BenLockwood reviewed Maroons by adrienne maree brown
A solid sequel
3 stars
This review was first published at BriefEcology.com
The novel continues the story of Dune, the main character from the first novel who has to learn to navigate an epidemic-stricken Detroit. The disease renders its victims catatonic with grief (hence the name Grievers), and apparently only affects the Black community.
Maroons picks up the story in a Detroit that is post evacuation. They city is empty (mostly), and we find Dune dealing with near unbearable loneliness. In this way, the novel is extremely introspective. It bears many genre tropes (strange disease, post-apocalyptic world, botanic magic), but these details fade far into the background in a story that foregrounds its characters struggles with the legacies of inequality and oppression in a changed world.
Maroons isn't a traditional horror novel. It's quiet, but also loud. It's about race, sex, gender, love, family, community, and geography. And it's worth a read.
