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lumidouce's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
spadedigsbutts's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This wasn't quite the book for me but it was still good overall. If you like dark fables or coming of age stories, you will probably enjoy this a lot! This is a weird ask, but if you partake, I would almost suggest reading it out loud with a friend or two. The writing style itself feels very much like an oral tale put to print, which really adds to the vibes of the story and its fable-like nature, but it did make me want an audio book my whole read, which we sadly rarely get for novellas.
Due to its shortness, only the MC gets any development and despite how few characters there were I didn't quite latch onto anyone else but him. Granted, he does have very interesting and justifiable development, it's just I often struggled to remember other character's existence even when they were right there. There are a lot of fight scenes and they are decently written with some very nice visual language. All that in mind, if an African influenced fantasy coming-of-age fable in a desert of lies and obfuscation with a bunch of fight scenes is your jam, go for it!
Due to its shortness, only the MC gets any development and despite how few characters there were I didn't quite latch onto anyone else but him. Granted, he does have very interesting and justifiable development, it's just I often struggled to remember other character's existence even when they were right there. There are a lot of fight scenes and they are decently written with some very nice visual language. All that in mind, if an African influenced fantasy coming-of-age fable in a desert of lies and obfuscation with a bunch of fight scenes is your jam, go for it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Grief, and Murder
woyster's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
justabat's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
fast-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Murder
remescient's review
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It's a good novella, I liked it. I wish the world felt a little more fleshed out, since it feels pretty flat, but since it's so short it's mostly not a problem.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
tifftastic87's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"There is no water in the City of Lies" is the phrase Tutu grows up hearing. In his city they cut out the tongue of all of those over the age of 13 to appease the Ajungo. The Ajungo bring water in exchange. But when Tutu's mother is dying of dehydration, he decides to become a hero and search for water. In the desert he learns the truth of everything.
This is such a brilliantly told metaphor. The world is vivid and brimming with realness and I got really attratched to the characters. The rhythmic style of story telling made me feel like I was sitting around a fire getting told a story. I'll definitely be looking for more from this author.
This is such a brilliantly told metaphor. The world is vivid and brimming with realness and I got really attratched to the characters. The rhythmic style of story telling made me feel like I was sitting around a fire getting told a story. I'll definitely be looking for more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Xenophobia and Death of parent
a2_rache11's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This was more violent than what I'm usually up for, but it was well written and subversive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
mar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Vomit, and Death of parent
amandadevoursbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
This novella packs an emotional wallop. Tutu lives in the city of lies. It is a place where at 13, almost all people have their tongues caught off as part of a deal the city's leader made generations ago. Any child can leave the city and go searching for water. When his mother succumbs to thirst, Tutu takes up this mission and goes into the unending desert around the city.
It reads like a fable and centers a quest. It isn't YA. It deals with power structures, evil, greed, and lies. It haunting, heart-wrenching, and well worth a read.
It reads like a fable and centers a quest. It isn't YA. It deals with power structures, evil, greed, and lies. It haunting, heart-wrenching, and well worth a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
What a wonderful debut! The Lies of the Ajungo reads like a fable, following a young boy named Tutu who sets out from the City of Lies to try to find water. The city, for years, has been given just enough water by the Ajungo to (mostly) survive, but it comes at a very steep cost. Tutu is far from the first child to set out in search of water; he knows children don't come back from the Forever Desert, but he also knows he must go to try to save his mother.
I appreciated the development of Tutu's perspective and his growth as a character over a very short number of pages, the inclusion of compelling secondary characters, and Utomi's exploration of his themes. I will absolutely look forward to reading more of his work!
Content warnings: violence, death, murder, blood, grief, death of a non-human animal
I appreciated the development of Tutu's perspective and his growth as a character over a very short number of pages, the inclusion of compelling secondary characters, and Utomi's exploration of his themes. I will absolutely look forward to reading more of his work!
Content warnings: violence, death, murder, blood, grief, death of a non-human animal
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail