There may be spoilers in this:

Morgan Shamy’s The Stricken is a wild blend of romantic fantasy and fever-dream surrealism, but I’m hesitant to fully label it as either. The story revolves around Clara, a teen living in a small town (Desolation) where relentless storms erase everyone’s memories except hers. As the sole person who can retain her memories, Clara struggles to protect her mother while grappling with loneliness, exhaustion, and the eerie voice in her head—a voice that’s been her constant companion since childhood.

While the premise is imaginative, and the worldbuilding is packed with intriguing concepts—like memory-devouring Diviners, a magical town called Khalom, and a network of Nobles with reality-shifting powers—the execution left me conflicted. The story is undeniably original, but its complexity felt overwhelming at times, and certain aspects were either poorly explained or downright confusing.

Spoiler Section

What worked:

• The creativity in The Stricken deserves credit. Shamy builds a multilayered universe with unique elements like The Dim (a limbo-like realm for the truly dead), The White Room (a torture space reminiscent of Star Trek’s holodeck), and the five types of magic, including Clara’s rare and feared death magic.
• The story explores compelling themes like self-acceptance and the duality of light and dark within us, embodied by the dynamic between Kale and NoWon.

What didn’t work:

• The stakes felt hollow: Death is a central theme, but with so many characters repeatedly “dying” and coming back to life, the tension fizzled. When no loss feels permanent, it’s hard to stay emotionally invested.
• Character inconsistencies: Clara, though understandably shaped by years of loneliness, came across as immature in ways that were frustrating rather than relatable. Similarly, her quick forgiveness of characters who tortured her in The White Room felt unearned and unrealistic.
• Plot gaps and unresolved threads: How did Kale, a voice in Clara’s head for years, fail to notice the Diviners and Nobles living right under their noses in Desolation? Why was Clara so oblivious to the obvious—like the “NoWon” name pun? The ending, too, left me scratching my head. Was it meant to be happy, bittersweet, or something else entirely?

Ultimately, The Stricken left me feeling conflicted. Its dreamlike quality was both a strength and a weakness: while it was imaginative, it often felt disjointed and hard to follow. I wanted to love the world and characters more, but the lack of cohesion and emotional depth kept me from fully connecting.

If you’re a fan of ambitious, abstract fantasy with a touch of romance and don’t mind some narrative confusion, this book might work for you. For me, it was a mixed bag, and I’m not sure I’ll be diving into a sequel.