Severance in Do Better: SFF without Sexual Violence

Aug 10, 2020 Beige rated it it was amazing

Shelves: zread-1-scifi, zread-interesting, zread-1-speculative, favourites, zz-top-10, zread-lit-21st

This well crafted, contemporary, wry, atypical, slow-creeping-apocalyptic book is going on to my shortlists of favourites. It seems odd saying that an apocalyptic story is relatable, but it is, so I'm saying it. And it's not covid-19 that makes it so, it's the character's city life with all of its late-stage-capitalism complexities. I feel you Candace.

Oh, and if you're planning on reading it and haven't read the blurb yet, don't. Imho, it's awfully spoiler-y.

2020 Favourite:

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25 likes · Like · see review

Apr 01, 2022 Amanda at Bookish Brews rated it really liked it

10 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2020 Rachel Brown rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This was really good. Perfect time to be reading it too. Definitely one I would recommend

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 30, 2020 Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Parts of this book really sucked me in - the pandemic itself, the way people reacted to it in different ways, the way that the protagonist had felt disaffected with her work because of how it exploits others for basically meaningless commodities.

However, I found the characters boring and unappealing (and those sex scenes - yuck) and the cult stuff wasn't that interesting. ...more

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Apr 25, 2025 max rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-sci-fi-and-fantasy, leftist-fiction, read-general-lit-fic, liked-writing-style-slash-tone

Ooo the overlap of diaspora alienation and late-stage capitalism alienation is soooo interesting. What do we inherit and how can we break cycles? I like the different faces and roles of memory, much to think about. And I like that this book is critical of economic imperialism and capitalism without absolving Candace of her individual role. Her options are limited but she has self-awareness and agency. I will need to let this settle and then reread

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