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A review by pushingdessy
Severance by Ling Ma
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a really unique novel. It's a dystopian, nighmarish scenario, but told in the pacing and narrative structure of litfic, so even though there are horror elements, it’s not scary, just reflective and melancholic. While it wasn’t a 5⭐ read for me, I get it.
For some reason I’m thinking of “Exciting times”, a book that I profoundly disliked but that was touted as representative of the Millennial generation, except, after reading it, it felt mostly derogative. “Severance”, however, feels more authentic.
We see Candace’s life as the daughter of Chinese immigrants who uprooted her and their lives for the USAmerican dream; her struggles as she tries to live up to her parents' expectations; her grief at the loss of her family; her dedication to a job that doesn’t really fulfill her but pays the bills and spares her from the rest of the experience of living; the way it becomes her last stand as the plague takes over New York. All those points of severance, threatening to untether her from herself, unravel in a dual timeline, before the pandemic and in the aftermath of the devastation. Obviously this context is doubly-poignant when you read it after (during?) our own most recent global pandemic, even with the dystopian factor. At times it felt like two separate stories -severed, in fact- but, slowly, everything connects.
While I didn’t find this to be mind-blowing, it was a really nice, thoughtful read. Two more things I have to say:
1- LOVE that someone was making dulce de leche in the apocalypse 🥹
2- HATE the description of a penis as a slimy, veiny sea cucumber, why the FUCK was in there 😭
(Also, the cover design is so subtly brilliant in context? Packaged like a book proof, with the mould peeking through a crack. Amazing.)
For some reason I’m thinking of “Exciting times”, a book that I profoundly disliked but that was touted as representative of the Millennial generation, except, after reading it, it felt mostly derogative. “Severance”, however, feels more authentic.
We see Candace’s life as the daughter of Chinese immigrants who uprooted her and their lives for the USAmerican dream; her struggles as she tries to live up to her parents' expectations; her grief at the loss of her family; her dedication to a job that doesn’t really fulfill her but pays the bills and spares her from the rest of the experience of living; the way it becomes her last stand as the plague takes over New York. All those points of severance, threatening to untether her from herself, unravel in a dual timeline, before the pandemic and in the aftermath of the devastation. Obviously this context is doubly-poignant when you read it after (during?) our own most recent global pandemic, even with the dystopian factor. At times it felt like two separate stories -severed, in fact- but, slowly, everything connects.
While I didn’t find this to be mind-blowing, it was a really nice, thoughtful read. Two more things I have to say:
1- LOVE that someone was making dulce de leche in the apocalypse 🥹
2- HATE the description of a penis as a slimy, veiny sea cucumber, why the FUCK was in there 😭
(Also, the cover design is so subtly brilliant in context? Packaged like a book proof, with the mould peeking through a crack. Amazing.)