Book Review | The Impossible Resurrection of Grief

In the not-so-distant future, humanity is afflicted with a psychological phenomenon called the Grief, an overwhelming melancholia brought on by collapse of ecosystems and the mass extinction of species. It manifests in various ways and with various obsessions: one elderly woman tries to bring back the thylacines, another man tries to recreate wrens with robots, and another woman becomes obsessed with plastic and calls herself the Sea Witch.

For our main character Ruby, she tries to stave off the Grief by fixating on the ever-resilient jellyfish—all while trying come to terms with her best friend’s suicide and her divorce.

The Impossible Resurrection of Grief by Octavia Cade is a beautiful and hauntingly surreal eco novella that blends sci-fi with Anderson fairytales. Without flinching, Cade poignantly tackles not only our relationship with animals, but our relationship with other people as well.

This novella asks so many fascinating questions. What is the cost of losing a species and what is the cost of trying to bring it back? It almost reminds me of that one line from Jurassic Park where Ian says, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

I just wish we had more time to explore the answers.

Thank you, NetGalley and Stelliform Press, for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : May 20, 2021

Publisher : Stelliform Press

ISBN : 1777091764

Pages : 82

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