This is a novella, but it feels like a full length novel. The depth of the story, the characterization of Reid, her mother and friends, the rich history. The imagery is visceral, evocative, and overwhelming. Several times I had to set the book aside because of how deeply I felt for this group, who suffer from their ancestors greed.
This is a social horror novel. It was easy to imagine this happening, and not so distantly in the future. As well, the symbiotic being who tries to control Reid in moments when she very much needs to control her own actions is absolutely terrifying. Her fear is palpable, waiting for the moment she no longer has any control or when she might "go off" (in which the entity painfully kills the host). The parasite is like the world they live in, difficult to understand and control, a hardship endured until death. In order to go to the University, Reid is asked to join an unauthorized pig hunt, specifically to leave her mother with lots to eat and funds to live. The pigs have thrived and are now monstrous beasts, so the hunt could also lead to death. Is this a foolish quest, does it prove she is not ready to live freely on her own, or does it prove her devotion to stepping out of her own comfort zone and embracing change? This novel is a scathing look at how as a society we do little in terms of protecting the Earth for future generations. The community Reid lives in relies on every inhabitant to survive, but death rates are high. There is anger when someone leaves, because most others have no hope for any other life than scrounging by and hoping for rain, for crops to thrive, for life. But, while the book presents hopelessness because of the past and Cad, it also presents a hope for a future in which you work from a completely blank slate. A hope that those you live with can mean happiness and love. It is also a goodbye letter from a child to their parent. Trying their hardest to show that they can be independent, that it is their time to leave the nest. Reid must reconcile herself with the knowledge that she is leaving a community that needs her, in order to fulfil her own dreams. And at the same time, it is also a parent's desperation to hold on to their sick child, wanting to keep them safe from the world and the horrors it has to offer. Thank you to ECW Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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