Some of the characters were unbelievable, but overall, a thrilling adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed this story for its unpredictable story and the unique view of life in America.

I think the title made me think the novel would be more about sorrow and grief, which the book definitely covers, but as the novel progresses, and our main character, 15-year-old Vern, a black albino, discovers she has superhuman strengths, the novel turns much darker. The novel begins with Vern pregnant with twins, escaping the religious compound where she was raised, and tortured physically, sexually, and emotionally, so she hides in a forest where she is hunted by spirits and demons, real or not, that she brutally eliminates, mainly keeping her young twins safe. In the beginning, the pace was slower, and we watched Vern leave behind her twins sleeping soundly while she pursued romance with Ollie, a woman she met out in the woods whose cabin wasn't too far from where Vern was hiding, and as she spends more time with Ollie, she realizes she's one of the evil people hunting her down, and then the pace of the novel picks up dramatically, and at times the prose weakens as Vern's supernatural strengths increase, and I felt a bit more disconnected with the parts I enjoyed more that involved learning about the Lakota women who rescue her, the systematic racism that her religious compound was trying to free them from, and the raising of her two young sons on her own. I get the feeling this novel will not only be read by many, but may be one of those novels that become a film.

I'm regrettably DNFing this one, even though I loved the writing style. I found myself confused more often than not, though Vern is feeling that way as well. I think that my expectations for this book were that it would be more thriller and less horror and so at 50% of the way through, I'm setting it down.

I enjoyed The Deep and was expecting Sorrowland to be similar in its tone and shape. Sorrowland, however, was far darker than I had anticipated it would be. It tackles huge issues, including systemic racism, homophobia, religious cults, domestic violence, rape, and more, and doesn't provide many answers (or at least any satisfactory ones). Ultimately I found it to be well-written and well-structured; but I didn't like it, if that makes sense. Certainly it was worth reading as a follow-up to The Deep. I do plan to pick up Solomon's next work whenever it is available.

Vern, a black albino girl, is pregnant. Considering how the world is cruel to people of color, all Vern wanted was to raise her child in a peaceful environment. She had experienced the worst and want nothing but the best for her coming off springs. So she went into the woods and gave birth to a beautiful twin. Everything was going well but the people won`t stop coming for her and now that she is with her twins, She is willing to do everything she can to
protect those two. Filled with rage and hatred towards the people that mistreated her. She became something beyond what she can comprehend. Being hunted like a wild animal is not what she wanted her children to experience. A horror that can happen to anyone.

Is there a time that cruelty doesn`t exist? If it does exist, people living in that timeline were so lucky. Cruelty is just one thing that is happening in this story. There are quite a few if we list them down and some are a delicate topic but tackled carefully and precisely. You can be bothered by a lot of things in this book but I chose not to. I chose to be amazed at how pretty the story was. On how the story was made from those nightmares. It is one epic and tragic story.

Sorrowland quickly draws you in. This is not a genre I typically gravitate towards, but the characters made me give it a chance. I was not disappointed.

I will be very surprised if this isn’t one of the most popular releases this year, I can see this being buzzed about 100%. A true genre mashup that really succeeds in what it is doing.

Rivers Solomon can tell a story and make it feel so real and tangible to the reader. I felt like I was in the woods surviving with these characters, felt like I was running with these characters to an unknown future.

This story is absolutely stunning — with so many threads and themes to be analyzed. I love Vern and her babes so so much, I did not want the book to end and can see myself coming back to this story to spend time with them. This takes its place as my 1st favorite of the year, soooooo good!!

Thank you to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Wow - Just Wow!

While it's not fair to compare, I was a bit concerned because while I loved An Unkindness of Ghosts, I really wasn't a fan of The Deep - even though it had a great premise and execution. So I was truly hoping this novel would meet or exceed my expectations because my interest was again piqued by the synopsis and my appreciation of the author's writing style and storytelling ability.

