Finna by Nino Cipri

Finna

by Nino Cipri

"A magical anti-capitalist adventure." -Annalee Newitz

Finna is a rambunctious, touching story that blends all the horrors the multiverse has to offer with the everyday awfulness of low-wage work. It explores queer relationships and queer feelings, capitalism and accountability, labor and love, all with a bouncing sense of humor and a commitment to the strange.

When an elderly customer at a Swedish big box furniture store - but not that one - slips through a portal to another dimension, it's up to two minimum-wage employees to track her across the multiverse and protect their company's bottom line. Multi-dimensional swashbuckling would be hard enough, but those two unfortunate souls broke up a week ago.

To find the missing granny, Ava and Jules will brave carnivorous furniture, swarms of identical furniture spokespeople, and the deep resentment simmering between them. Can friendship blossom from the ashes of their relationship? In infinite dimensions, all things are possible.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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I received a copy of Finna through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Finna is a whirlwind adventure set in a shocking environment. Written by Nino Cipri, this piece of speculative science fiction makes heavy use of wormholes, multiple dimensions, and the humbling nature that is minimum wage life.

This novella takes a swipe at capitalism, all under the guise of science fiction and entertainment. It’s a hilarious tale, yet carries with it several important messages, as well as a debate or two. Add in some brilliant representation and a touch of horror, and you’ve got yourself a unique and diverting read. Oh! And did I mention the pirates?

Ava and Jules are just two ordinary minimum wage employees, stuck at a major store known for their confusing layouts. Okay, perhaps they’re not exactly ordinary. The adventure they’re about to take is certainly anything but.

When a wormhole opens up in one of the departments, it’s up to the two lowest ranking members of the store to dive in and retrieve the lost customer. After all, it’s what a good employee does. And it protects the business.

“We’re here to tell you what to do if a wormhole opens up on your shift!

Oh my goodness. Finna was such an insane and entertaining read! I loved every minute of it. Actually, I read it twice before I even considered sitting down to write this review. And I had to resist the urge to read it a third time.

So it is safe to say that I loved Finna. It was a scathing take on conglomerations and corporations. Yet it was highly satisfying to see. Especially all wrapped up in science fiction and humor. The tone of this novella was undoubtedly set by the snark and sass found within these pages.

Honestly? This book had a little bit of everything, in just the right proportions. It was social commentary. It was science fiction. It was inter-dimensional space travel. It was a breakup story. It was a tale of friendship. It was representation. And it was full of aliens and pirates. Really, what more could you ask for?

Along with being a totally unique read, it was also beautifully written. Nino Cipri is an author worth checking out. I know I’ll be adding their entire backlog to my TBR list, once I’m done writing this review. I absolutely adore their sense of humor, as well as their sense of adventure and character building.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 February, 2020: Finished reading
  • 22 February, 2020: Reviewed