A review by inkerly
After the Rain by Nnedi Okorafor

adventurous dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

This was one of the most disturbing graphic novels I’ve read. (SEE CONTENT WARNINGS) But I’m so intrigued by it. 

I think what is hauntingly grotesque about it is the contrast of beautiful Nigerian culture and life with the garish Nigerian monster & Chioma’s appearance after the incident.

As a graphic novel, the art style complemented the goriness of the story, but the different font sizes and small but long blocks of text on different pages made it unpleasant to read. Also some aspects of the novel were kept strangely vague. To a nonWest African what are “West African  features” in the context of this story ?(especially when the visuals don’t align?) What is “European style”? What are “Mumou”? Things like this could have been explained in a better way.

I’m not gonna lie and say that I even understood what the ending meant or the moral of the story but this was a neat graphic novel, so I might entertain more visuals by Nnedi. Apparently it’s based on her book “On the Road”, I might give that a read too.
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