Sorrowland is a dark, haunting read that will keep you thinking until the very last page. It follows Vern, a young woman who was brought up in a religious compound, secluded deep in the woods. Her life had been dictated her whole life, until one day she gathers the strength as she is pregnant and flees for a better life. Away from the cult, in the attempts of creating a new life for herself and her children. However, something inside Vern is changing her physical body and she starts to see the dead. As time goes on, Vern discovers what truly happened to her at the compound and the historical implications it has had on her community over time.

This book really focuses on the historical implications of racism in America. How dehumanisation, medical experimentation and genocide were and still are issues this world faces today.
Sorrowland is a truly fascinating story, that is so unique you’ll be amazed by it.

I really enjoy books that genre blend and Sorrowland does it perfectly. It is gothic literature at its finest.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a darker read. Especially gothic literature and to those of you that love reading diverse reads.

I don't always enjoy novels with magical elements but this one was well-crafted and very insightful on the human spirit. Probably not one that I would come back to, but many people will love this novel.

I'm a reader who tends to stay in my comfort zone quite a lot, but I'll be the first to admit that stepping out of it once in a while is so worthwile. Sorrowland is a combination of a lot of elements I don't typically enjoy, but it was such a valuable reading experience. I thought it might take me a while to read this, but I could absolutely not put it down. I think that's largely because I tend to expect a book of this genre to be quite heavy, and parts of it definitely were, but this also felt like a really hopeful book, and there's a lot of love between Vern and her children.

I read The Deep by Rivers Solomon last year and it was such a beautiful and haunting read that I was excited to try more from this author. The story follows Vern, a young woman fleeing the remote religious compound she has lived in all her life. She gives birth to two babies and tries to raise them without the influence of the compound or the outside world. As Vern and her babies fight for survival she soon learns something is wrong with her body. Not only is she experiencing hauntings, but her body is changing, making her more powerful than she ever thought possible. But the group she fled from will not let her go easily and for Vern to survive she must become more than she ever imagined.

Sorrowland is a dark and moving tale, one that definitely sticks with you long after you’ve finished reading. Vern’s story is a haunting one, that very much shines a light on the history of racism in America. It’s such a unique read, blending Gothic horror with science fiction and fantasy. Sorrowland is completely unlike anything I’ve read before – if you’re looking for a unique and compelling read this is definitely one to pick up.

I really liked Solomon’s writing and I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book. I found the last portion of the book a little muddied, and the ending took a different turn than I was expecting. Despite this Sorrowland is still a completely fascinating read, one that touches on a lot of important topics. It definitely isn’t a light or fun read but it’s absolutely a story worth reading. I was really fascinated by the idea of the hauntings, and this was something I was particularly intrigued by in the story. I was so intrigued to learn if they were real or a product of Vern’s imagination. I won’t say too much about the plot because this is definitely one of those books that’s best to go in blind. Sorrowland is a unique and engaging read, one that I think lots of people will be swept up in. If you’ve read other books by Rivers Solomon I’d definitely check this one out.

This was such a multi-layered and utterly engrossing book featuring one of the most memorable protagonists I have ever read. We follow Vern, a 15 year old pregnant girl as she escapes from 'Cainland' - a religious cult. Following her flight, she gives birth in the woods and discovers strange changes to her body that she cannot explain. What I loved most about this book was the way the story just kept building layer upon layer in such a stunningly skillful way. So although the opening section with Vern is completely compelling, somehow Rivers Solomon managed to keep introducing new aspects to the story to make it even more fascinating. Dealing unapologetically with the legacy of slavery and the systematic oppression of minorities, the narrative also examines the history of government experimentation and testing, as well as compulsory sterilisation for native women. By no means an easy read, this is an absolute masterpiece of speculative fiction and I cannot wait to see what Rivers Solomon offers up next! Amazing!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a powerful read. A stunning blend of horror and fantasy that created the perfect gothic atmosphere.

The writing blew me away, but I did read at a very slow pace to make sure I took everything in. There are very heavy themes such as racism while exploring motherhood and identity.

I actually accompanied this book with the audiobook and I highly recommend it! The narration was gorgeous and helped keep me in the story.

Thank you to Merky Books Pride Book Tours for my gifted copy. This title was released May 6, 2021.

