Marissa Levien

Absolutely fantastic book! The world is expansive, gripping, and somehow relatable to the one we inhabit, despite its rich, imaginative sci-fi themes. A contemplative read made accessible by characters you feel like you know personally by the end of the book.

Well written throughout, a sci-fi book that defines what needs to be defined without losing the magic of a complex, undefinable scenario. The echo of romance, the impact of generational trauma, and the creeping fear of death throughout show more make this one of the best books I've read so far. show less

The World Gives Way is a science fiction novel set on a spaceship as large as an entire world. It is the world to the people who live on it, who were all born there and whose families have lived on it for generations. Myrra is a contract worker, one of the unlucky people whose ancestors decided to pay for their passage by pledging themselves and their descendants to something almost like slavery for a full two hundred years. She is looking forward to the day fifty years in the future, when show more the ship will finally arrive at its destination and she will finally be free. Unfortunately, things take a turn when her wealthy employers reveal a shocking truth: the ship has been damaged beyond repair. It is only a matter of time before they die. When her employers decide to take their own lives rather than face what's coming, Myrra is left with their infant daughter Charlotte and a mountain of suspicion on her head. No one else knows that the world is ending, and she's smart enough to know that she will be accused of murder if she stays. Will she be able to find to outrun the law and find a way to escape the damaged ship? Or is she going to die having lived nothing but a miserable life?

I found it refreshing that the strongest relationship in this novel is that between an infant and her adoptive mother. Myrra's desire to keep and protect Charlotte is both understandable and strong, and yet I haven't previously read any book that takes such an approach. I also enjoyed the world building, which is especially highlighted as Myrra runs from one beautiful or fascinating location to the next. There's one city built into the side of a cliff. Another that's completely underwater. There's a vast desert made of colored sand from ground up glass and mountains with stained glass built in. It's incredibly inventive all throughout.

It's also, however, a bit of a downer. Nearly from the beginning, the omniscient narrator will deliver chapters whose sole purpose is to describe how various parts of the world will be destroyed and what will become of those who once lived there, leaving no uncertainty for the reader about whether the ship could yet be saved. Although the reader can still hold out hope that some of the characters may find an escape, the sense of impending loss hangs heavy over the entire story.

If you like sad books, you may yet enjoy it. I imagine that some people would be very interested in exploring these bittersweet ideas of what a person might do when they know that time is short and everything they know and love is about to be destroyed. For some, it might function as a wakeup call: am I living the life I want to live right now? Others might enjoy it for everything that comes between: the unique character relationships, the thrill of watching Myrra run, the intricate world building. This book has a good mix of both, so, while I found it a bit too existentially depressing to be my cup of tea, other readers may find it hits the spot. show less

I am fascinated with the imaginings of what Earth might look like in the future. Marissa Levien has come up with her own spin on in her new novel, The World Gives Way.
"In fifty years, Myrra will be free." Myrra Dal was born into a 'contract', as were generations before her. But in fifty years, her servitude will be done and the Earth will have made it to a safe place. For you see, Earth has been recreated on a massive scale - as a ship. They've been travelling for over one hundred years show more already. The earth as we know it is just a memory, with some artifacts still around. (Interestingly wood is one of those artifacts. At today's Covid prices, we might be heading there!)

Levien's world building is quite beautiful, with every country having added their bit of the world, the ship. But it is built for the elite, the wealthy. Then, the unthinkable happens and everything changes for Myrra, and she grabs the unexpected opportunity. The reader is along for the journey as she runs from her current situation to what is hopefully a safe haven.

I initially thought The World Gives Way would be more dystopian, more sci-fi. It is, but the human connections are what drives this book forward and take center stage. There are two main characters - Myrra and Tobias, the agent chasing her. Expectations and duty start to take a backseat to real human emotions, desires, wants, hopes and more.

Levien is a beautiful writer. The descriptions of time and space are vivid and bring the world, the ship to life. But again, it is that exploration of what it is to be human, to feel and to just be that really drew me in. She captures the uncertainty and then the freedom of just living through her two leads. The ending? Not what I imagined, but exactly right.

The World Gives Way is a slow burning, strong debut. show less

Levien, Marissa. The World Gives Way. Redbook, 2021.
The World Gives Way is a debut novel that has been rightly praised for its characters. Myrra is an indentured servant on a starship the size of Switzerland on a centuries-long voyage. In the opening scene, the couple she works for commit suicide, leaving her with their baby. She learns they committed suicide because they know the ship has a worsening breach in its hull that cannot be fixed. Besides Myrra, the other main character, Tobias, show more is an investigator looking into the couple’s death. Myrra is an obvious suspect. Tobias and Myrra are well-crafted—we know who they are and what motivates them, though their emotions remain a bit opaque, which at least keeps them from being as soppy as the plot demands. They carry on and maintain their humanity, even when there seems no reason to do so. The novel shifts from character to character by the chapter, and there are interstitial chapters that are meant to connect us with various locales on the ship. There is no suspense about the fate of the ship—it is a Titanic after the iceberg, and there are no lifeboats. Levien has little interest in the engineering of the ship or the cause of the disaster. There are no MacGyver’s finding clever ways to save the ship. The novel has a quiet, elegiac tone unrelieved by suspense, exposition, or frantic action. As T. S. Eliot told us, the world ends “not with a bang but a whimper.” In this case, it is not even that—just quiet resignation. 3.5 stars. show less