Ahoy there me mateys!  This week is the inadvertent novella week as this will be the first of three.  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

Title: finna

Author: Nino Cipri

Publisher: Tor.com

Publication Date: Tomorrow! (paperback/ebook)

ISBN: 978-1250245731

Source: NetGalley

This novella answers the question about what would happen if a wormhole opened up in Ikea, I mean, LitenVärld (copyright issues!).  In this short but fun #ownvoices story, a grandmother wanders through the portal to another universe and gets lost.  Two employees have been tasked to find her . . . only they just broke up a week ago and are barely speaking.

The premise is awesome but I wasn't sure at first if I was going like this one.  The humor style took some getting used to and had quite a few pop culture references at the start.  Some of it entertained me like how each LitenVärld furniture room set-up had a nickname like "Nihilist Bachelor Room."  Other parts could be sarcastic but kinda felt painful and mean-spirited.  It was an odd juxtaposition but I got the hang of it.  Having worked in retail (ugh!) I could relate to commentary of working for a soulless corporation with arbitrary rules and conformity issues.

The heart of the story lies with the two main characters, Ava and Jules, and how they are coping with the end of their romantic relationship.  It really does capture the feel of knowing that a partnership has to end but still struggling with conflicting emotions about the transition.  It doesn't help when ye be working at a job ye hate and seemingly have nowhere to go.  It was interesting to read about a very unhealthy relationship between two otherwise nice people.

The major complaint I have about this one is that it was actually too short.  The relationship between Jules and Ava was excellent and obviously the main point of the story but I would have liked more world building.  I loved why the wormholes appeared and how the corporation dealt with them.  The commentary about diversity and relationships was excellent but I couldn't help but want more details about the strange lands.  The handful of other worlds felt lightly sketched in.

No regrets here at all though.  I will certainly be looking for Cirpri's next work.

So lastly . . .

Thank ye Tor.com!

Check out Matey Tammy's review where she says:

"I was happy to find, however, that this story is more than just a fluffy, fun romp through universes. Cipri gives us an interesting love story as well—and when I say “interesting,” I mean that a lot of stories don’t tackle that awkward phase in a relationship where it seems to be over, yet both parties are struggling to turn it into something else, something new. Ava and Jules may have fallen out of love, but as most of us know, it’s just not that simple. It takes a couple of wormholes and a very wise ship’s captain to show Ava that perhaps there is life after a break-up, and the author does this in such a wonderful way."

Finna is a whirlwind adventure set in a shocking environment. Written by Nino Cipri, this piece of speculative science fiction makes heavy use of wormholes, multiple dimensions, and the humbling nature that is minimum wage life.

This novella takes a swipe at capitalism, all under the guise of science fiction and entertainment. It’s a hilarious tale, yet carries with it several important messages, as well as a debate or two. Add in some brilliant representation and a touch of horror, and you’ve got yourself a unique and diverting read. Oh! And did I mention the pirates?

Ava and Jules are just two ordinary minimum wage employees, stuck at a major store known for their confusing layouts. Okay, perhaps they’re not exactly ordinary. The adventure they’re about to take is certainly anything but.

When a wormhole opens up in one of the departments, it’s up to the two lowest ranking members of the store to dive in and retrieve the lost customer. After all, it’s what a good employee does. And it protects the business.

“We’re here to tell you what to do if a wormhole opens up on your shift!

Oh my goodness. Finna was such an insane and entertaining read! I loved every minute of it. Actually, I read it twice before I even considered sitting down to write this review. And I had to resist the urge to read it a third time.

So it is safe to say that I loved Finna. It was a scathing take on conglomerations and corporations. Yet it was highly satisfying to see. Especially all wrapped up in science fiction and humor. The tone of this novella was undoubtedly set by the snark and sass found within these pages.

Honestly? This book had a little bit of everything, in just the right proportions. It was social commentary. It was science fiction. It was inter-dimensional space travel. It was a breakup story. It was a tale of friendship. It was representation. And it was full of aliens and pirates. Really, what more could you ask for?

Along with being a totally unique read, it was also beautifully written. Nino Cipri is an author worth checking out. I know I’ll be adding their entire backlog to my TBR list, once I’m done writing this review. I absolutely adore their sense of humor, as well as their sense of adventure and character building.

The nitty-gritty: Wormholes, a missing grandmother, relationship drama and even some eldritch god horror infuse this short and lively novella with excitement and heart.