Content warning: Racism (including mentions of radical anti-black movements), Murder, Self harm, Animal death, Child abuse

Representation: f/f relationship (both lesbian), Nystagmus, Albino mc and side character

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon is a harrowing work of gothic fiction that will stick with you long after finishing. We follow Vern, a young woman, who escapes the confines of her oppressive religious compound into the woods to have her children and raise them away from the community she’d grown to mistrust. Her body starts to change, she becomes stronger and faster and must investigate her past to find out what’s happening to her.

In all honestly, going into this book I hadn’t expected what I got. The narrative threw in so many twists and turns I was left reeling, eating up the new information that continued to be unveiled throughout.

Vern is a stong character that doesn’t know how to take no for an answer, she bares her teeth at the wold and dares for it to cross her. I could only dream to be like her one day.

Howling and Feral, Verns children raised in the woods away from the influence of the modern world, were some of my favourite parts. I really loved seeing how the approached the world so differently from one another but with the same desperation for answers. It was also interesting to see how they kept Vern grounded in her humanity.

Sorrowland is like nothing I’ve ever read before and probably anything I will ever read again. The writing is hauntingly beautiful with its in depth descriptions that had me captivated from the very beginning. These make it a slower read but its more than worth it for the stunning picture that River Solomon creates.

I appreciated the inclusion of the Nystagmus and albino elements which I’d never read about before. I enjoyed learning about these along side Verns character and how they impacted her life away from modern medical advances and technology.

The ending let down the book a little, I had expected there to be more of a defined ending. Sorrowland definitely centres more around the journey than the destination and what Vern learns about herself, her family and the world in the process.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend to anyone looking for a slower impactful read, I promise you’ll be so captivated by the writing you won’t be able to put this one down.

Sorrowland follows Vern as she leaves/escapes from a Cain compound, the early section a mix of forest life with newborn children and flashbacks to previous life. As it becomes clear that Vern is different, her body (for reasons unknown early on) resilient and quick to heal.

A remarkable highly descriptive and visceral story with the Vern at it's heart. The tale is from Vern's perspective, a first-hand experience of pain, survival, protection of her children whilst exploring the past. A fantastical story of fierce determination.

Genre is difficult to ascribe for those who need such things, I have seen this described as gothic horror which seems to miss so many aspects out. I have read a few of Rivers' short stories before, and will seek out earlier novels.

The magical and terrifying story of Vern, a woman bruised and defiant in the face of tyranny. Vern escapes a black commune in search of her friend Lucy and is forced into hiding in the nearby woods. As a mother, she discovers hidden depths to her resourcefulness and a fierce and unconventional love for her children.

As her independence grows, she finds disturbing changes to her body which threaten her survival. Yet could those changes, caused by dark forces also prove her salvation?

A story which rails against racism, the patriarchy and conventional relationships and the contempt society shows for difference. A powerful and thought provoking story.

Some tension is lost near the climax as Vern recalls her mother's early struggles and entry into the commune. However, there is much emotional impact in the story, particularly in Vern's relationship with her children and her struggles to achieve intimacy with others.

A story not to be forgotten.

I’ve never read anything by Rivers Solomon before, but now I definitely want to read more. I didn’t know too much about Sorrowland before I started reading, but the synopsis was very intriguing so I was immediately interested. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this before, but some elements reminded me of a couple of books I read earlier this year – The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Sorrowland is out now, so make sure to check it out if it sounds interesting to you.

Sorrowland is genre-bending: it’s set in America, but has speculative and fantastical elements. It’s an incredibly unique book. I haven’t read much speculative fiction before and it’s a bit hit or miss for me but Solomon does it so well. The main character, Vern, escapes from the religious commune she grew up on and gives birth to twins in the woods. Constantly hunted, she raises her children in the woods and has to come to terms with the mental and physical consequences of leaving behind the horrors of her past. There is so much more to it than that, but my explanations can’t really do the plot justice.

When I first started, I wasn’t sure what direction the book would go in but I quickly became invested in Vern’s story. She is incredibly strong and suffers so much and still maintains her agency with determination. I especially loved seeing how Howling and Feral fit into her life and how they changed throughout their lives. Gogo was also a great character, and she introduced Vern to a new way of living. The characters’ relationships with gender and sexuality were so refreshing to read about: nothing was conventional and I loved how the boundaries of the “norm” were pushed. There are Black, albino, and Native American characters, as well as intersex and sapphic representation.

