bionicturtle64's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book, and the mix of western scifi, African culture and unique writing made this a fun read!
Turns out it's the prequel to another series however, so at least that gives me more to read!
Turns out it's the prequel to another series however, so at least that gives me more to read!
scvalentine's review against another edition
This book was so good and not at all what I was expecting after reading Who Fears Death.
morj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
spartan445's review against another edition
dark
sad
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? No
4.5
This book is a very heavy read, psychologically.
jerseygrrrl's review against another edition
4.0
Whoa. Just finished. I need time to think about this one. Very intense, political, terrifying in the cruelty of humans towards humans. Beautifully written, spare and deliberate, heart breaking.
toniherrero's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
2.5
A favor: l'africanisme i l'anticapitalisme inherent a la novel·la. La part de la trama que té lloc a Ghana, que s'allunya de la ciència-ficció per acostar-se a la tradició i els mites africans. La idea que el Juju, el conjunt de creences espirituals africanes, es pot fer servir com a arma i per crear humans modificats. La bellesa poètica d'alguns fragments.
En contra: la prosa desordenada i atapeïda, sobretot la part dels EUA i cap al final, ha fet que la lectura no em resultés gratificant. La part metaliterària, que s'enreda encara més cap al final, no m'ha aportat absolutament res, més aviat m'ha molestat. Tot això fa que sovint no hagi sigut capaç d'imaginar-me el que l'autora tenia al cap, sobretot en la descripció de llocs com les torres i en determinades escenes. Les escenes d'acció, de fet, semblen tretes d'una pel·lícula de sobretaula dominical, i m'ha fet la sensació que estaven descrites de forma gairebé pueril.
En definitiva: mai no m'he cregut el personatge de la Phoenix i els seus vaivens emocionals. En canvi, molts personatges secundaris que han aparegut de manera fugaç —en Kofi, la parella que regenta el restaurant, etc— m'han arribat al cor. Tot plegat m'ha semblat un pastitx un pèl barroer, sobretot amb la part d'acció i ciència-ficció, on la narració m'ha resultat matussera i sovint desconcertant. En canvi, he gaudit molt de la part de la trama que té lloc a Ghana, un text ben bastit, sovint poètic i farcit de referents a la cultura africana que deixen volar la imaginació del lector. Tinc sensacions contraposades amb aquest llibre, el segon de l'escriptora que llegeixo, i començo a pensar que potser no és una autora per mi. El problema és que l'únic que em queda per llegir és Qui tem la mort, el més llarg (i potser feixuc?) de tots; sens dubte, si el llegeixo algun dia, marcarà un punt d'inflexió pel que fa a la meva relació amb Nnedi Okorafor.
En contra: la prosa desordenada i atapeïda, sobretot la part dels EUA i cap al final, ha fet que la lectura no em resultés gratificant. La part metaliterària, que s'enreda encara més cap al final, no m'ha aportat absolutament res, més aviat m'ha molestat. Tot això fa que sovint no hagi sigut capaç d'imaginar-me el que l'autora tenia al cap, sobretot en la descripció de llocs com les torres i en determinades escenes. Les escenes d'acció, de fet, semblen tretes d'una pel·lícula de sobretaula dominical, i m'ha fet la sensació que estaven descrites de forma gairebé pueril.
En definitiva: mai no m'he cregut el personatge de la Phoenix i els seus vaivens emocionals. En canvi, molts personatges secundaris que han aparegut de manera fugaç —en Kofi, la parella que regenta el restaurant, etc— m'han arribat al cor. Tot plegat m'ha semblat un pastitx un pèl barroer, sobretot amb la part d'acció i ciència-ficció, on la narració m'ha resultat matussera i sovint desconcertant. En canvi, he gaudit molt de la part de la trama que té lloc a Ghana, un text ben bastit, sovint poètic i farcit de referents a la cultura africana que deixen volar la imaginació del lector. Tinc sensacions contraposades amb aquest llibre, el segon de l'escriptora que llegeixo, i començo a pensar que potser no és una autora per mi. El problema és que l'únic que em queda per llegir és Qui tem la mort, el més llarg (i potser feixuc?) de tots; sens dubte, si el llegeixo algun dia, marcarà un punt d'inflexió pel que fa a la meva relació amb Nnedi Okorafor.
zanereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
aaronwarnersgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
2.5
hmm I can’t completely grasp how I feel about this book
so let’s just try it with list~
so let’s just try it with list~
- I really loved the beginning of this book. it was so confusing and full of mysteries and got you really anticipated for the book.
