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lightreads ([personal profile] lightreads) wrote2020-06-20 02:33 pm

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

The City We Became

5/5. New York City comes to consciousness through its human avatars while Lovecraftian horrors stalk the streets.

Oh god I loved this. loved it. I'd read the short story from which it grew, and was a bit dubious when I heard her new trilogy would be something something Lovecraft because ugh, Lovecraft. Obviously she would not be bringing the racism, but did we have to keep bringing the Lovecraft at all? But you guys. This is so clever and queer and anti-colonialist and just – it's scary and violent and it's about the Proud Boys and angry white men in general and a lot of terrible things, but it is so joyful. It has no fucks to give for despair. It got me early on – the umbrella! And then the magic by money! I scarred the baby I cackled so hard – and I do not even go here, I do not even like NYC,* but I loved this.

*NYC being the city where it is simultaneously both nightmarish to have a service dog with you and nightmarish not to. Also, these days, most of my NYC trips are for work, which means spending all my time in and around Times square, so of course I don't like it.