A uniquely suffocating story of the apocalypse, where two elderly sisters have subsisted for decades on habit and fearful memories of their mother. WhA uniquely suffocating story of the apocalypse, where two elderly sisters have subsisted for decades on habit and fearful memories of their mother. When a boy arrives out of the emptiness of the world, their bonds begin to fracture. Will this destroy their garden home? And if it does, are they losing a sanctuary or fleeing a prison?
I particularly loved how perceptions of the characters -- and it's such a small cast, essentially being two sisters, their deceased parents, and a boy that is more catalyst than person -- shift and change as the story progresses. Some data comes from flashbacks, but others arise as breaking from stasis allows more thoughts and more words from each sister....more
This book takes you to a dark place -- but it's not dark like war or murder or any number of events that feel far off to most. This is the darkness thThis book takes you to a dark place -- but it's not dark like war or murder or any number of events that feel far off to most. This is the darkness that many of us spin for ourselves. We doubt ourselves, we second guess ourselves, we hide from the things that love us... And sometimes it just all feels like too much. For Nora "too much" lasts too long and, at the beginning of the novel, she decides there's no point in feeling anything anymore.
However, instead of feeling nothing, her suicide attempt takes her to a library full of the lives she could have lived had she made different choices. While not all these lives are happy, each has something to show her -- whether it's that the "right" choice can have unexpected consequences or that sometimes you're too close to an issue to see it properly. I don't know how to write this review in such a way that even though this sounds very twee and standard for a heartwarming tale -- it is, after all, the same basic conceit as "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Run Lola Run" or any other number of tales -- this novel is incredibly moving. Yes, it takes you pretty much where you'd expect it to, but the journey works so well that the emotional payoff is perfect....more
Emrys continues to write beautifully about a diverse cast of characters and cosmic horrors that are much more "human" than we'd expect from their appeEmrys continues to write beautifully about a diverse cast of characters and cosmic horrors that are much more "human" than we'd expect from their appearance. I loved and the exploration of what an "I'm right" -- with no room for discussion -- type group mentality can do and the problems they can generate. Really, Emrys explores the mental states of so many different kinds of people and how those can clash or meld so well. I think she may write the most nuanced characters I've read in fantasy recently. Once again, the story is slower than some may like, but I actually count that a strength of the novel. The pacing allows the relationships to be explored thoroughly, and I think that's exactly what makes these novels so good. I dearly hope the series continues for a long while. ...more