A review by bobbyclark
Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejidé

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Creatures of Passage is a very heavy and abstract speculative fiction, that reads like poetry and feels like mythology. Taking inspiration from Egyptian mythology, Yejidé navigates a somewhat simple story of a broken family in 70’s Washington DC through wave after wave of philosophy, culture, grief, and trauma. This is a beautifully written story, but you can’t escape the weight of it. This is not horror, but it is haunting.

The pace is slow and I do wish I had looked up the trigger warnings before jumping into this. I’m not sure I was mentally ready for some of the child stuff that this novel revolves around. While not exactly graphic, Yejidé does put you face to face with it. 

3.5 to 4 stars. I’m teetering between the two.
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