The City We Became

I love N.K. Jemisin and I love the idea of this book, but the execution fell flat for me. I think the characters being stereotypes of their neighborhoods, although it makes perfect sense for the concept, didn't help me connect with the characters and I found each one pretty obnoxious. I think that if the book had been longer, I would have been able to see more redeemable qualities in the characters and been more invested in the outcome of each of them.

I also might not like urban fantasy, which I never knew before. Combining such fantastical elements with a real world setting was difficult for me to get into. Also, all the New York insider knowledge required to understand the references was annoying to me.

Overall, the concept will stick with me and the story moved at a quick enough pace for a three star rating for me.