In the Country of Last Things

This book is fantastic. The writing is clear and often lovely, and the plot is simple but engaging. it's a story told by a young woman navigating her way through an unknown city, in an unknown year, after the apparent collapse of society for unspecified reasons. A comparison with The Handmaid's Tale comes to mind; however, what sets its apart from The Handmaid's Tale and other dystopian novels I've read, it manages not to dwell too much on images of cruetly and brutality. There is tension, violence, sadness, and loss - but nothing too graphic or horrific. More importantly, these moments are balanced by the moments of kindness and love that the main character is still able to experience. She is able to form strong, meaningful bonds with others, and this imbues the novel with a stubborn sense of hope that other dystopian novels often lack or explicitly seek to destroy. This makes the novel feel like it's commenting on more than just how terrible humans can be to each other. It manages to work its ways into more philosophical territory, particularly the nature of memory, words, and personal identity. It might be the only dystopian novel I'd ever want to reread.