The concept of Cainland is so chilling in many ways. It is supposed to be a safe haven from the dangers of white supremacy, but there are many sinister going on that manifest alongside abuse. I was really intrigued to find out more details about the founding of Cainland and how it transformed after Eamon Fields took over. There was a lot of information at the end that was so riveting to read about – especially how the fantastical elements fit into the plot. The “hauntings” were really disturbing but I loved how they tied into the plot more cohesively by the end. The dark story is definitely haunting and I couldn’t help but be captivated by the atmosphere.

Thank you again to the publisher for sending me a copy for review! I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was really pleasantly surprised. I really loved Sorrowland and I think it will stick with me for a long time. It’s a dark book, so it won’t be for everyone, but I think the difficult themes were handled so well. Solomon includes these content warnings in the author’s note: “discussion and instances of racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicidality, and homophobia, inclusion of animal death and explicit violence, and references to sexual violence that have taken place off-page”.

4.5/5 stars

An intriguing, magic realism novel that explores the dark history of the United States and the harm that it has done to Black and Native American people. Vern escapes the compound of the commune she was born into so her babies will be free, with obvious parallels to slavery, Vern then grows in power and into a magical creature. The transition makes her ill and she seeks help, from Gogo a native American who helps her heal and to understand herself better. Gogo is part of a network who live off the grid to help people the government has targeted. There are many strands in this book, it is fantasy, an adventure, a telling indictment of America's legacy of violence and power. A gripping and fascinating book. I haven't read a book like this since Toni Morrison's Beloved.

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Rivers Solomon book. I don't know if the author typically writes this type of books, but you should probably be warned (I didn't know) that there are a few horror elements in the story. Nothing that gave me nightmares, but still, something to consider.

In Sorrowland we follow Vern over a period of a few years since her escape from Cainland, a cult led by her husband which claims to protect Black people from the injustices of the outside world, and gives birth to twins in the forest. Over time, her body starts changing and she realises what was really happening in her "home".

I can't really tell if I liked this book or not, but that's possibly due to the supernatural/horror elements of the book (which I wasn't expecting). The characters are well-defined and well-written, and the narrative is also good. The writing is vivid, and you feel like you're in the forest with Vern and her twins. The subtext (that, at least for me, only became forefront toward the last 10% of the book or so) was complex and nuanced, and for me it made it worth the rest of the book, even with the supernatural elements.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Solomon creates a world where history melds with science fiction in this spellbinding novel. While a little dense in places, it rewards the dedicated reader with a great payoff, and you truly never know which way the story is going. Vern is an electric protagonist and there's so much diverse representation in the novel. A modern Black classic.

This book had an errie kind of atmosphere over the entire read that just built the more you learnt about the world and lives that Rivers had created. I was quite chilled and also enthralled throughout the entire second half.

I liked but did not love Rivers Solomon's new novel - I adore their writing, the gritty and unflinching style, but the story itself lacked something for me. I think I expected a bit more - more magic, more fantasy. Still, this was an interesting book and I will definitely keep reading Rivers Solomon's books.

I did not know what to expect of this book and in the end I wouldn't even know how to pitch it to someone else. It's a mix of genre (sci-fi, horror, gothic, mystery) and I was pretty surprised how the story shifts after the first part.

That said, it's a great story, Vern is a very unique character and the kids are super interesting to follow as they discover the modern world after being raised isolated in the forest.

If you've liked Rives Solomon's previous works and you're fine with some violence, gore and overall darkness, you should definitely give this one a go.

I only managed to make it through half of this wonderful book before I started waking up with nightmares. I am a total wuss and didn't quite realise Sorrowland has strong horror elements.

The Gothic really creeps up on you in this one; it's very well done!

Highly recommend if you like immersive, creepy stories. Given I'm still recovering from watching The Sixth Sense around 20 years ago, I'll pass on reading the second half of Sorrowland!

Nope. DNF early on. The story sounded intriguing and maybe I'm just not in the right frame of mind right now, but the immediate deep dive into religion and racism wasn't what I was looking for.

Such a strange book! It mixes so many genres that it is sometimes hard to keep up (sci-fi, gothic, horror, etc).

The plot is well rounded and it broaches a great deal of important subjects.

Very clever metaphor about finding your inner strength and the parallel with the changing body.

I'm afraid the story wasn't for me though but I thought the writing was amazing.

For me one of the joys of reading is finding a character who initially you don’t understand but then you start to understand their worldview and how that has been shaped by the world they lived in. We all get shaped by the environment and this history of that environment which influences our choices. In Rivers Solomon’s excellent new novel Sorrowland we meet a character who very much decides that from now on they will take the world on their own terms from now on; someone who has to learn how to be who they really are and stand up to the past that still wants to have its claws in them and their family.

