By NK Jemisin
This book is about a city’s components being personified and uniting to defeat an invading evil. It is a premise I have never encountered before, so, as always, Jemisin blew my mind! New York is comprised of five boroughs: Staten Island, Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. Each of these have specific attributes distinctive only to that area, but they also share some similarities that make them all quintessentially New York.
After the birth of New York City, (and not every city even gets to be born) these five boroughs become embodied in five individuals that represent the best of their boroughs, and now have some supernatural powers based on those. Each of these avatars retain some of their former identity, but are consumed with fighting off the evil White Lady (I appreciate the nomenclature) from their turf. To defeat this interdimensional, coldly logical personification of evil, they have to unite and find the Primary Avatar, the essence of New York, who is the only one who can banish her completely.
Once a city becomes distinctive, or develops its own personality, it will be born. An avatar is chosen (usually only one) to usher in the birth and protect the city from outside forces during its fragile, newborn state. There are evil forces (the Lady of White) throughout the universe and different dimensional planes that attempt to kill off a city, and plant the threads that will grow into bringing their own city into existence in its place.
This is an interesting tale that defies stereotypes while also embracing them. The reader learns to embrace the culture and origin of each borough, and appreciate what makes them unique. From this pride of place, be it city, state, or nation, extraordinary power can be channeled into making the unimaginable possible. My description may not do it justice – go read it!
Soundtrack
- New York, New York by Frank Sinatra
- No Sleep Till Brooklyn by The Beastie Boys
- Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
- Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys & Jay-Z
- Welcome to New York by Taylor Swift
- We Built This City by Starship
Pros & Cons & Potential Spoilers
Pros
- The way Jemisin speaks about the creation of worlds and universes is inspired and genius
- A great lesson about owning a stereotype and using it to take down the aggressor in any situation
- The part about not selling out one’s artistic integrity for money and ethical compromise felt great
Cons
- Never liked New York in large doses and haven’t lived there, so the homage to it got a little monotonous for me. But hey, if the next one is about my city – absolutely five stars!