being on-the-nose. It's strange and alluring, at times impossible to look away, giving you a superstitious folktale... how much of it is real—well, that's up to you.

Set somewhere in the future, cities are slowly being submerged, species are disappearing, countries have disappeared and food is rationed. A young refugee, Sylvia, and her mother, as part of a “repopulation” effort have been offered an apartment and a job in a once luxury condo tower who residents include a wealthy artist whom Sylvia believes to have supernatural powers. An inventive plot, with well-drawn characters makes this an interesting read but not, for me, a wow.

3.8. I liked Tea Obrect’s novel, The Tigers Wife so was looking forward to her new novel, The Morningside. I found it difficult to get engaged within the plot but then it quickened after the middle but still a bit too disjointed for me. . .. This appears to be a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel in a city strikingly similar to New York City that apparently was flooded and made largely unpopulated . The authorities in charge are trying to repopulate the city with refugees from various places, although unclear if from other countries or not. The novel is told through a young girl, Silvia, who with her mother, were refugees from another place, brought to live in the Morningside, a high rise that had seen better days but populated by long term and new refugees, and Sil’s and her mothers attempts to assimilate and survive. Themes of climate change predominate throughout but there is also a surreal aspect. The writing is good and the characters well developed although it was hard to follow where they came from. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for a candid and unbiased review.

4.5 stars. I saw a wise reviewer describe this as "Post-apocalyptic climate fiction reminiscent of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" which is very apt. I was also getting vibes of "A Gentleman in Moscow". This book has a light touch of several different genres, and it balances them successfully. In the end the genre elements are mostly incidental to the human story playing out, but they do help keep things interesting in the slower moments.

This books was very atmospheric. But I found it very hard to get into. Once I got about 20% in it moved much faster for me but there was that beginning hump. Overall though I really enjoyed getting to know Silvia and the new world she was living in due to climate change.

Oh lord this book made me really think about my mother and I and our relationship and it created some good conversations. I know that’s not what this review should be about but I do feel like the mother daughter relationship is a big part of it. I really enjoyed this book and it was the first from this author. I really loved it and I give it 5 stars

"The Morningside" by Téa Obreht is a mesmerizing novel that delves into themes of displacement, belonging, and the power of stories to shape our understanding of the past and the present.

The story follows Silvia and her mother, who have been expelled from their ancestral home and find themselves at the Morningside, a dilapidated luxury tower in Island City. Silvia's mother is reticent about their family's past and the reasons behind their displacement, leaving Silvia feeling unmoored in her new life, especially as her once-vibrant city is now partially submerged underwater. It's in the Morningside, particularly through her aunt Ena, that Silvia begins to uncover the rich folktales of her homeland, stories that contrast starkly with her current existence.

Ena's tales ignite Silvia's imagination, prompting her to look at the world through a magical lens. This newfound perspective draws her to Bezi Duras, a mysterious woman living in the penthouse of the Morningside. Bezi is an enigmatic figure, and her life is shrouded in mystery. Silvia becomes consumed with uncovering the truth about Bezi's life and her own past, setting in motion a chain of events that could change everything.

Obreht's storytelling is both startling and inventive, weaving a narrative that blurs the lines between myth and reality. It's a testament to the power of storytelling itself, illustrating how the stories we tell can shape our understanding of the world and our place within it.

"The Morningside" is a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant novel that explores the idea that our stories, whether told or untold, play a crucial role in our quest to understand where we come from and who we aspire to be.

The Morningside is an inventive and thought-provoking book that unfortunately just did not hit for me. I saw it compared to Station Eleven (a book I love) so I bought it on that premise, and it just didn't live up to the hype.

The story is set in an unnamed country, sometime in the future, and tells of refugees who have all come to live at a building called The Morningside. On it's face (and at it's strongest) it's about a mother and a daughter, and the different ways the two view their relocation to this building. Unfortunately, the author added so many extraneous characters and tangential storylines that I was unable to connect to anyone in a significant way. It felt like the value was placed on the experimentation of the story rather than the substance.

Some readers may very well enjoy this one a lot. I just couldn't connect and found it a chore to work through. 2.5 stars rounded up, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Post-apocalyptic climate fiction reminiscent of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Sil, our young protagonist, lives in The Morningside with her mother, the super. They are outsiders, and her mother will not talk about their past and will not let Sil discuss their history with anyone. This is a world ravaged by climate change, and there is hope that things are getting better.

In lots of ways, the book is bleak, but it’s also about the wonder of childhood, what parents do to protect their children, and human resilience. The book tackles big topics but through an engaging narrative.

I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House!

I was not expecting this to be a dystopian novel. To me, it seemed like a combination of 1984, and The Handmaid’s Tale. For me, the lack of a backstory kept me continually asking questions while reading the novel. Where is the setting; why did they have to leave their former home, what was actually happening to the town where they were repopulated. Was it actually sinking into the sea, and could anyone really believe it could be reclaimed before it was totally destroyed.By the end of the novel I was still questioning where and when and why did this take place. Since they had cell phones and computers, it was obviously the present or future, but how far in the future?

I kept on reading the novel because the plot made me want to know what happens to all the main characters. I, also, wanted to know why Bezi was behaving so mysteriously. When she reveals what she was doing, everyone was shocked; but that part of the plot seemed to go nowhere. Even in the end, the reader is still waiting for answers.. It seemed a very long and circuitous way to tell the reader that life is uncertain, and we never know where we’ll end up.

I requested an advance copy of Tea Obrecht's first book The Tiger's Wife. Unfortunately, The Morningside is a dystopian novel. I don't like to read dystopian novels. I read 10% of this book and the writing was not good enough for me to overcome my dislike for the genre.

Surprisingly strange sort of dystopian novel that I actually enjoyed. She is such a good writer that she made me like a genre that I usually hate

I really enjoyed this well written, quiet, thoughtful story about an eleven year old girl, Silvia, in the near future. She lives with her mother and great-aunt in an apartment building in a climate change impacted city. The aunt is the building superintendent, which is how they are able to live there, being recent immigrants. They are refugees from another climate-changed and civil-war torn country. Not a lot of action happens, Silvia is denied access to school, so she assists her mom and aunt with the maintenance chores and obsesses over the mysterious, wealthy owner of the penthouse condo, who has three enormous dogs. Silvia becomes convinced the dogs are actually humans, and the wealthy woman a kind of witch. Silvia is lonely, so she gets involved with the sole other child in the building, and her family, even though she's a troublemaker and not very likable. She also befriends a curious stranger who comes looking for his mail, who turns out to have a very interesting backstory. Everything in this book feels entirely plausible, from the close but strained relationship between Silvia and her mom, Silvia's lonely predilections, the corrupt aid organization, the tide damaged and shrunken city, and the plight of the refugees. This is a stand-alone novel that ends very satisfactorily.

For being a post-apocalyptic novel novel, this is an unusually upbeat read. It's the kind of novel where you may wonder if it's written for teens or adults, and then you realize that doesn't matter, it's a novel for anyone. The novel is about a young girl,Silvia, and her mother setting out looking for a safe place to live and moving to a tall apartment complex with the mother's sister, a woman who loves to tell the girl fantastical stories that the girl devours and believe must be true, while her mother calls it all nonsense, and is a rather no-nonsense hard-working, gutsy woman, struggling to provide for her daughter.

Aunt Ena doesn't last long in the novel, but her stories remain with us until the very end. There's much mystery, friendship, and heartbreak in this novel, and a reminder of the importance of sharing stories and revealing details about one's life to those they love.