Series: Great Cities #1
Author: N.K. Jemisin
Publisher: Orbit
Released: March 24, 2020
Received: Own (BOTM)
Warnings: Racism, misogyny, sexual assault, child abuse, antisemitism, abuse

The City We Became is the first in a new series by N.K. Jemisin, a brilliant author that we all should cherish more. Or at least, that is how I feel about it. The Great Cities series is science fiction with a strong city focus.

Every city has a soul, though most people don’t know how to listen for it. In New York City’s case, it has five souls. Each one is carefully hidden away to best protect all we know and love. However, a great danger is rising, and it will take all five souls to protect the city and stop this horrible darkness.

“People who say change is impossible are usually pretty happy with things just as they are.”

N.K. Jemisin has done it again. The City We Became is a bold and brilliant read, one that I’m sincerely struggling to describe. I’m so happy I grabbed it when I had a spare credit for BOTM club, though honestly, I really should have read this beauty much sooner.

What I can say is that The City We Became is by far one of the most unique books I’ve read this year. Since this will likely end up being my second to the last novel read this year, I would like to think that is saying something!

“This is the lesson: Great cities are like any other living things, being born and maturing and wearying and dying in their turn.”

I love the idea of a city having human avatars. More than that, I adore that New York has more than one. It makes sense on so many levels, and I honestly couldn’t get enough of this story or the characters it portrayed.

There is something so essential and so human about this read. It’s not perfect because people aren’t perfect. But it was the perfect read for me, and sometimes that is more than good enough.