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The City We Became
by N. K. Jemisin

This is Jemisin's newest novel, and it is as amazing as I'd expected it to be. It's set in present-day New York City, but in this version of the world, cities are capable of coming alive through the conduit of human avatars. Or in the case of NYC, one avatar for each of the boroughs plus one for the city as a whole. Unfortunately, as the city is born and awakens its avatars, and ancient evil comes for it and them.
I loved this book. The characters are wonderful - I love the way Jemisin aligns their lives and personalities with the essence of their boroughs. And I especially like that Team NYC is mostly women and people of color, and one of them is above the age of 50. The plot is compelling and expertly paced. The narrative and prose snaps with an electricity, wit, and toughness, much like the city itself. And her commentary on and rebuke of Lovecraft is masterful. Best of all, as with Jemisin's other book, reading The City We Became is a very immersive experience where my surroundings almost completely melt away.

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