Finna was a lot of wacky fun, with some surprisingly thoughtful emotional moments and commentary on identity. I wasn’t sure all these disparate elements would mesh together, but by the end of the story I was completely convinced. Nino Cipri is a nonbinary author, and they have written an insightful, #ownvoices story dealing with the challenges of navigating through life in a world where many people don’t understand how hurtful some labels can be. This is also a story about wormholes and multiple universes and takes place in an IKEA-like big box store, so don’t be scared off by any perceived heavy content, because heavy this is not.

Ava and Jules just broke up, but unfortunately they still work together at big box store LitenVärld. One day as Ava is filling in for another coworker on her day off and trying to avoid running into Jules, an elderly customer goes missing in the store. Management seems to know exactly what’s happened and calls a meeting to inform the LitenVärld employees that a “maskhål,” or wormhole, has opened up in the store and the customer has most likely wandered through it. Because Ava and Jules are the two employees with the least seniority, they are “volunteered” to enter the wormhole and find Ursula, the missing customer. Armed with a strange device called a FINNA—which supposedly will lead them to Ursula—Ava and Jules set out on a wild adventure full of alternate universes, killer furniture and elder gods who demand payment in blood. Along the way, they try to work out their differences and get some sage advice from a ship’s captain who just might be another version of the missing Ursula.

I couldn’t help but compare this story to Grady Hendrix’s Horrorstör, which is another tale set in an IKEA-like store where lots of bad things happen. Luckily, Cipri has a completely different take on the idea, and I enjoyed this so much. The idea of wormholes connecting the different display rooms in LitenVärld was so clever, and trust me when I say I’m going to be very careful next time I visit IKEA and wander through the store! I loved the idea of the FINNA, the device that can “find” missing people. It’s sort of a steampunk contraption that comes complete with instructions for use in every language EXCEPT the one you speak--and of course, a handy pictograph section as well, just like the ones for putting IKEA furniture together. And I love how Cipri pokes fun at how easy it is to get lost in the store, which explains why there are so many wormholes in LitenVärld. It all made sense in a crazy way!

I was happy to find, however, that this story is more than just a fluffy, fun romp through universes. Cipri gives us an interesting love story as well—and when I say “interesting,” I mean that a lot of stories don’t tackle that awkward phase in a relationship where it seems to be over, yet both parties are struggling to turn it into something else, something new. Ava and Jules may have fallen out of love, but as most of us know, it’s just not that simple. It takes a couple of wormholes and a very wise ship’s captain to show Ava that perhaps there is life after a break-up, and the author does this in such a wonderful way.

Cipri also did a great job of focusing on a nonbinary character who is, frankly, sick and tired of having to explain themselves. Despite the fact that Jules has pronoun information written on their LitenVärld name tag, customers are constantly misgendering them and their patience is wearing thin. Some of the dialog surrounding Jules’ ongoing frustration is really funny—”She managed to misgender me four times in two minutes”—but it’s that sad kind of funny where you just want to give Jules a hug. And Ava has anxiety, so there’s a bit of mental health rep in the story as well.

This was a quick read that I managed to finish in only a couple of hours, and that would be my only complaint—it just seemed too short. Finna is fast paced and jumps from place to place with barely any time for the reader to catch their breath. A lot of things are thrown into the mix to create a weird mish-mash of weirdness: man-eating furniture, a restaurant where you have to pay with your blood, a Lovecraftian god called “Mother” who might be trying to destroy the world, and lots more. I have to admit all these elements together sort of made my head spin and I think a little more time with each one would have made the transitions smoother. 

But overall this was so much fun. Cipri has a biting sense of humor, the kind I love, but they also know when to inject their story with heart and emotion. I would be very interested to see what the author can do with a novel-length story, so here’s hoping Nino Cipri is hard at work on their next project!

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Ava and Jules are sales associates at an IKEA-like store, and they have just broken off their relationship. The first day they see each other at work again, an elderly shopper wanders into a wormhole that has opened in one of their showrooms. Naturally, Ava and Jules are selected to travel the multiverse together to find her.

FINNA is only about 100 pages long, but it packs a whole lot into those pages. It's hilarious while also taking aim at capitalism, and it's effortlessly diverse in terms of gender, sexuality, and race.

The parallel universes Ava and Jules find themselves in are wonderfully inventive, and the post-breakup arguments and conversations between them are heartbreakingly real. FINNA is full of love, action, and sticking it to the man.

I do wish it was longer! I would have loved to spend more time on a few things referenced in passing, particularly Ava's anxiety and depression. I'm definitely looking forward to picking up HOMESICK, Cipri's collection of short stories from 2019.

