A review by mereas
Oil on Water by Helon Habila

dark informative tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

As much as I loved the information on Big Oil, petroculture, and cli-fi at the Niger Delta, I felt that the narrative was rather sexist at times in all of Habila's non-men figures. The protagonist(s), Rufus and Zaq, used women to pursue their career in journalism, but I could not tell if Habila was commenting on the patriarchy or adding to it. Though, Habila did accurately portray the dehumanization and dissociation which comes with journalism and photography.
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