The Morningside

Silvia is a tall, gangly 11 year old who just moved into a luxury apartment in Island City called the Morningside. Like a futuristic, post-apocalyptic Manhatten or an Island in San Francisco perhaps, the town has lost most of its residents as the city slipped into the sea, and now they all live on government rations and the children have never seen or eaten meat before. It's being repopulated through a program which Silvia and her mother are part of, giving them a chance to move in with an aunt she has never met and to finally hear stories about her mother's childhood. The stories will lead to a yearlong obsession with a wealthy woman named Bezi Duras who lives in the top penthouse and has 3 dogs, black as night, which Aunt Ena and now Silvia believe turn human by day. And Silvia will try her best to prove true, with the help of the old superintendent who calls her “Snoopy” for snooping around, and a new, very confident neighbor girl, Maya.

Pensive, fascinating, and nostalgic, this book makes you appreciate childlike imagination and its obsessions, and the great many splendors we take for granted in our imperfect world.

I went in to this book not having read any of Téa Obreht’s previous novels so I was unsure of what I was stepping into. Like her character Silvia, the novel shifts your sense of reality leaving you unsure if the stories her strict mother tells you are true and should be used as a warning or if her paranoia has gotten the best of her. With a rigid parental figure and a new move to a new country, it makes sense that Silvia would want to explore their new home when she shouldn’t with her newfound neighbors. This novel is set in a dystopian modern world where water has taken over most cities, creating a looming feeling of doom through the plot. The introduction was slow but once you dig further into the story there are more questions than answers. Thank you Téa Obreht, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing.

This is an unusual little book. There are a lot of themes going on in this near future dystopian story, most of which are not truly explored. Basically, it is a coming of age story of a young girl who struggles to understand her world and where she comes from.. The first third of the book was slow, and confusing ...i just couldn't decide what type of story I was reading...and I almost DNF. Glad I kept going, it turned out to be pretty good after all

I will pretty much read anything Téa Obreht wants to write, so choosing this one from NetGalley was a no-brainer for me. It should be for you, too. Obreht ventures into a dystopian future here, but if those words scare you, don't be alarmed. I mean, be alarmed, but read it anyway. There is a lot here: climate change that has caused the city to flood, leaving parts underwater, dangerous urban neighborhoods, and the many risks related to poverty. Surprisingly, Obreht is able to craft this new world into an almost ordinary existence. But this very ordinariness gets turned on its head when mysterious neighbors, curious folktales and a bit of magic open up the world to new and hopeful possibilities.

I think this was a wrong book/wrong person. I found myself getting confused with the characters and the world building.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I liked this one but it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, so was a little thrown. (Even going back to the blurb on the book’s Goodreads page, I feel like it’s confirmed that it doesn’t give a very good picture of what the book will be like, a bit light on details.) I really liked the futuristic dystopia and how the main character moved through the world in the midst of the political climate, and I wish we had gotten to see more of that. The magical realism/folklore aspect was intriguing, and I definitely think this is a book I would love to recommend to the young adult readers I know who love a little magic.

You're very interesting.To hear about this girl ISL IVL. A.. She moved to this place Call morning S I d e in island city. She lived there with her mother and her sister.Aunt was a superintendent of a building. She wanted to know about the past because it was very interesting for her. Her mother did not like to talk about things because she was involved in a criminal case with this lady Name B e z I d u r a s. They had a P Past, but they had to leave and because of a federal Read population program. They?
Had a very interesting pass which she wanted to know about her father.But her mother was very Secret is about Her phone. Her aunt told her stories and folklore about the past. This was w a v e in the Book this was very interesting because it tied a lot of things together. The lady what's the dogs was very important to because this was about Book more about the spirit from the mountains. The dogs are at night but during the day they were three sons. This was very interesting as well. This was based in the future but also had ties to the past. It all comes together nicely in the end.

I don't know what was magic and what was real in this story. It had this mysterious cloud wrapping it up. The Morningside building was like the castle in Jack and the Beanstalk. You needed to get magic beans (or special invitation) to be in this building. I also wondered if it was going to be like Rosemary's baby.

Silvia moved into the Morningside with her mother. She, not being able to go to school and not having something else to do, got interested in lady living in the penthouse and her beast of dogs. She thought those dogs were actually sons of the lady and they turn into dogs in the morning. In her child mind, it was entertaining and this type of mystery was only thing she could do. With her friend, Silvia decided that she needed to figure out both her past and this woman's past.