I enjoyed this novella -- it was different from what I normally read. It takes place in a store called LitenVäld, a loosely veiled Ikea, complete with confusing and generic layouts. An elderly woman goes missing into another dimension and 2 workers, Ava and Jules (who have recently broken up) are tasked with finding her. Amazing concept!

The relationship between Ava and Jules is really well done -- the reader feels the awkwardness between this newly broken up couple and how there are still tender feelings beneath the upset. The homogeneous Idea backdrop was a perfect foil for the non-binary character and young people questioning their lives.

Then there was the whole traveling to parallel universes, populated by person eating chairs, drones, or swashbuckling grandmother types.

This is a great read if you are looking for something different and fast that will hook you with adventure, social questions, and interesting characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

I have a confession to make: The reason why I picked up Finna is because, growing up on the south side of Chicago, kids around my neighborhood used the word “finna” all the time (I finna go to the store, you need anything?). The novella Finna, written by Nino Cipri, has nothing to do with Black slang, but is a story about second chances and multiverses that also pokes fun at big box stores. So it’s still a win for me.

Read the full review at the link below.

What fun! Finna is a story about wormholes opening up in an Ikea-like superstore, and it's also a story about relationships and heartbreak and healing. And did I mention the WORMHOLES in IKEA? This novella is fast-paced and funny, with quirky, snappy dialogue and weird as hell alternate universes. In a Swedish furniture store! Really a blast -- check it out!

FINNA by Nino Cipri is an amusing novella set in a thinly veiled Ikea store in the US. It features wormholes to parallel universes, and two employees who recently broke up and have not yet worked through the awkward post-breakup period.

When an elderly customer at a big box furniture store slips through a portal to another dimension, it’s up to two minimum-wage employees to track her across the multiverse and protect their company’s bottom line. Multi-dimensional swashbuckling would be hard enough, but our two unfortunate souls broke up a week ago.

Can friendship blossom from the ashes of a relationship? In infinite dimensions, all things are possible.

I really enjoyed FINNA. As is my habit, I had forgotten what it was about (aside from thinking that it was vaguely Scandinavian which it was, emphasis on the vaguely). The opening of the book sets the scene with a focus on the protagonist’s general misery from her retail job and more specific misery from her recent breakup. It gave me just enough time to wonder what the speculative fiction element was going to be before introducing the wormholes. Then it turned into a fun and slightly absurd adventure story as Ava and Jules are forced to go on a rescue mission.

Since this is a relatively short read, I'm not sure there's very much more I can say without skirting spoilers, so I will leave you with one final opinion. I really liked that this wasn't a romance story. Ava and Jules were a couple, now they're not and the story arc is absolutely not about them getting back together. I'm not sure I've come across this as a central focus of a spec fic book before. I highly approve of the depiction of healthy non-romantic relationships in books.

I highly recommend FINNA if you enjoy universe hopping and/or slightly absurd science fiction. Or if you hate Ikea (personally, I don't get the Ikea hate, but whatever). I will certainly be keeping an eye on other books and stories I come across by Cipri.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: February 2020, Tor.com (coming 25/2)
Series: I don't think so
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

My first thought on reading about this book was it would be a bit like Grady Hendrix's Horrorstör - a humorous horror takedown of Capitalism and retail "culture" through the lens of our most favorite-to-hate Swedish retailer - and I was only half wrong. This book is about the unquiet horror of capitalism, yes, but it's also a poignant and hopeful take on identity, family, and the paths we choose - or sometimes seize - for ourselves..
When an elderly customer goes missing, Ava is volun-told to team up with her recent ex, Jules, to find and retrieve her. What follows is a series of laugh-out-loud retail moments, squirming, living wormholes, and an exploration of time and space that shows you just how far - and how close - home can be.
I hesitate to say more because this is such a tight, excellently plotted novella and to reveal too much - while it couldn't possibly spoil its charm - might spoil its delightful surprises. If you like stories that are queer to their bones, sweet as a sunrise, and just a little scary, then you will love this novella.

