Review: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
Overview:
Rating: 4 out of 5.
N.K. Jemisin did it again! Even though this book was a bit harder for me to ease into (I’m new to the sci-fi genre), I loved the plot development and suspense, the detailed world-building, and Jemisin’s use of layered narratives. I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out.
Content Warning:
Dance of Thieves contains familial death/loss, gore, violence, profanity, war, sexual content, child abuse, and poverty.
Book Description:
The City We Became is an Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Every major city, every real city, goes through the process of being born. When this process occurs, the city chooses a champion to become its soul and protector. When New York is born, it chooses 6. Except something has gone terribly wrong. The chosen must use their newfound powers to find each other and defend against a multi-dimensional force that threatens not only their city but their entire world.
On The Development of the Plot:
Like in Jemisin’s other works (specifically, The Broken Earth Trilogy), the reader enters the story without much context or explanation as to what’s going on. From a state of chaos, Jemisin slowly feeds you clues until you can form an at least semi-solid understanding of the plot and major players around page 100 or so. I personally love this writing style and the way it forces me to engage critically with the text. Not only do I feel more accomplished once the pieces start to come together, but it also adds a sense of mystery and suspense that keeps me hooked on the story. That being said, this is not a book that can be read casually in between errands or with divided attention — ESPECIALLY if sci-fi is a genre that is less familiar to you. I suggest setting aside some chunks of solid reading time if you really want to delve into and experience this book in its full glory.
On The World-Building:
This book takes a fascinating deep dive into the psyche (or “personalities,” if you will) of each of New York’s major Burroughs. As someone who has only briefly visited these locations and has no significant lived experience to compare such descriptions to, I cannot speak to their accuracy. However, the acknowledgments in the back of the book lead me to believe that, in addition to utilizing the knowledge that she has gained from living in New Yorker herself, Jemisin undertook a massive amount of research and editing in order to provide the most accurate depictions of life in each area.
On The Use of Multiple Narratives:
There are 6+ main characters in this book, depending on how you look at it. Jemisin SEAMLESSLY bounces back and forth between each of them in the third-person perspective, never using chapters or name headings to differentiate these transitions. Such a feat is impressive enough on its own, but even more so when you take into consideration the wildly different perspectives and identities that each of her characters has. I was never confused, never bored, and repeatedly in awe of how expertly she used each of their narratives to complicate and add depth to the story overall.
On The Sci-Fi Elements on the Text:
The element of The City We Became that I struggled with most was… well, the sci-fi. This is NOT due to any fault of N.K. Jemisin or her writing style, I’m just still very much a beginner to the genre and some of the elements it frequently utilizes. For example, this book talks a lot about metaphysical realms and punching holes through time/space/reality — things I have a harder time conceptualizing. STILL, this read was well worth the growing pains and time spent grappling with unfamiliar terminology.
On Who Might Enjoy The City We Became (an incomplete list):
I recommend you read The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin if you:
enjoyed the writing style and building of suspense in Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy
are looking for a challenging read in terms of plot development
want to get into si-fi, but struggling to find books that aren’t in the dominant white, male perspective
like t.v. shows like The Boys on Amazon Prime
PLEASE NOTE: Image sources for the photo edit on this post can be found here.