This book carries some themes from Obreht's other books: the air of mystery, beastly animals, and hidden pasts. Everytime previous super and Silvia called each other snoop, all I could think of was Snoopy walking by trying to play detective. If you liked her previous books, you'll like this one too

Téa Obreht’s new novel The Morningside exists at the blur where speculative fiction shades into just “fiction.” Featuring the 33-story apartment building that gives the novel its name, The Morningside takes place in a near future where climate change is eroding human society and displaced populations are the norm. But the flooding that isolates the neighborhoods shrinks the stage for the novel’s haunting drama.

https://bookandfilmglobe.com/fiction/morningside-in-america-or-somewhere/

I count Ms. Obreht as a favorite author, and this may be the novel I enjoyed most from her catalog. Sil reminded me of the protagonist in Fight Night by Toews. Her blend of precociousness and fear of messing up was endearing. The usual element of folklore was front and center with the Vila story and in Aunt Ena's tales. It hit just right and I recommend.

Tea Obrecht is a significant writer of literary fiction. I was anxious to give this a try. While I love family stories and dystopias I have little appetite for magical realism. I am the wrong audience for this book. The reviews are good and I definitely want to see this author be
Successful.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy.

The Morningside: A Novel, Tea Obreht, author; Carlotta Brentan, narrator
This novel takes place sometime in the future. It is a world in disarray after war, class warfare, racial issues and weather have caused catastrophe. Floods have destroyed cities. Places are uninhabitable. In an effort to bring back these cities, a Restoration Project moves people to locations and provides homes for them. Everything is rationed because food is scarce as are many other necessary things. Material wealth is largely absent for most people. “Special” people still seem to live well, however.
Apparently, cities were emptied by the fighting and the malignant climate. Silvia and her mother left their home to try to start life again in one of the cities experimenting with the Restoration Project. In this new place, many of the residents do not eat meat because they are also made of flesh. Dwelling places are furnished with things found abandoned, often in need of repair. Most people follow the rules, and work to restore order and to preserve what they have and to restore some of what they have lost. Those that don’t follow the rules are often ridiculed and reported. There is always the fear of reprisals in the atmosphere.
There is very little news of actual progress, but there is an underground chain of information called “The Dispatch”. Who runs it? How long will it be allowed to exist? Does it keep people and life in check or does it create more problems with the spread of rumors? Do misperceptions cause problems? Do people rush to conclusions? Are people vindictive? Has the world moved on from the disorder of disagreement to peaceful and orderly confrontation? Is anyone trying to find out if progress is being made or if they are wasting their time?
Silvia and her mom now live in a place called Island City. Silvia’s Aunt Ena is the caretaker of a building called Morningside. They live in the same building. Aunt Ena is a teller of tall tales, and she fills Silvia’s head with stories. Silvia believes she has to protect her family, and she places amulets around the building. If they are placed incorrectly, she fears tragedy will befall them. Although Silvia’s mom forbids Ena from telling her stories, she tells her stories anyway. Some are legends, some conspiracy theories. Ena tells Silvia about a mythical creature called a Vila, and Silvia, just about 11 years old, has an active, precocious mind. She decides that one of the tenants in the building, a well-known artist, is exactly that, a Vila that possesses magical powers. She believes that the tenant turns men into her three dogs, and then back into men again, depending on whether it is day or night. Ena has enchanted her with tales of the supernatural. Aunt Ena promises to reveal the secret of this tenant to her when she is ready to hear it, but Aunt Ena dies suddenly and never does reveal anything to her. Silvia wants very much to prove that she is ready and can discover it for herself.
One day, Silvia meets a man who calls her Snoopy. He has been watching her and he asks her to do him a favor. Several years ago, he was a writer, but he crossed a line and thus, the wrong people. He was the janitor of The Morningside before Aunt Ena. When he was let go, he was unable to take anything with him and he asks Silvia to locate his mail from a dozen years ago and return it to him. When Silvia discovers he has a key to the elevator that takes the resident she believes is a Vila, up to her penthouse apartment, she wants to get the key. She makes a bargain with him and retrieves his mail in exchange for the elevator key.
Silvia has no friends in the building or the neighborhood. She is lonely and adrift. Although she is on a list to attend school, there is a long wait for an opening. The education system has broken down as well. Then one day, a new family moves in with a daughter her age. The system does not defy this young girl whose family apparently has influence, and she is admitted to school immediately. When they become friends, after a period of trial and error, these two young girls, not yet teenagers, but a bit too curious for their own good, plot to discover if the artist resident is indeed a Vila. There are moments of tragedy and mayhem. Silvia’s mom is trapped in an underwater salvage dive. Her friend suggests doing very dishonest and risky things. Suddenly there are accusations of terrible crimes. What happens to her friend? Silvia discovers who puts out The Dispatch and her mom makes horrifying accusations about a tenant? Are they well founded? Does tragedy ensue?
Years pass and Silvia relocates. The Dispatch author is revealed. Silvia’s mother becomes more open-minded and keeps fewer secrets. Does the book end hopefully or with feelings of impending doom? I am not sure I even understood the entire meaning of the novel. At times, I found it disjointed and very hard to follow. There were many quirky characters and sub-plots. The secrets and mysteries were subtly revealed but were not “aha” moments. In the end, the world seemed to revert back to a more natural state with people willing to do with less and to live within nature’s boundaries. It made me think of Henry David Thoreau who preferred living in, and with, nature as his guide.

