4 stars I received an ARC of this book from the author, but I got busy and forgot about it. Eventually, I picked it up and was drawn into the story, but I was a bit confused. I didn’t understand the chapter/section headings. They were called variations and the first thing I thought was that they must be variations of the same story. Then I thought perhaps they were a series of short stories. I was wrong on both counts. They’re just oddly named chapters told from differing POVs. I figured that out about halfway through. I was already familiar with this author and the alternative universe of Birdland, and I find the concept fascinating. The characters are, likewise, multifaceted, intriguing, and believable. I only had two problems, and they’re “me” problems, not problems with the writing or the author. I’m very open-minded, but as an editor, I still get hung up on using ‘their’ as a singular pronoun to describe a single person. I understand English and the rules of grammar are constantly evolving, but as a very rule-oriented person, it’s difficult for me to make the mental adjustment. To be clear, it has always bothered me that there wasn’t a singular pronoun that could be interchangeable for any gender. As a she/her myself, I’ve always been infuriated when things are written to say he/him—something which has, thankfully, changed significantly in my lifetime. Lemberg uses ‘their’ universally throughout the book, to the exclusion of he/she. Books like this play an important role in orienting readers, and hopefully, society at large, to use preferred pronouns. The fact that I might have preferred someone give more thought to what those pronouns might be before choosing the genderless and plural “their” is irrelevant. We all need to adjust, and I think books written this way are a tool to help people acclimate. Besides, who is this ‘someone’ I wish had given it more thought? When groups of people are oppressed, it’s best to lift the oppression in the most expedient way possible and worry about the ‘rules’ later. Sometimes, rules need to change. This is a roundabout way of saying I thought the writing was brilliant, with vivid illustrations of the setting as well as the inner turmoil of the main characters. I can’t say I loved the ending, but that’s akin to saying I didn’t like a certain movie because it left the door open for sequels. It’s not a cliffhanger, but there’s a sense of incompletion or uncertainty about it. This ending is very much open to interpretation and requires the reader to give the story more thought after it has finished. Compelling the reader to say, “I wonder what’s going to happen next?” is not such a bad way to end. September 4, 2022
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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