Finna is the story of an elderly woman getting lost in another dimension when a wormhole opens up in a definitely-not-IKEA big box furniture store. I know, I can already imagine what you’re thinking: “I thought this was a speculative fiction blog. This just sounds like a regular trip to IKEA!”
The suspension of disbelief isn’t really the point in this delightful novella. Nino Cipri expertly blends the mundane with the surreal, introducing us to a fascinating multiverse through the eyes of two minimum-wage retail workers who recently broke up with each other.
The heart was a stupid, hurting animal, and her heart was stupider than most.
I love when broken people learn to be less broken together, even if the journey is rocky. The complicated relationship between Jules and Ava was wonderful to read. Their interactions and growth throughout the novella were the glue that held the story together.
Finna grabbed my attention completely when, after a mysterious wormhole into another dimension swallows up a customer, the reaction from the store manager is “Ugh not again, time to make everyone watch the wormhole safety video again.” It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was exactly what I wanted.
The story that follows delivers equal parts weird adventure, snarky banter, and emotional moments that hit close to home. I often enjoy reading an author’s take on some of life’s many unanswerable questions. Instead of providing answers, Finna simply offers the assurance that the answer exists. It’s just on us to find it.
I could remind myself that somewhere in the multiverse of possibility, there existed a world where I was all of those things. Maybe it was the world that I already lived in.
Jules and Ava were lovely characters, and I only wish there were more pages to explore their relationship. This was my first experience with Cipri’s work, and based on the strength of Finna, I’m excited to see what they write next.
I received an ARC of this novella from Tor.com in exchange for a fair and honest review. Finna by Nino Cipri releases February 25, 2020.
will be adding this to the to read list. Nice review.