Finna by Nino Cipri is an entertaining and intriguing look at our capitalist society and personal relationships. While working in an Ikea-like store, Ava is called in to work to cover for an ill coworker. Ava has no desire to work a shift that will force to work alongside her ex-partner Jules and has gone out of her way to avoid it as much as possible. When a young woman approaches her at the customer service desk about her missing grandmother, Ava is sent off to search for the elderly woman. Turns out, the woman has entered a worm-hole like phenomenon. When Ava and Jules learn that these pop up all the time in the store due to the unique way that the stores are designed, they are less than thrilled to have *to enter the wormhole and search for the woman. As they search for the missing grandmother, the two encounter alternate worlds and too many chances to dissect their broken relationship.
This was a fascinating and unique story that pulls you in from the first page. I loved the snarky names for the different showrooms within the store and how the story doesn't take itself too seriously. The alternate universes were a dark look at capitalism and how we are willing to pay in anything to get cheap home items and food court meals.
Highly recommend this title and would love to see it turned into a tv series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Rating: 8.5/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Finna in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this eARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

Multi-dimensional portal opens up in IKEA-like store that leads to a lionhearted adventure between two (2) low-waged co-workers who just broke things off. Oh, and did I mention they are going after someone’s grandma who just happened upon said portal? What more do you need?

Like a majority of Tor.com’s novellas, Finna can easily be finished in one to two sittings, depending on how well you become ingrained in the source material. Weighing in at approx 144 pages, it isn’t going to beat you over the head with complex prose or exposition. What you will find is a fun and engaging read with heavy emotions, sassy characters, and an ending that opens up so many more possibilities.

Going in and never having heard of Nino Cipri, I definitely had my hesitations, but after getting used to the writing style, use of pronouns, and the direction in which the story was headed, I was all for it. Definitely recommend this for those who enjoy portal fantasy or multi-dimensional sci-fi reads.

A flytrap chair, dozens of cra-cra clones, and portals into the multiverse…

Ava and Jules are chasing a grandmother who has stumbled through the breach… The freshly broken-up queer couple take a futuro-compass into the void that has appeared in the middle of their build-your-own Swedish furniture store. Steeped in bureaucratic corporate culture, relationship possibilities, and a good dose of wanderlust, Finna took me to a funny, exotic place. A place where I was able to contemplate the capitalism of box stores and the boxes we put people inside. It may be pronouns or ‘lovers’ or ‘friends,’ this short, yet powerful novella made me think.

Cipri has the deft skill of weaving characterization into their plotting. I loved the banter, but that sarcasm does cut. Humorous and biting. Spend an afternoon or morning or night in this author’s wickedly wacky world. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Books, and the author for an advanced copy.

** I received an ARC through Netgalley in return for an honest review**
Short Answer: I need this to be a full-length novel and Netflix Original TV Show
Longer Answer: Finna is a novella that seems to contradict itself in being simultaneously very unrealistic and unrealistic.
Plot wise, this story is bonkers sci-fi at its best: social criticism wrapped in a layer of hilariously weird-but-smart settings and world-building. A portal sci-fi in a non-copyright-Ikea-equivalent. Even trying to explain the plot to others is a bit of a hit-and-miss (you might get weird looks but if you're talking to a fellow sci-fi and fantasy fan they're probably going to be as excited as you).
On the personal level this is a very realistic and well-rounded story: the relatability of post-breakup awkwardness, the evils of capitalism, complex emotions, and non-binary people.

Big-hearted and wacky, without being too silly. This was a perfect blend of everything - sci-fi, queerness, capitalism critique, and adventure. The characters were wonderful, and though the novella length was great for this story, I want to spend more time with them. Highly recommend.

When an elderly customer at a Swedish big box furniture store — but not that one — slips through a portal to another dimension, it’s up to two minimum-wage employees to track her across the multiverse and protect their company’s bottom line. Multi-dimensional swashbuckling would be hard enough, but those two unfortunate souls broke up a week ago. To find the missing granny, Ava and Jules will brave carnivorous furniture, swarms of identical furniture spokespeople, and the deep resentment simmering between them. Can friendship blossom from the ashes of their relationship? In infinite dimensions, all things are possible.

Finna by Nino Cipri is an all new favorite for me. Even though it's still only midway through the month of January I think this will be one of the best reads of 2020. The author's style and sense of humor is right up my alley. If you're looking for an epic and diverse sci-fi novella that you will want to devour in one afternoon, this is a perfect place to start. It was marvelous getting to spend time with Ava and Jules, but Captain Uzmala Nouresh was easily my favorite character. This novella is short and sweet, but it's more than worth your time.

Overall, if you're a fan of Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, and even Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix, I can't recommend picking up Finna enough. I need to see more of this multiverse and these characters in the future - and they could be doing anything at all just so we get to see them all again. I can't wait to see what Nino Cipri does next.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novella!

