A review by morebedsidebooks
Tentacle, by Rita Indiana

Tentacle by Rita Indiana from the Dominican Republic and translated in English by Achy Obejas is a subversive and award-winning cli-fi novel. With many interesting pieces yet, chocked full of enough other aspects and also a book that for its short length may be a read that ends up being disappointing. Narrated by multiple rather or wholly unsympathetic characters in callous worlds spanning time and historical/art/pop culture references from decades and centuries past to the not distant future of ecological devastation, the main character described in the original title, (La mucama de Omicunlé) Acilde is a maid and sex worker desiring to get a dramatic expensive drug for a sex change. And as it happens also prophesied as the male saviour in a traditional Afro-Caribbean religion. How does Acilde’s destiny and all the timelines link and come to fruition? You’ll have to spend a couple hours reading to find out. Really, I wish I could write more of substance about this title but, I was left with mostly ambivalence and searching for something in it all. Beyond individual reception for the ending, there are prejudices and subtext that take me a bit out of the narrative and as a reader make me ask the question why are they here. Maybe it is unfortunate execution or editing. But I still haven’t come to a complete and full answer to that or much else. Tentacle is writing likely worth the dive but, just as beautiful as sea anemones are, there are those that pack a powerful sting.
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