Amanda McNeil

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages Bloemetje

My star review is withheld at the moment until this round of SFINCS has closed in December. :)

A group of humans have left Earth to terraform the planet Venus. Placing a dome around a suitable piece of land, they’ve introduced vegetation that will allow them a breathable atmosphere. But what they never took into consideration is the destruction they are doing in the process. While humans are beginning to thrive, the native species are slowly but surely losing their natural resources.

Bloemetje not only addresses the themes of colonization but many other important topics such as adoption and inclusive LGBTQ+ society. The story first focuses on a woman and her partner. While many of her fellow humans are beginning to show signs of pregnancy, she and her partner are facing infertility. Her mental health begins to spiral as the realization of it begins to surface. At one of her lowest moments, her partner brings home a tulip in an effort to lift her spirits. And from that tulip Bloemetje is born. A tiny baby girl, no bigger than their thumb.

The story will shift to Bloemetje's point of view, as she tries to understand the world around her. Kept in secret, she can only catch glimpses of the world from time to time. Amanda McNeil did a fantastic job showing a child’s need to grow and explore with Bloemetje's curiosity. The little girl asks questions and her need to know more about the world around her is as charming as it is dangerous. And though there are threats of greater conflict and disagreements between Bloemetje and her adopted parents, the story does not portray immediate conflict often.

This retelling of Thumbelina has such a wonderful goal. To bring light to the difficulties many face in the world. Amanda McNeil uses a fairytale style to tactfully address these issues in a sensitive way. Each episodic chapter is easy to digest and allows the reader time to take breaks in the event anything is triggering. If you enjoy fairytale retellings, give Bloemetje a read.… (meer)

I have never seen a Thumbelina retelling before, so I was very intrigued. And this short novella sure packs a lot into the story. The setting is a human colony on Venus, where the inhabitants have basically bought into indentured servitude for a large corporation to terraform the planet as Earth is becoming uninhabitable due to climate change and other environmental degradation. Two unnamed colonists desperately want a child but keep miscarrying. So the woman's non-binary partner picks a tulip (illegally) to bring to their wife. Inside is Bloemetje (which means "bouquet" in Dutch), our Thumbelina. There's a lot here about colonization, corporate control, identity, and self-determination. I enjoyed it, but also felt the need for just a little bit more. There's a very fable-esque quality to Bloemetje, which both worked but also served to disconnect the reader from the story. There were also some strange references to "God's will" which seemed out of place, and threw me out of the reading.
… (meer)

Bloemetje by Amanda McNeil is a quick read with lingering effects. This short sci-fi follows a young girl who was accidentally removed from her home and raised by loving, but very different, parents. She makes her way back to her homeland and discovers the destruction that her adopted species has unknowingly wrought on the planet. She also discovers a deep friendship and genuine love.

The story is told in third person in a very clear, fairytale-like style with descriptive settings and strong character motivations. In addition to incorporating elements of the Thumbelina story, Bloemetje also delves into many contemporary observations and challenges in obvious ways. The LGBTQ+ themes around family and identity are a welcomed and needed addition to sci-fi stories, and we need more normalized inclusive societies in our stories. My favorite unexpected elements of this unique story revolve around consideration for nonhuman living creatures and the inclusion of Dutch words. I wish the story was told in either closer third person or first person so that I could be more immersed in how the characters felt.… (meer)