A dystopian/future fable that gives Harriet the Spy vibes. Clever, beautifully written! I will definitely read this author again.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to an early copy of this book*

This is another book that left little impact on me. The writing style and the story is very reminiscent of the historical and literary fictions novels that I've read and those are not genres I gravitate for. The overarching narrative seems to be a story of "haves vs have-nots" and how both parties react to and are impact by the same events, but you had to squint to to detect this throughline. There was an attempt at world-building through both magical realism elements and a post-apocalyptic setting (I think) but of these felt unnecessary and out of place. Characterization was also weak, with all the characters coming across as simultaneously amorphous and rough around the edges. As a result by the end of this book I had only vague impressions of who they were as people but had not desire to get to know them better, especially with the consistent displays of dysfunctional relationships. Honestly the only reason I completed this book was to get closure on Silvia's past and why her mother was so secretive but the revelation was very underwhelming. There was at least enough narrative there to keep it from feeling apathetic, which seems to appear a lot in contemporary fiction, but this was not for me. Not a bad read, just a very lukewarm one.

Tea Obreht is one of the most significant writers of our time. Her way of moving through the world--I sense a kind of slinking or strolling as she moves past observation and culls story and unique characters to inflict plot upon her readers. A lovely read; I can't wait to get the paperback so I can re-read it again.

Téa Obreht’s The Morningside promises a world of mystery and magical realism, but ultimately delivers an underwhelming experience. The novel follows Silvia and her mother as they settle into the crumbling luxury tower of the Morningside, guided by Silvia’s enigmatic Aunt Ena. The setup is rich with potential, blending folktales of a lost homeland with the eerie presence of Bezi Duras, a reclusive penthouse dweller.

The strongest aspect of The Morningside lies in its exploration of the stories we tell to make sense of our past. Ena’s folktales are enchanting and provide a vivid contrast to Silvia’s stark reality, adding depth to the theme of identity and belonging. Silvia’s quest to uncover the truth about Bezi Duras and her own family’s past adds a layer of intrigue that keeps the reader engaged.

However, despite its promising elements, the novel fails to fully deliver. The pacing feels uneven, and many of the potentially powerful themes—such as the tension between past and present, and the search for identity—are not as developed as they could be. Silvia’s character, while relatable in her struggles, lacks the depth needed to drive the story forward in a compelling way.

The magical realism, a hallmark of Obreht’s storytelling, feels sporadic and at times forced. Instead of weaving seamlessly into the narrative, it often disrupts the flow, leaving the reader feeling disoriented rather than enchanted.

In conclusion, The Morningside offers glimpses of enchantment and has moments that shine with potential. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fully realize its ambitions, leaving a sense of what could have been. It’s a decent read for those who enjoy themes of identity and family secrets, but it might not leave a lasting impression.

This was a unique read for me that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved getting to know the main character and I felt so motivated to learn where the story was going.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dystopian tale of a young girl and her mother. The daughter knows nothing of her background which her mother keeps secret. They live in the Morningside where an aunt had lived previously. There are some colorful characters, but the bulk of the book is in determining what had happened. It’s vaguely familiar and unsettling. Glad I read this one.

I was not able to review this book by the publish date but now that I have read it I gave it 3 stars.

The Morningside” takes place in Island City, a swampy version of Manhattan after climate change has flooded the coast. Rather than detailing the political structure of this battered place, Obreht drops provocative hints about the latest efforts to rebuild the city’s infrastructure and the government’s image. So many citizens have fled the rotting metropolis that federal authorities have recruited desperate refugees from abroad to participate in a Repopulation Program. Lured by the promise of a better, safer, more stable life, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free have arrived from Back Home.