Review - The City We Became (Great Cities, #1) by N.K. Jemisin

 

 

 Title: The City We Became (Great Cities, #1)

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Pages: 481

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: 24th March 2020

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn't remember who he is, where he's from, or even his own name. But he can sense the beating heart of the city, see its history, and feel its power.

In the Bronx, a Lenape gallery director discovers strange graffiti scattered throughout the city, so beautiful and powerful it's as if the paint is literally calling to her.

In Brooklyn, a politician and mother finds she can hear the songs of her city, pulsing to the beat of her Louboutin heels.

And they're not the only ones.

Every great city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York? She's got six.

 

 

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My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Orbit and NetGalley*

 

 

Cities have avatars, humans that embody the city and protect it.

Some cities only have one avatar, but New York has six - one for each borough.

They have never met, but can they come together to protect New York from a growing threat that could destroy their home?

 

I have a confession - I have never read a N.K. Jemisin book. I'd always meant to, but never gotten around to it. Until now.

The six avatars of New York were all very different people, and it was interesting to read as they interacted with each other. As someone who has never been to New York, I don't know much about the city, so I appreciated that the reader is told what attributes are associated with each borough.

While I did enjoy finding out more about the avatars, there weren't any characters that stood out for me, and I didn't really connect with any of them. However, I liked the diversity.

The concept of the avatars and cities being alive was my favourite part of the book - I found it very interesting and intriguing and wanted to learn more.

The plot was mixed for me - it was interesting at times was a little confusing at the beginning. I did get a little bored at several points as the book seemed to drag, and I felt it could have been a lot shorter. I wasn't gripped, but I did want to see what would happen in the end, so I continued reading.

While I did enjoy this overall, I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would, so I'm a bit disappointed.

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.