Scan barcode
brynalexa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
benji_dw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Racism, and Police brutality
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"Don't sleep on the city that never sleeps, son, and don't f*cking bring your squamous eldritch bullshit here."
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin is book one in the Great Cities series. As with everything I've read by Jemisin, this blew me away. Jemisin is an expert worldbuilder, and the fact that she worldbuilt on top of our existing world only serves as another added layer to the story, and there are many layers to this book.
Jemisin imagines a world where cities that are large enough and old enough eventually become sentient and are "born" into the world through the use of human avatars that are literally the embodiment of that city. We focus on the birth of New York City, but something goes wrong with the birth, and the avatar is badly weakened against an interdimemsional eldritch horror of a parasite.
New York is different from other cities. Instead of just one avatar, New York has five, one for each borough: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Jemisin has used stereotypes as foundations for each borough's personality, but she reminds us "Lesson one of New York: what people think about us isn't what we really are," and in that way also subverts the stereotypes.
Remember that Eldritch Horror? Or as one of the characters says, squigglebitch. The parasite is also sentient and has taken human form in order to better infect the city to prevent a successful birth. Squigglebitch could be seen as an allegory for gentrification or white feminism.
I honestly could go on about every aspect and detail of this book, it was so incredible. Layers Upon layers of meaning and themes. We also have great diversity among the representatives of the boroughs, including Staten Island being a racist, xenophobic white girl too afraid to get on the ferry. Perhaps people actually from New York might take offense to the way they are portrayed or maybe connect with it?
I will for sure be reading the next book when I can get it in paperback.
Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Xenophobia
dannythestreet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Car accident, and Alcohol
britgirlreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Drug use and Rape
leannanecdote's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Miscarriage, and Abortion
sarah984's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I did like the idea behind how the antagonist’s plan worked, and using white and light colours as something dangerous. Unfortunately, the one interesting city formation concept is dropped almost immediately after it comes up and the ending didn't make any sense with what was already established.
I feel like the author could have saved me a few hours of reading time by just typing up a Tumblr post about how much she hates Staten Island and leaving it at that.
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Colonisation, and Classism
laurenkimoto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
- Amazing cover: the matte city scape with the shiny tentacles and colour detailing ties in so nicely to the story *chef kiss* The person who designed the cover deserves an award
- Chapter titles really should make a comeback
- We love some reluctant heroes who really just want to say to hell with saving the world just let me live my life in peace
- I am a fool I did not realize this was part of a series and now I’m sitting here waiting for the next book :(
- The petty book hill I will die on is that short chapters are superior to long chapters
- This is different than other fantasy books partially because it’s urban fantasy but also because the first half of the book the characters don’t know what’s going on so you don’t know what’s going on. Jemisin doesn’t info dump or use a naive character at the start to explain this world but rather you learn as the characters learn which I find is a fresh take.
- This book has the most diverse set of characters I have ever come across and it does so without any “token” characters because their identity and diversity is tied in to who/what they are. With this comes addressing so many timely and everlasting issues and Jemisin does so without sacrificing plot, pacing or anything else.
Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
marissasa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Drug abuse, and Drug use
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Rape, and Grief
Minor: Body horror, Drug use, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Medical content