This was… confusing.

The cover is beautiful. The concept was interesting. But the characters were forgettable, the jumps were jarring, there are so many unanswered questions and unexplained actions.

Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy at all.

I was so excited for this book… but so, so, very frustrated by the end.

Bridge by Lauren Beukes is a new mother/daughter science fiction adventure set across a metaverse. Its aimed at new adults. The books is a fast paced and original concept that's clearly been very well researched.

I was engaged by the storyline but deeply frustrated and eventually pretty cross by the use of race and racial descriptors throughout. To put it bluntly, Bridge feels problematic.

There are deeply uncomfortable passages about homelessness and gentrification. Every time a Black character is introduced their race is mentioned. White characters never, not once, have the same descriptors. The book reads like someone wanted to connect with woke young people but that same socio-political awareness hasn't been used to review the use of class and 'race' in that actual text.

For example, an African scientist is introduced with a sprawling and unnecessary dive into the Black Lives Matter Movement. As if the author wanted to really draw attention to the lack of representation in Portland and the diverse cast of her book. Only to then have limited, stereotypical and tokenistic representation in their text.

I can’t even begin to share my feelings on the protagonist's visit to Haiti and the way Voodoo practices and local people were portrayed. It had Gaiman vibes without any of the cultural sensitivity.

So there we have it. The cover is beautiful, the concept is really really interesting. But it's 2023. Please, please, please stop writing about people of colour like this.

I enjoyed this book. It started out as a moving story about a woman whose mum has died and i was charmed by her friendship with Dom they/them. I love genre stretching stories with a touch of fantasy and Bridge delivers this. Some of the action got a bit realistic and hard top read, but all in all it is a great story.