Howdy readers!

After my last read of Shadow Pawn, I wanted to read something for AAPI Month. I went back and forth between a few books but ended up settling on Severance by Ling Ma.

I love me a good apocalyptic story, and the word of mouth was really good for this author so I dove right in. On to the review!

Blurb

Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. So she barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies halt operations. The subways squeak to a halt. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city as the anonymous blogger NY Ghost.

Candace won’t be able to make it on her own forever, though. Enter a group of survivors, led by the power-hungry IT tech Bob. They’re traveling to a place called the Facility, where, Bob promises, they will have everything they need to start society anew. But Candace is carrying a secret she knows Bob will exploit. Should she escape from her rescuers?

A send-up and takedown of the rituals, routines, and missed opportunities of contemporary life, Ling Ma’s Severance is a quirky coming-of-adulthood tale and satire.

GoodReads

Amazon

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The Review

This book was so tough to rate for me. There were some things I truly loved about it and others I wasn’t wild about.

This novel follows Candace Chen. The world has been ravaged by a contagion known as Shen Fever, and after she escapes a dead New York she joins a small group of survivors. As they journey towards a safe location their leader Bob insists will be safe, Candace relives her life’s memories, trying to cope with the destroyed world around her.

I think the author really nailed the apocalyptic feel of things. The civilized world is gone, a husk of its former self. There’s this sense of uncertainty that carries from chapter to chapter that I really enjoyed.

Candace is a really great main character. She’s intelligent, thinks for herself, and questions the developments around her, which I personally believe saved her life many times over. She has a detached sense about her, so she doesn’t truly connect with anyone around her after the world is ravaged.

I think the structure of the book itself was where I had the most issue. The book is about a fifty fifty split between the present day and Candace’s memories. That kind of irked me, as I found the present day more interesting and her memories not quite as much, despite the writing being very strong. This meant that there wasn’t a lot happening in the present day and Candace’s memories really overtake her mind. I did think it made sense given all that she’d lost but I wanted the plot to move a bit more.

I also was a bit disappointed that those infected by Shen Fever weren’t very scary or threatening. It made the stakes a bit lower than I would have liked. If you like a character-driven apocalyptic story that isn’t too scary I think you’ll really enjoy this, but if you’re looking for something more riveting and fast-paced you might look elsewhere.

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. Like what you see? Leave a tip!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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