Rating: 4.5 stars
Rep: f/non-binary relationship, POC MC and MC with mental illness (anxiety & depression).

As someone who doesn't tend to reach for a lot of sci-fi, I was a little apprehensive to pick this up. But after I found out it had such good rep, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read it and I'm so glad I did!

I adored the main characters, I loved their connection and especially all the tension! The world-building, while a little confusing at times, worked really well. I haven't read many multiverse books before, so it was really fascinating to read about different worlds and different possibilities.

I finished this novella in one sitting, a "chapter before bed" turned into an all-night binge because I couldn't put this down! The writing style was amazing and I can't wait to read more by this author. (I would love more books with Jules and Ava because I loved them so much and I need to see where their story goes!)

Overall, I highly recommend checking out this novella if you like sci-fi, multiverse and diverse characters. The story is at times funny, hooking and also heartfelt. I won't hesitate to pick up more by this author in the future!

This is a fun, anti-capitalist, wonderfully queer, light sci-fi adventure novella and I'm all about it. It's like NBC's Superstore meets Grady Hendrix's Horrorstör, but FINNA has its own unique style. You've got wormholes and multiverses, danger and discovery, humor and heart. I would have been thrilled to read a slightly longer book that fleshed out the characters a little bit more, but this shorter format worked great, too. I raced through this book right along with Jules and Ava, and I'm rushing off to read more by Nino Cipri.

I daresay that a lot of people who visit a certain Swedish home store feel overwhelmed and lost as they wander from set piece to set piece before they finally find their way out, hours later. At LitenVäld, a similar gigantic operation that serves as the setting for Nino Cipri’s highly entertaining Finna, customers and employees who become lost in the store run the risk of walking through wormholes to LitenVälds in other universes.

Ava and Jules (who have recently broken up) are beginning one of the most challenging and dangerous days in their careers at LitenVäld. Both of them hate their jobs at the hyper-capitalistic corporation and loathe the way that all of the room sets clash with each other. (Ava and Jules have their own names for these rooms, like Nihilistic Bachelor Pad.) Ava is also trying to avoid Jules because it hurts too much to see them (Jules uses they/them pronouns) and remember their arguments. They might have been able to cope with their problems if it hadn’t been for the grandmother who got lost through a wormhole. Jules and a reluctant Ava are dispatched to bring her back. Failing that, they are to bring back an approximate representation of the missing grandmother from somewhere in the multiverse.

Finna is a short book that breezes by as Ava and Jules are almost eaten by furniture and hive clones while they stubbornly search for the lost grandmother. Along the way, the weirdness is grounded by Ava reprising some of her arguments with Jules. The relationship between the two seems so real that it was easy to roll with the weirder parts of the novel. It also kept me guessing about what would happen between the two of them if they managed to achieve their objective and survive the dangers of the bizarre universes they travel through.

I really liked this little gem of a story and I am already making a mental list of readers I want to recommend it to. Readers who like their stories a little bit off the wall, original, but featuring believable characters should run, not walk, to pick up a copy of Finna.

This was such an entertaining science fiction novella that bought it elements of horror with some dangerous furniture. Yet despite the goofy synopsis, this was a surprisingly heartfelt story. I only expected a fun, light hearted adventure, but I honestly didn’t think I would love the story as I much as I did.

First, the IKEA-like setting was fantastic. The story reminded me a bit of Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix in how it explores the pains of retail employment. I also really appreciated reading about a non-binary character because it is an area of the LGBT+ community that I don’t see represented in most of the fiction that I read. I felt that the conversations surrounding identity and misgendering really added to the depth of the narrative. Overall, I really liked the characters and found myself becoming quite attached. I thought the ending was excellent and I will definitely re-read this one.

I would highly recommend this one to readers looking for a kooky sciene fiction horror with some excellent diverse characters and emotional story.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy from the publisher, Tor.com

How would you like be stuck in a search across multiple timelines all leading to big box stores with the partner you'd just split up with? Nino Cipri's new novella will haunt your next visit to IKEA, though the flat-pack furniture store in it is carefully named something else. You'll find the hidden paths, furniture tableaus, and reasonably priced food court you know from the blue and yellow flat-pack giant, plus wormholes to parallel worlds with "carnivorous furniture", bloodthirsty hive cultures, and more. IT's a queer mashup of Heinlein's Man Who Built a Crooked House, Sliders, and a cutting commentary on capitalism that Douglas Adams would have been proud of.