This was such a pleasant surprise! Pluralities is an intriguing and ambitious work of experimental sci-fi that left me captivated, though a tad disoriented. I was initially confused by the dual settings, but by the end, I found myself profoundly moved by the protagonist's journey of self-discovery. Still, while both of the intertwining narratives were distinct and compelling conceptually, they weren't integrated as seamlessly as I would have liked.

The book's two settings—a more traditional sci-fi world and a contemporary setting with a slightly uncanny twist—were interesting in their own right, but their connection felt a bit tenuous. While I could see some thematic links between the two, I wished the connections had been made more explicitly or explored in greater depth, as I felt like I couldn't fully engage with either one. I would have loved to see the concepts split into separate short stories or novellas, or for the novel to be longer to accommodate both - fleshing out the world-building and tying the threads together in a more cohesive way!

Despite these (mostly) structural issues, some elements, particularly the contemporary storyline, really captured me - it was so vivid, and I was much more emotionally invested in the main character's journey as they explored their gender identity and sexuality. It was a wholesome, heartwarming, and moving portrayal, and I shed a few tears during one glorious moment of gender euphoria.

While Pluralities may not be a perfect book, it is still more than worth your time - especially if you enjoy experimental sci-fi and stories that delve into queer identity! It's a book that will challenge you and offer a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant experience, pushing boundaries and exploring new territory, even if it leaves some unanswered questions along the way.

“I was a shapeshifter, worshipped for my pluralities, without, within, so many stories of self huddled together to wander the void of my own uncertainty, fleeing and seeking in equal measure, transcendent.”


Trigger/Content Warnings: gender dysphoria

Thank you to Netgalley and Atthis Arts for the ALC!

5/5 stars

i normally struggle with sci-fi as a genre. it's typically a little too scary existential, meandering, or cishet for me- but this book renewed my commitment to continue exploring this genre. i listened to the audiobook, and i thought it was SO well done.

this is a dual-storyline novella about a trans person exploring what gender and form means to them in one story (t4t, beloved <3) and a galactic prince who’s lifetime companion is an organic self-growing type of robot who explore what human form and connection to self and world mean together.

the writing was beautiful and thought-provoking. the emphasis on the journey of exploration and finding community and companionship with those who allow you to feel yourself felt so meaningful. our two main characters struggle through shifting ideas of self and how their families and societies shaped them into something they don't necessarily want to be. i liked how complicated the process of disentanglement was for our main characters. sometimes it feels right until suddenly it feels so wrong and unknowable! that's so real! the connections with their steadfast, supportive companions allowed them to continue to make the progress they did in their respective journeys. i think it is such a true and tender sentiment that we simply cannot do it alone in this life- whether it's on earth or somewhere a galaxy away. i will say though, the focus was heavily skewed towards the characters, rather than the world-building. i was a fan of that choice, but if you are typically not then perhaps you would not enjoy the book as much as i did. i think it's worth giving a try either way!

i hate to compare two bad bitches, but i feel like pluralities is quite similar to a psalm for the wild-built with its deeply introspective vibes, there's just more strap-ons and gambling involved!

this is definitely a new all-time favorite of mine. hooray for the odd and wondrous journey to intergalactic gender euphoria! thank you to netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was puzzled at the gate. I understood the conflict of sexual identity, but the Prince's storyline had me scratching my head. I couldn't get into the story at all, and that was disappointing for me.
I wish the storyline were clearer.

It's a 2.5 for me.

I wanted to like this book. but there was just a disconnect for me. It was a personal thing. Its probably why it took me so long to write a review as well, I hate leaving low reviews.

Pluralities for a cis person is a very educational and beautiful story. For a nonbinary person it must be so affirming,

I'm a huge sci-fi fan and the genre is so full of cis het male authors that it can sometimes get boring - because nothing is ever diverse or different, lots of stories look so similar because they are told from the same perspective. So when I saw Pluralities I grabbed it up SO FAST.