- even the first few chapters were really intriguing. the introduction of the main character was really cool
- I really enjoyed many of the beginnings of chapters. it was a lot about books and stories, about storytelling and time. they were easy to underline
- I really liked the epilogue as well. the way it set up the next book and contradicted Sunuteels thoughts and broke the forth wall was very suitable for the book
now the middle part of the book kind of dragged which was weird because there was always so much happening, but I guess it just doesn’t make sense that it was happening. let me explain~
- all the supernatural stuff happening in this book was made to look so normal and self evident, but it really wasn’t. like, the ending when she just destroyed the whole world??
- also the romance was pretty dull and just handled quite weird (iykyk)
- on top of that everything was just happening without tension or suspense. like it’s literally written like “I destroyed the building and defeated the bad bad guys. yay!” but more detailed
okay all in all I’d say you can read it but you don’t have to. take care and stay hydrated loves<3 mhua
phoenix_7's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this, and I only feel the need to write anything because I've read too many "this doesn't make sense" reviews. I guess this is a subtweet.
For one, and more minor -- how absolute dare people say that, in a futuristic science fiction narrative, that "X wouldn't happen" and the author should "do their research." Maybe save your definitions of plausible for your own world-building. (This is from someone who recently wrote a scathing review based on an author's under-researched, misuse of "parchment" vs "paper." I get it, but I don't think that's happening here.) Just because you can't imagine something doesn't mean it's under-researched. (Plus, the narrative provides a lot of explanation for these oddities -- like the archives in the LOC and why they use the Dewey Decimal system.)
More problematic, to me, is the judgment passed about the narrative styling and perspective. I'm seeing a lot of "this [action/emotion/knowledge] makes no sense" and even "the bad guys probably weren't that bad." (Ironically, I've seen this "I'd like more evidence that the bad guys are bad" in the same reviews as "how dare the narrative imply that the woman is irrational." Aight then.) All I can say is that if you are a white American, maybe you should hush and learn instead of passing judgment. I cannot imagine putting into words that some of the emotions here are extreme or unwarranted. I did not (and never will) "relate" to some of the traumas invoked in this story, because I'm a white, privileged, American woman. This story isn't written for me to "relate" with and it shouldn't be judged as trying to do so. This is the kind of story best consumed with an empathetic heart and an open [anti-racist, feminist] mind. Plus, it's a good fucking story and honestly just shut up.
Final point: For reviewers who comment on the narrative styling or awkward narration. The narrative openly invokes elements of an oral storytelling culture rather than western written textuality. Sometimes when I was caught up in the narrative (which moves between conversational, stream-of-consciousness, and more western-traditional narrative), it would come easily when I read out loud. Again, this is a moment where I'd encourage readers to consider how this story challenges internalized assumptions about what texts are and how they are consumed. Silent, solo reading is a relatively new phenomenon in the history of literacy; I think Okorafor pushes the boundaries of this in really interesting ways. If you don't like it, then it's not for you --but it's not without artistry.
For one, and more minor -- how absolute dare people say that, in a futuristic science fiction narrative, that "X wouldn't happen" and the author should "do their research." Maybe save your definitions of plausible for your own world-building. (This is from someone who recently wrote a scathing review based on an author's under-researched, misuse of "parchment" vs "paper." I get it, but I don't think that's happening here.) Just because you can't imagine something doesn't mean it's under-researched. (Plus, the narrative provides a lot of explanation for these oddities -- like the archives in the LOC and why they use the Dewey Decimal system.)
More problematic, to me, is the judgment passed about the narrative styling and perspective. I'm seeing a lot of "this [action/emotion/knowledge] makes no sense" and even "the bad guys probably weren't that bad." (Ironically, I've seen this "I'd like more evidence that the bad guys are bad" in the same reviews as "how dare the narrative imply that the woman is irrational." Aight then.) All I can say is that if you are a white American, maybe you should hush and learn instead of passing judgment. I cannot imagine putting into words that some of the emotions here are extreme or unwarranted. I did not (and never will) "relate" to some of the traumas invoked in this story, because I'm a white, privileged, American woman. This story isn't written for me to "relate" with and it shouldn't be judged as trying to do so. This is the kind of story best consumed with an empathetic heart and an open [anti-racist, feminist] mind. Plus, it's a good fucking story and honestly just shut up.
Final point: For reviewers who comment on the narrative styling or awkward narration. The narrative openly invokes elements of an oral storytelling culture rather than western written textuality. Sometimes when I was caught up in the narrative (which moves between conversational, stream-of-consciousness, and more western-traditional narrative), it would come easily when I read out loud. Again, this is a moment where I'd encourage readers to consider how this story challenges internalized assumptions about what texts are and how they are consumed. Silent, solo reading is a relatively new phenomenon in the history of literacy; I think Okorafor pushes the boundaries of this in really interesting ways. If you don't like it, then it's not for you --but it's not without artistry.
qtbaba's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5