Clara > Recent Status Updates

What a fascinating fever dream... Idk what's going on AT ALL, and I'm loving it. What a great and beautiful idea for a book, I'm hooked!

"Communities sustain life - not nuclear families, or the "couple," and certainly not the rugged individualist." p.129

"I have been birds and branches. I have been bees and wolves. I have been ether flooding the void between stars, tangling their breath into networks of song. I have been fish and plankton and humus, and all these have been me.
But while I've been enmeshed in this wholeness- they are not the whole of me." p.72
This book's prose is exquisite, almost decadent, and I love it.

"And then we'd be at each other's throats even more.' Oh, petal. You say that like it's a bad thing." p.36
I thought that rereading this book might be a boring experience, but oh my, was I mistaken.
This book got me kicking my feet nonstop - there is just something about cyborg lesbians writing each other intricate letters throughout time and space that makes me yearn for my own personal cyborg lesbian.

"I hope they burn your fields and salt the earth. I hope they send your friends and family to the prye."
The raw pain, despair, and anger of being denied your humanity addressed in this book makes me sick and incredibly sad. What an important read. Nina, you have my heart. Matthias, I get that you grew up with disgusting and inhuman narratives, but at this point, respectfully, go fu&% yourself.

What a great start! I love the pace and the characters... except for Matthias, he's giving fanatical Christian incel, can't stand his resting genocide face.
Also, I'm kinda reminded of The Poppy War bc of the heavy topics this book touches on (not in the same intensity but still), that is genocide, xenophobia, dehumanisation, forced prostitution, human trafficking, fanaticism...
Fun ride so far hahah

THESE WOMEN ARE FIRE! The empowerment, the way they expose the ridiculous nature of patriarchy and LAUGH in their husband's and abuser's faces, is ICONIC. This feels like female rage and revenge, however, it's much more elegant - it's peak feminism. If I'll ever have just an ounce of their grace, I'll be able to die in peace. Amen

What a beautiful story so far! The character growth is amazing, the empowerment and sisterhood so beautiful and the depiction of pain and abuse so clear and unadorned. I also love the way sexuality is portrayed in all its shapes, some beautiful and curious, other cruel and horrible due to patriarchy and oppression. Such a good book with strong female characters, I'm excited to read on :)))

I love the humour, however... the MISOGYNY in this book?! Wtf
"My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals"
Do I have to say more?

Kafka never fails to disturb or to make my stomach turn.

Damn Kafka, who hurt you?! This is horrific - I was just snacking but had to stop eating since this is making me nauseous. It reminds me a bit of the "The Pit and the Pendulum" so far, which, for those who know the story, should be enough to go by.

Women - friends - get gruesomely raped and tortured, but the worst thing so far is Altan's opium addiction?!

The master could give her wisdom and peace, but Altan, who verbally and physically ABUSED her, and who is about to destroy the whole planet, that's the one she'll follow.
What an obnoxious main character, dear lord

GURL STOP THINKING WITH UR PUSS* AND START USING UR BLOODY BRAIN

He is our commander blah blah
After literally just hearing that women and children had been rap*ed relentlessly, tortured in the most gruesome ways, she dares to call her commander being hooked on opium the worst thing she's seen so far. Gurl, GET A GRIP!