Dreamscape and Mara Wilson never ever disappoint me.

Audiobook rating : 5 stars
Book rating : I will come back to it.

So singularity is quite singular. It's a story of motherhood. Now that I'm a mom myself I can understand how it is to be a mother.

The singularity is about a womanhood or scratch that it is about motherhood. Because throught out the book, the women here are worried about their kids or having conversation with their kids or surviving for their kids. Now don't get me wrong, it's nothing to be angry about. In fact it is a wonderfully written book. It is like an unconscious stream of thoughts that just flows without an idea where it is going. There are points in the book where I could not make sense and yet it didnt bother me coz I was deeply buried into the sorrow that these women were experiencing.

On an unnamed costal region, a pregnant woman on business trip watches a mother who is looking for her missing daughter , tired and spent from grief she jumps into the river. Later she comes to experience her own grief through the loss. That's when she starts reminiscing about her own fleeing from a war that wedged in her country. A loss of any loved one can be tremendous but I can tell you that grief over a loss of a child is unimaginably painful and so reading this was such a painful experience that it can not be expressed in words.

This book made me pause so many times. Coz it was getting too much and I needed a break. There's also a theme of being an outsider in another country. How immigrants are treated by local population and even that was described in such a way that it was intense.

Fragmented at places, interwined between a memory and present the book gives you insight into life of refugees. So in the end it wasn't just loss of a child but loss of country, memory, history, language and so much more. So as I did it wasn't just about motherhood but it was so much about motherhood too.

Listening to the singularity was a singular experience. I zoned out lot many times because it is written as stream of vague thoughts. Like something that goes in my mind as well. Overall I did enjoy the experience and loved the writing too.

Thank you Netgalley and dreamscape media for the wonderful audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review.

First off you can't go wrong with Mara Wilson as a narrator. Her pattern of speech, inflection, and tone really highlight the emotional weight of this story and make it a much more enjoyable listen. The Singularity is a heavy story that deals with heavy feels and topics and I found the audiobook to be the perfect way to digest it. The writing is heartfelt and moving in its examination of displacement and the grief and inner life of mothers. The story jumps between different characters who are linked by their life struggles so not quite a cohesive story with a start a finish but more of a meditation of the themes of otherness, motherhood, and loss. Overall it's great short read or listen, which works well for this type of heavy and generally sad story.

This was not an easy read as it deals with some difficult topics, but it is beautiful in its writing. We see a mother’s grief for her lost child, the abandonment of children, and finally the cost of assimilation. It’s all handled delicately and in a way that draws the reader in. If anything, I felt the pace was a bit slow at parts, but it works with the very emotional content.

This book wasn't for me. I will say that it was well written, however it just wasn't holding my interest. I had a difficult time connecting to the characters and it was a little slow moving.

This was so hard to read :( These characters are all flawed and broken by life’s merciless cogs. I love how the story was able to juxtapose both mothers' grieving their child as well as the difference between their relationship with their homeland. A beautiful story that needs to be placed in more hands.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Mara Wilson
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

Although The Singularity is a relatively short novel, it’s very well-written and original. The non-linear narrative presents the story of two women. Author intertwines the themes of motherhood, refugees, and loss.

Balsam Karam is a Swedish writer and librarian of Iranian Kurdish descent, and she obviously knows the topics covered here. The narrator, Mara Wilson (known for Matilda), did an amazing job. She narrates this sad novel perfectly.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

This is a beautiful and short novel with the best possible narrator. I cried. I could picture the places and the people while I listened. This was a wonderful experience and so sad.

What a lovely book.! This is worth a pick up. Thank you for the ALC, one for the books! Ha, I think I’m funny.

Gorgeous writing and some intriguing, emotional concepts, but this didn’t quite come together as a whole. I would have felt a stronger connection if the characters were more fleshed out and a little less allegorical. This may have worked better as short stories/vignettes, especially for part three. I would definitely read more by this author based on the writing alone, and Mara Wilson gives a lovely audiobook performance!

Thank you The Feminist Press and Dreamscape Media for my free ARC of The Singularity by Balsam Karam — available now!

Read this if you:
✨ love lyrical, poetic books with a non-linear plot
🥲 want to spend a little time on the sad train, choo-choo boo-hoo and such
🚺 prefer stories centered around non-white female characters

Translated from Swedish by Saskia Vogel 🇸🇪

In an unnamed town, a missing daughter causes a mother to go mad with grief. Another soon-to-be mother has her dreams dashed in an instant. And the two are tied together by the briefest moment in time, but also by the much longer thread of the past.

Whew. This book was pretty heavy, and beautifully written. It's lyrical and flowing, without strict narrative structure, and the reader is shifted seamlessly between characters and their experiences. It won't be for everyone, because it is a bit difficult to keep track of perspectives (at least, on audio it was), but I kind of liked that about it. It reinforced the ties between the characters and their shared grief. There is a lot packed into this small book, covering the experiences of refugees/migrants, mothers, generational trauma, and loss. The audiobook is narrated by Mara Wilson ("Matilda"), and she was fantastic!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

About the audiobook: The narrator of the audiobook has done an excellent job, especially during the most confusing parts, such as when the protagonist, in the second person point of view, converses with her therapist while reminiscing about the pain of leaving her ancestral home and her childhood friend simultaneously. I didn't find myself confused, so kudos for that.

Regarding the content of the book: The author has skillfully painted the lives of both women with generous servings of nostalgia. However, I feel there is a lack of critical information regarding the disappearance of "the missing one," leaving readers to guess the details. Additionally, I found the portrayal of motherhood to be somewhat preachy, portraying it as an all-consuming role devoid of personal identity other than being a mother to one's daughter.

P.S. I absolutely loved the symbolism behind the title of this book; it feels very fitting and distinctive.

Overall, I would rate it 3.75 out of 5 stars, rounding down to 3 stars. Special thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing the ARC of this audiobook.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Mara Wilson narrates this book perfectly and her tone kept me intrigued the whole time! I really liked how the story gives a message but also sounds like poetry in motion. The words and settings are captivating and the characters are heartbreaking with their losses. I really enjoyed it and know that many others will as well! Definitely give this book a try!

This was a remarkable, deep conversation of motherhood, loss and strength. The audiobook narration flowed so beautifully, too.

This was part story, part stream of consciousness and I loved it. It was moving and at times, very emotionally painful. The writing is incredible. The writing style was unique and worked perfectly for the story.

With a shifting narration (insular to the story, not the audiobook) we get a deeper insight into motherhood, and how it differently affects the characters… how they are connected while unconnected.

I highly recommend this moving quick read.