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jitter's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Mhmhnhm. I tried really hard to like this book. I loved all the Nigerian cultural stuff but I really really really didn't like Zelu. I don't remember the last time I disliked a character this much. She's incredibly selfish and honestly realistically she would have been been sued for breach of contract.
The book also keeps telling us about this incredible book she's written but honestly the parts we're shown are rudimentary at best. Idk. I might be missing something but it also felt... Incomplete? Ugh. Not my cuppa
Ps what in the musk/bezos apologist fuckin shit did I just read??????
The book also keeps telling us about this incredible book she's written but honestly the parts we're shown are rudimentary at best. Idk. I might be missing something but it also felt... Incomplete?
Ps what in the musk/bezos apologist fuckin shit did I just read??????
Graphic: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
katieandkiri's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What an incredible read. This is the kind of book that stays with you and reading it in the format it’s in was something new that I loved. Sometimes the social media aspects really threw me off and felt like it had dated the book already. It still feels necessary to have that element but it was one I didn’t particularly enjoy. The ending though is probably my favorite part. And Okorafor’s writing is just brilliant. Pages would fly by so quickly and it’s so easy to be engaged. Overall loved the experience of this book and highly recommend for those who are fans of literary fiction and sci-fi.
Graphic: Ableism and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, and Gaslighting
Minor: Gun violence
almostqualified's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Ableism, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Violence and War
lyssylyssy's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use and Gun violence
Minor: Kidnapping
tianas_littalk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Death of the Author alternates between Zelu's life of newfound success, her robot novel, and family interviews. Upon losing her job and facing rejection of her latest manuscript, Zelu initiates the writing of a science fiction novel centered on robots. Surprisingly, the book attains remarkable success.
Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of multiple POV shifts, but in this case, the narrative benefited from this approach. The interviews with Zelu's family members offered a nuanced understanding of her character, which was necessary given the dysfunctional nature of their relationships. I found their behavior towards her disturbing, but her growth and increasing assertiveness were admirable. The Rusted Robots chapters were enjoyable, although the shifts between storylines occasionally caused frustration. Nevertheless, I was fully invested in both narratives, which explored complex, yet intersecting conflicts and character arcs.
This novel is outstanding, weaving together a rich tapestry of themes and topics. It would be an excellent choice for a book club. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of multiple POV shifts, but in this case, the narrative benefited from this approach. The interviews with Zelu's family members offered a nuanced understanding of her character, which was necessary given the dysfunctional nature of their relationships. I found their behavior towards her disturbing, but her growth and increasing assertiveness were admirable. The Rusted Robots chapters were enjoyable, although the shifts between storylines occasionally caused frustration. Nevertheless, I was fully invested in both narratives, which explored complex, yet intersecting conflicts and character arcs.
This novel is outstanding, weaving together a rich tapestry of themes and topics. It would be an excellent choice for a book club. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
culturekath's review
While there were many elements of the story that were great, I really loved reading about Nigerian culture and family dynamics, I couldn’t get into the prose or the format of a book within the book, the jumping around left me not caring for either part of the story.
Moderate: Drug use