The story centres on Vern who we first meet fleeing someone known as The Fiend while heavily pregnant. We witness her giving birth alone to twins she names Howl and Feral. Vern stays in the forest for a few years living off the land and we see she has started to demonstrate extraordinary strength and healing powers. Vern is trying to avoid being caught and sent back to Cainland a commune formed over the 1950s and 60s as part of the Black civil rights movement but ran by a sinister reverend with strict rules and strange practises. Vern as a teenager was selected to become the commune’s new leader’s wide and is bearing his children. Vern forms a relationship with a woman named Ollie but ultimately it becomes apparent the forest cannot be her home. Her best friend Lucy ran away and was never heard of since and Vern decides to try and follow her friend’s trail. Vern and her children start travelling across the US; following clues, stealing and avoiding authority while Vern’s body continues to change; haunted by ghosts and again pursued by the Fiend and the people who run Cainland who all want Vern for their own ends.

I loved this story so much as from that startling opening scene we get plunged into not just Vern’s life but the history of Cainland and in reality of the United States that shaped her. Vern a sarcastic, spiky teenage black woman with albinism feels very much at the start someone so different to what we tend to think of as the hero of the novel. Why would someone still want to live in the forest after escaping but we see in a series of flashbacks exactly the life Vern was plunged into. Where corrupt authorities would always send people who escape back; where rebellious people got even more extreme punishments as well as cults that make families agree to their 14 year old daughter to be married to a much older man. In reality we then see Vern is mother very much focused on ensuring her children and herself don’t ever come under that’s area’s power again. When she realises eventually that the forests are not safe, she moves across the US to find Lucy. At which point as the reader we are cheering her steal and lie to evade the police and the Fiend; we now understand why Vern needs to be safe. It’s a beautiful piece of character development that we come to understand Vern and now start to know how and why they will react to a particular situation.

In the later half of the book Vern while looking for Lucy starts to settle in a safer place and forms new relationships with Lucy’s own friends. In particular Gogo an activist who helps treat those injured in protests and studies science. Initially Gogo is just fascinated by Vern’s powers of recovery and the bodily changes she is going through but the two form an emotional bond and here we see Vern’s attraction to women has been previously branded as sinful and wicked and Vern is struggling to get past that and her previous experiences when those feelings emerged. A book that is often brutal, sharp edged has amazing moments of tenderness be that Gogo reading Vern the work of Ursula Le Guin; Howl and Feral’s absolutely brilliant way of playing, learning and taking on the world even at such a young age (I loved how quickly these children became characters in their own right as Vern herself realises her children are no longer babies but now individuals to take on their own terms) and Vern finally deciding to tackle their issues with reading caused by a severe eye issue. This adds to the complexity of Vern making her a truly three-dimensional character rarely doing what they are told but also learning that they can work with others they respect and be open about their feelings. All of which help the reader really pull for Vern and her family as the story once again picks up the pace as Cainland returns to take Vern back.

This is where the title Sorrowland really helps explore the wider plot. Cainland and it’s formation plus it’s fixation on Vern and her new abilities is actually exploring the history of white nationalism taking advantage of Black communities from infiltration by spies to secretive medical experiments -all of which are factual and well documented. Cainland was supposed to be founded as a community to tackle the long-term injustices following slavery and racism in the 19th and 20th centuries but we see there are other groups pulling the strings that Vern’s former husband ultimately answer to. A community for whom special medicines are taken every day and people need to be strapped in at night due to ‘night terrors’. Solomon poses the reader to ask is the US ever really going to stop interfering and trying to use such communities for its own ends. While this makes for a tense and action-packed finale as Vern tries to tackle Cainland and get her own freedom it also poses questions on how can this cycle of control be broken. Vern in her ability to say ‘no I want to live the way I want to’ becomes not simply a rebel but someone able to face the ghosts of her past as well as those of the community and country she lives in and aim to walk away freed from those barriers to walk her own path.

Sorrowland is a hugely impressive piece of storytelling where the interaction between Vern and the world they inhabit makes the reader examine much wider issues of how we are shaped by our past and how can we get away from it unscathed. Themes of racism, sexual abuse and homophobia are tackled and never gratuitously. By the end of the tale Vern becomes one of my favourite characters this year in one of the best books I’ve read. Strongly recommended.