chmccann's review against another edition
2.0
Such a strong start, and such a compelling idea! Aliens come to Lagos for first contact. As Okorafor says, other places might have had an organized, government-led response. But in Lagos, the aliens can reach out to regular people, mix among them, and both wonder and chaos ensue.
But then, this devolved into just more and more chaos. The closest thing to a plot is that the main characters think the alien ambassador needs to talk to the president of Nigeria. This involves uploading YouTube videos of the alien doing alien things, wading through unrest in the streets, sitting in traffic jams, etc. It's all very quotidian. Presumably if aliens wanted to talk to the president, they could have just raised their ship out of the ocean, broadcast a message, and sat back and waited.
There's no in-world explanation of why they don't do that. I'm guessing the real explanation is that Okorafor wants the opportunity to show readers the tapestry of life in Lagos. And actually, I did like learning about Lagos and Nigeria from someone with strong ties and firsthand knowledge of the place.
I would even have enjoyed the introduction of Nigerian gods and folklore figures, if it had felt like an organic, meaningful part of the story. Instead, it was like Okorafor crammed in a hasty pastiche of [b:American Gods|30165203|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462924585l/30165203._SY75_.jpg|1970226]. It's too bad, because I'd love to read a full novel by a writer of African descent using that idea! But here it's just a few sentences here and there, and doesn't connect much with the rest of the story.
I saw enough cool stuff here that I want to check out her other books. I just don't think this came together as a story. It's a sci-fi excuse for a love letter to Lagos.
But then, this devolved into just more and more chaos. The closest thing to a plot is that the main characters think the alien ambassador needs to talk to the president of Nigeria. This involves uploading YouTube videos of the alien doing alien things, wading through unrest in the streets, sitting in traffic jams, etc. It's all very quotidian. Presumably if aliens wanted to talk to the president, they could have just raised their ship out of the ocean, broadcast a message, and sat back and waited.
There's no in-world explanation of why they don't do that. I'm guessing the real explanation is that Okorafor wants the opportunity to show readers the tapestry of life in Lagos. And actually, I did like learning about Lagos and Nigeria from someone with strong ties and firsthand knowledge of the place.
I would even have enjoyed the introduction of Nigerian gods and folklore figures, if it had felt like an organic, meaningful part of the story. Instead, it was like Okorafor crammed in a hasty pastiche of [b:American Gods|30165203|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462924585l/30165203._SY75_.jpg|1970226]. It's too bad, because I'd love to read a full novel by a writer of African descent using that idea! But here it's just a few sentences here and there, and doesn't connect much with the rest of the story.
I saw enough cool stuff here that I want to check out her other books. I just don't think this came together as a story. It's a sci-fi excuse for a love letter to Lagos.
juliawithmonkeys's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
3.5
mergs_scribbles's review against another edition
4.5
This was a thought-provoking read with interesting storytelling. I really enjoyed how all the characters— human or not— were all tied together in some way and it was fun seeing everything come together in the end.
mamaduck9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
rmendes42's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
drewsbookandteareviews's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.25
findyourstory's review against another edition
3.0
Argh. I'm really iffy with this book. First I'll say I really enjoyed the plot. Aliens in Lagos? Pretty interesting. The fact that almost all the characters in the book were connected somehow also made me smile. Sometimes it can seem contrived when that happens. I know Okorofor does that a lot in her books (in Who Fears Death it felt kind of forced IMO), so I wasn't surprised. I really enjoyed getting to know parts of the culture through Nigerian mythology and anthropomorphic spiders, bats and sea creatures. It really speaks to the Nigerian custom to feature wisdom-wielding animals in stories.
Now, the reason I'm at a crossroads with this book is the characters and plot holes. The first thing I thought was completely unbelievable is the trio's confidence in the President. Come on. Nigerians (and Africans) know how corrupt their politicians are. So it was weird that he was the chosen one to speak with the Elders. And also the romance between Ago and Adaora? What was that? I also didn't particularly like Ayodele. There wasn't much substance to her.
I do think that the strength of this book lies in the plot. It's a fast, interesting read with a lot of action. I would've loved to learn more about the aliens and their way of life instead of the superficial anecdotes we got.
Now, the reason I'm at a crossroads with this book is the characters and plot holes. The first thing I thought was completely unbelievable is the trio's confidence in the President. Come on. Nigerians (and Africans) know how corrupt their politicians are. So it was weird that he was the chosen one to speak with the Elders. And also the romance between Ago and Adaora? What was that? I also didn't particularly like Ayodele. There wasn't much substance to her.
I do think that the strength of this book lies in the plot. It's a fast, interesting read with a lot of action. I would've loved to learn more about the aliens and their way of life instead of the superficial anecdotes we got.
carmelitasita's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0