Characters: Every single character in this story is a character I love and adore. I especially loved that there was a good mom in a trans story - that seems to be rare in any story! And I'm always a fan of an AI type character in a book (this one wasn't quite that - but a ship as a character meets that same trope for me.) A ship and a boy who are BFF's and are escaping all the expectations held for him as a prince to explore the galaxy? Who doesn't love that?

Plot: There are 2 parallel POV's in this book that sort of tie together at the end. Sometimes this can make for a confusing story, but in this case, one is a nonbinary person discovering that they are nonbinary while their best friend and mom support them as best they know how, and the other is a purple boy flying around the universe in his bio space ship, so it's not hard to keep them separate, even as they both start to parallel. His story is entertaining and adventurous and Their story is heart wrenching (the struggle to understand oneself) and heart warming (watching the people they love be their for them.)

I would have liked for the story to continue, I do feel like it could have been maybe 30 more pages to really make the storylines converge all the way, but the author leaves us with hope without conclusion, and maybe that's a message in and of itself.

So I definitely don't think that I got it but I enjoyed listening to it. I could not tell you what the purpose of this book is or how the two stories connect or even what happens but I did have a very pleasant listening experience. I'm not sure what to do with that but I guess it's something.
Edit Review

Pluralities by Avi Silver and narrated by Avi Silver is a fascinating, original and unique exploration of gender and the self. Very well written, sweet, insightful and intuitive. Made even more enjoyable by the author narrating the book. Fab

Thank you to NetGalley, Atthis Arts and Avi Silver for this ALC. My review is left vountarily and all opinions are my own

I really loved this short novella. The story is told in a dual POV, but both stories are exploring gender identity and what it means to exist with a body. On one side we have a mall employee “she” as they explore what it means to be trans/nonbinary in a world evenly divided between he and she identities and breaking away from that mindset to find gender euphoria. On the other side we follow Cornelius a renegade space prince as he explores the world with Bo, his sentient space ship. I think if you come into this story wanting a literal space opera with a strong plot you’re in the wrong spot, that’s now what Avi is trying to do here. This is a study on gender, on the body, and existing in the world during two journeys of self discovery. There is no true ending because there is no end to self discovery. I thought it was beautiful and would recommend this short audiobook, read by the author, to anyone.

Thank you to Victory Editing, Avi Silver, and NetGalley for the audio arc of this novella in exchange for an honest review.

I read this during Pride month and absolutely loved it. While I explicitly focus on Queer and LGBTQIA+ books during Pride month, don't forget to read queer all year.

I loved this book. It was fantastic in ways I really wasn't expecting and I thought it was unique and was completely unexpected. I plan on reading more from this author because I had wanted to read things by them for a while. I loved how the book end explored gender and the dual timelines. It was interesting and sometimes jarring in a unique and pleasant way and I definitely loved the audio but also want to add the physical book to my collection.

This wonderful little book is a beautiful and important look at gender identity with a great cosmic element that leaves you feeling hopeful. Great narration by the author too!

The book is a mix of slipstream and space adventure, exploring themes of identity and change. The dual narrative contrasts the lives of a tired retail worker on Earth and an alien prince in a distant galaxy. Their paths cross in an interesting way, blending body and mind and challenging their identities.

The idea is great, but the execution could be smoother. Some parts of the story are a bit disconnected, and the character development could be better.

Overall, it's a good read for those interested in LGBTQIAP+ book and speculative fiction though it may not appeal to everyone.

I loved this book and the narrator is amazing. I was confused at the beginning but as I read the book, things made sense. I loved the parallels between space and figuring out your identity as well as the mourning of what could have been. The story is is told with so much care and reflection that you feel the characters emotion. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Avi

I usually don’t enjoy contemporary SFF, but the snarky tone and characters of the retail worker storyline made me prefer it. The connection between stories isn’t spelled out for you and, in the end, I felt something was missing from the prince’s part.

With prose just as beautiful as the cover, Pluralities is a must read for anyone who’s looking for a take on the trans experience not focused on gender dysphoria and the “born-in-the-wrong-body” narrative.

The story all-in-all was beautifully written, and that it was an audiobook read by the author gave it an additional nuance to it.
I really loved these powerful voices of two narratives.