I wasn't disappointed - Solomon's story takes us to a world that eerily mimics our own with an eye for its natural beauty and its human shortcomings. This is a fantastical tale rooted in reality borrowing from humanity's shameful past with non-consensual medical experimentation, segregation, and an examination of the influence and abuse of a socio-political-nationalist-religious cult. There are also subtle challenges to conventional thoughts on gender and sexuality; exploring aspects of Native American cultural beliefs surrounding the topics. A personal favorite touch were the homages to Baldwin, Hughes, Le Guin and other literary greats.

At its core is a young mother who escapes from a guarded compound into the surrounding forest to birth and raise her children. We witness her struggle with past/generational traumas (her own and others) via recurring hallucinations that are breathtakingly real. She also struggles with an unknown debilitating physical transformation amid a fight for survival from a beast who is both hunting and haunting her. The journey and resolution regarding her quest for answers surrounding the cult, its leaders, her friends, and family was truly a page-turning experience.

Vern escaped a cult-like commune, yet sinister circumstances continued to surround her. It took me a while to understand what was happening. Once I did, the story was horrifying in a way that I couldn't stop reading. At times, especially at the end, it was a bit too gory for my liking. Still, the writing was sensorial and enthralling.

Holy goddamn fuck, Rivers Solomon. Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC! Five out of five stars, absolutely.

I have only read faer's The Deep before, so while I thought I was somewhat ready to understand that I would be having a total Experience that I was not ready for. Technically, that was correct, but I had massively underestimate the journey I'd be reading in on.

This was a masterwork of a story. Vern is determined, moving through whatever she can, though she's been faced through such hardship. She starts at fifteen and heavily pregnant, running through the woods away from her husband and Cainland, She's young, young in a way that she seemingly forgets throughout much of the book-- she's fifteen only, sixteen, and so on. While Vern looks past her age to take care of her children, to do what must be done, her age is never forgotten in smaller asides and moments-- it hasn't been that much time since she was married off, since she was young and playing with her friend Lucy, who she seeks out.

Vern gains both allies and enemies, one of which floors me because she was there all along! The reveal was agonizing, and the character is so much set up against another, who made so many different choices. Vern's allies, on the other hand are fantastic as well. Invaluable and spectacular, they're vivid characters who are not to be missed.

Solomon's style of writing is incredible, blunt and descriptive and cutting. It strikes hard, burrowing deep, and catching the mind, forcing it to stay. It truly helps the flow of the story, in different tenses, in time-skips, in emotions and in pain, and even in body horror/squick. Horror is not downplayed, simply there and present, caught in Solomon's fantastic prose. This book will certainly stay in my mind for ages!

3.5 stars. This was unlike anything I've ever read. It's hard to describe, but I'll try my best.

Vern is a pregnant fifteen year old, running away from the religious cult she grew up in. She gives birth to twins and hides in the woods as she navigates motherhood and the trauma from her experiences. As she raises her children in the wild, she starts to notice changes, where she starts to become.... something else.
There's three parts to the story. The first part is gripping, the second part slows down a bit and even loses itself a tad before amping back up the excitement, and then third part is the conclusion that I found to only be just okay. I loved Vern's spirit, her search for identity. But the pacing was a real struggle for me.
However, it does touch upon many important topics, it's imaginative, and the story itself is fascinating, and for that I recommend it.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This isn't a story but an experience! It is hard to describe how everything happening in this story is as realistic as it is magical. You would not expect things to be both old woman's tale and a non-fiction. Yet Rivers Solomon manages to give you a story of a government funded, totally racist, abusive. cult-like looking social and biological experiment within an area X style personal story of a mother.

Vern escaped from her cult like religious community right before she gave a birth. She thought that just like her dear friend she could find a life outside this place where she was an odd one out with her albinism. She wouldn't fit into the normal world because she was black, but she definitely did not fit into this community because her skin. As she spent more and more time in the woods where she learnt to fend for herself and her babies, she started to acknowledge that she should leave the woods and all of the hauntings happening in there to give a better life for her children. While she was making preparations, she started to see some changes on her body that she could not really understand. And boy.... you gotta read about those changes. Eventually she found a way to get her children out and reach Auntie that her best was talking about. This was supposed to be joyous moment for her, but what came next reshaped her whole existence

This has a lot of triggers in it: police rape, brutality, human experimenting, child abuse, racial profiling, abuse under the name of religion. government related conspiracy theories, homophobia, brainwashing and many many more... It's truly amazing that Solomon put all these piece together in a way that we ended up with a dashing story of a single young mother fighting for her babies and her family.

If you liked Annihilation for the sci-fi aspects of it, Sorrowland will appeal to you. And obviously if you like to read books on race, you'll definitely love this

Sorrowland is such a unique book. I have read Rivers Solomons's "The Deep" and loved its eerie fantastical horror that doesn't distract from the message of the story. Sorrowland has the same essence.

Sorrowland is the story of Vern, a young pregnant girl who escapes from a cult living in the 'Blessed acres of Cainland' made up of Black people. She has to learn to survive alone in the wild woods whilst hiding from her abusive husband and cult leader's machinations, mysterious hauntings, as well the trials of motherhood. Besides her rebellious spirit, her stubbornness, and her albinism that set her apart from the rest of the colony, she also discovers that her body is unique as well undergoing a strange metamorphosis and that there's more to Cainland than just the cult.

The book has three parts. The first completely draws you in with its gorgeous and atmospheric writing of Vern struggling yet surviving. The second get muddled sometimes but it reflects Vern's own hunt for truth and identity. The third was pretty straightforward and mostly predictable but presents a strong social and political message.

Without giving away too much of the plot Sorrowland echoes the era when desperate black people were gaslighted and manipulated and how their bodies were abused for the sake of science. The tales of so-called ' Night Doctors', scientists protected by the government that stole black bodies in the dead of night. Sometimes just in plain daylight. It's also scary how well cult indoctrination is shown in the book. People in power using fear, religion, politics, etc to subdue their victims.

The plot, in my opinion, could've been tighter but it is still a thrilling and emotional rollercoaster. There were tiny plot holes that irked me but in the grand scheme of things seemed dismissable. Like months old children living for days alone in the wild. Scientific liberties like characters using a defibrillator to restart hearts that have stopped hours to days ago. There are excuses if you look hard enough though. The prose starts off beautiful and complicated but simplifies towards the end. Solomon's own strong voice and commentary on racism, gender, misogyny, and transphobia bleed through as the story progresses.

The story of 'Sorrowland' is as sensational as it is surreal; an absolutely brilliant and harrowing reading experience full of rage and rebellion.

In this gothic fantasy horror novel, we follow Vern, a seven months pregnant young girl on the run, desperate to leave her abusive husband and the oppressing cult of her hometown behind. Still hunted, and still living in fear, she is raising her two babies in the deep of the woods, where it does not take long until she is starting to change inexplicably - starting to grow into something more horrifying than human.

'Sorrowland' is a unique and gripping reading experience, urging the reader to hold their breath while the events of the novel are progressing, slowly but surely spiraling into something unexplainable, yet utterly fascinating and moving.
It touches issues of gender, sexuality, motherhood, rebellion, and most of all: race; filling its reader with absolute rage over the sheer brutality, abuse, hate, and violence of American History. Rivers Solomon creates a whole alternative universe to raise a voice that will refuse to be silenced, and they do so with beautiful prose.

The writing in 'Sorrowland' was magnificent. Solomon‘s lyrical storytelling is absolutely beautiful and atmospheric in the most amazing way.
They are not only telling the surreal story of a brave young woman, but also include the struggles of acceptance when what you desire was forced to equal evil in your mind. The mindset of someone who grew up believing homosexuality to be a sin was heartbreakingly portrayed and touched me deeply.

There were so many things I found utterly fascinating in 'Sorrowland', and my biggest fascination was with its characters. Vern in an incredible main character, traumatized, flawed, and frightened, yet so brave, strong and protective. Being right there with her while she starts to figure out her past and future was immensely satisfying - as was reading about her two children growing up. From the very beginning, I loved their portrayal, and they only become more and more interesting while the story progressed.
The many side characters were just as well developed and enchanting; all unique and essential in their own ways.