We get to know two parallel stories which are in some way connected, but not exactly. Sometimes they were a metaphor to each other. I loved the self-exploratory, fighting with norms and self importance of the whole book and it was nice to get into someone's head who tried to figure out what is happening with their identity and everything around them.

For me the most interesting part was when our main character is fighting with who to trust and what can be shared, which is most definitely a common issue for a lot of people nowadays.

I am a huge Science Fiction fan, so to have that genre a big part of it added more than I thought so. We see important topics, hardships in life, a fantastic writing style, good narration and Sicence Fiction. This thing was rich, I definitely want to read from Avi Silver again! Thank you for the experience.

I adored Pluralities, listening through its entirety in one sitting. This dual-narrative novella is reflective and thought-provoking, and I was sped through my reading experience by Silver's own narration - their vocal is crisp and engaging. However, although I was completely drawn in by both narrative threads (and really intrigued by the more sci-fi of the two), it did feel that some aspects of world-building were missing. Things such as the stamps, for example, serve a symbolic purpose but aren't explored in a fictional sense. That said, I really enjoyed this, and will be seeking out more of Avi Silver's works.

Pluralities is a piece of speculative fiction with dual narratives; we follow an alien prince and a retail worker both on their own journeys looking for their identities and purpose. Avi Silver's prose is truly beautiful and it feels like a journey alongside a friend.

Whilst Pluralities is a short audio book, it packs a punch with the themes of self discovery and gender identity. And furthermore, whilst both stories don't necessarily intertwine; the themes present in both tie them together in an interesting and broader way.

Thanks to Netgalley, Atthis Arts, and Avi Silver for the ARC audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio of this one! The narration was done by the author, which is always awesome! Other than a couple little tonal things when chapters switched, it all sounded great.

Pluralities is a journey of identity, self discovery, and the search for inner peace. The main character, sometimes referred to by her mother as just ‘SHE’, wears her she stamp and goes to work every day until one day, the burnout and desire for more becomes far too much to bear. A lucky car ride home from the boy from the froyo stand changes everything.

The novella features another POV, which is a galactic space prince gone rogue and his sentient ship. He wants to be an adventurer, to forge his own path, and to not be held by the confines of his family. And while this did confuse me a bit (I wasn’t expecting it), I loved that the two stories were perfectly paralleled.

This does include a sex scene, which is typically not my bag, however this is a scene of awakening and discovery. It’s about feeling, imagining, becoming more. And while I can’t completely understand or empathize, I thought it was done exceptionally well.

‘SHE’ has never felt like one, she doesn’t think she’s truly a woman. And after this awakening, they still don’t truly know what they are or what they desire to be, but that’s okay. I loved the inclusion of someone further along their own path being included to tenderly be there for all the ups and downs.

If you’re looking for a resource that does a great job of explaining the feeling, the why, and even the lack of why that people feel while discovering their gender or personhood, this describes it very well.

This was absolutely fantastic. A brilliantly imaginative, nuanced exploration of gender through a blend of one classic sci-fi adventure and one close look at a character's relationship with their very binarised society. The synopsis called one MC's discovery a "grand exit from womanhood" and this perfectly sums up what happens. It's no small thing for them to discover they're nonbinary, and the narrative gives it the gravity and poignancy it deserves. The two POVs run in parallel and don't converge, but both characters' storylines sit effortlessly next to one another, their questions and journeys to understand their identities complimenting and contrasting each other. This novella also contains some of the best writing I've read in a long, long time. Just phenomenal.

Short and powerful novella, switching between the coming out story of a nonbinary retail worker and the travels of a space prince and his living ship, all fitting a theme of finding your identity among loved ones who give you the space to figure it out, not forcing the words out of you, but lovingly guiding you to what you know is true for yourself. Absolutely gorgeous writing.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6628209957?book_show_action=false

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/e1451e24-aacc-4aba-9413-272216d02856

Check out this review of Pluralities on Fable. https://fable.co/review/f91b2567-42b5-4c40-b2fd-ca1738ee019c/share