The origin of the religious cult of Vern‘s hometown was engrossing, and especially the so called 'hauntings' - mysterious and horrific visions that continue to haunt Vern - made it impossible for me to put this novel down.
Additionally, the intense contrast between Vern raising her children so far away from society in the beginning, and then bringing them back to it later in the book, was so intelligent. Solomon shows how change is a concept we aren‘t meant to be afraid of, how transformation is the key to moving on, and it fills me with hope for our society as well.

My only criticism lies with the ending, which felt, for my own personal preference, a bit too rushed and obvious, and rendered me unable to close this novel with the utter satisfaction I wished for.

Nevertheless, 'Sorrowland' is a refreshingly unexpected and distressing read; so astonishing, moving, and full of hope that it will clearly be one of the must reads of 2021.
'Sorrowland' hits the shelves May 4th and you won‘t want to miss it.

trigger warnings: animal killings, drug abuse, child abuse, blood, death, rape, drowning, religious cult

[ I am incredibly thankful for NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with a free arc of this in exchange for an honest review! ]

Hmmm. I can’t list all the many reasons I was disappointed in this novel without giving away the plot. Suffice it to say Sorrowland tries way too hard. It takes blatant advantage of every politically correct bullet point and hammers away at each one. Repeatedly. Over and over. Ad nauseam. I prefer an author show me the respect of trusting me to be able to read between the lines. A well-written, nuanced text allows the reader to infer meaning; it does not need to rely on force-feeding.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review the arc via Netgalley

This was super good. I liked the first half a lot more than the second half. It read almost like a fairytale/folk horror kind of thing when they were in the woods running from an unknown monster, and I think it lost something when it got to a more contemporary setting. In fact, the second half actually kind of dragged a bit and felt a little repetitive in parts. It was still a good book, though. It just could have maybe been trimmed a bit more to get it tighter.

Rivers Solomon has an incredible mind when it comes to storytelling, and Sorrowland only reinforces this. At once, this novel is a social and political commentary, a tale of finding love, a story of family, and a story of survival - generational and individual. As is the case with each novel consumed that is written by Solomon, the characters and their interactions are what make the narrative come to life so completely. Vern isn't always likeable, but she is certainly always real, as is the progress of her transformations. Absolutely a new must-read.

3.5 stars (coming out May 4, 2021!!!)

**ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.**
#Sorrowland #NetGalley

Pros: strong, disabled (eyesight difficulty, chronic pain), albino Black MC, gender diverse rep (Lakota winkte/two-spirit & not labeling children), a novel which opens with pregnancy, birth, and motherhood yet has no yucky instances of male-gaze, 2 queer relationship dynamics (she/her + she/her & she/her + Lakota winkte), exploration of systematic abuse and trauma of Black peoples and bodies throughout US history, modern Gothic & cult vibes, AMAZING body horror & transformation (I loved this element so much), Black non-binary author

Cons: pacing problems (super intense action/plot progression scenes were bracketed by sluggish info-dumping which was so unfortunate!!!), loss of strong plot development for the sake of delivering messages, overt info dumping in the form of inter-generational memories (which IS a cool delivery method, but it is STILL info-dumping), rushed and anti-climactic ending

Similar vibes: The Future of the Living God (Louise Erdrich) & Wilder Girls (Rory Power) & Mexican Gothic (Silvia Morena-Garcia)

TW: [basically all of them...] racism, homophobia, human experimentation, hauntings, drugging, being tied down to sleep, murder, drug use, torture, animal killings, body horror, trading sex for transportation, shock control, child marriage, gaslighting, mental and physical abuse by parent figures, religious extremism, self-harm, mass murder, lynchings, drowned children, child abandonment

Picture this: A class on reimaginings of the gothic novel, featuring Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! I am so ready for this. Sorrowland, like Solomon's award-winning debut Unkindness of Ghosts, is beautifully written and haunting.

I’m judging a 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

“Viscous cries gurgled up from his throat but died quickly on the bed of Vern’s skin. Her flesh was his hovel, and he was coming to a quick peace with it.”

“His threats had become increasingly pointed of late: a gutted deer with its dead fawn fetus curled beside; a skinned raccoon staked to a trunk, body clothed in an infant’s sleepsuit; and everywhere, everywhere, cottontails hung from trees, necks in nooses and feet clad in baby booties.”

Gah. The prose. Incredible.