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aishaadventures's reviews
23 reviews
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Waning by Wunmi Aramiji
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First of all, read this book for the story. I recommend the Waning and look forward to future installments.
The world Aramiji built pulled me in and I understood the caste system in place and know what the characters are working towards. I was rooting for them as they worked through their external and internal conflicts, and as their weaknesses led them down winding and uncertain paths.
The story started strong and fast and hit me with mystery and questions quickly. But it didn't take long for things to start unraveling, not because the story/plot wasn't there, but because this book is self-published. If it was edited, it was done so haphazardly or by someone with little experience.
There were moments when grammar mistakes and continuity errors pulled me out of the world of Ile-Oja and into reality. It was like walking along smoothly, then suddenly finding myself looking up from the floor and wondering how I tripped and got there.
There were moments when I re-read a passage more than once to fully grasp Aramiji's intentions. Usually, I (think) I figured out her intentions, but being knocked out of the flow made it difficult to pick up again and move on. The pacing wasn't consistent, but again, that's due to the lack of editing. It's fixable once a publishing house picks her up. And I believe this work should be picked up.
That said, she's created diverse characters and a world I am invested in. The lore, the rituals, the factions, and the relationships are well established. And the different levels of intimacy between characters are at times revealed beautifully.
There are well-placed breadcrumbs along the way. Certain scenes could use massaging, but the plot is enjoyable and it's incredibly nice to see African stories and fantasy world-building with gods, heroes, villains, and savior characters who are representatives of Global South populations.
As I said in the beginning, I recommend The Waning and I hope Wunmi Aramiji gets the opportunity to continue this story with a publisher who will take care of her. For a self-published first outing, I am impressed.
The world Aramiji built pulled me in and I understood the caste system in place and know what the characters are working towards. I was rooting for them as they worked through their external and internal conflicts, and as their weaknesses led them down winding and uncertain paths.
The story started strong and fast and hit me with mystery and questions quickly. But it didn't take long for things to start unraveling, not because the story/plot wasn't there, but because this book is self-published. If it was edited, it was done so haphazardly or by someone with little experience.
There were moments when grammar mistakes and continuity errors pulled me out of the world of Ile-Oja and into reality. It was like walking along smoothly, then suddenly finding myself looking up from the floor and wondering how I tripped and got there.
There were moments when I re-read a passage more than once to fully grasp Aramiji's intentions. Usually, I (think) I figured out her intentions, but being knocked out of the flow made it difficult to pick up again and move on. The pacing wasn't consistent, but again, that's due to the lack of editing. It's fixable once a publishing house picks her up. And I believe this work should be picked up.
That said, she's created diverse characters and a world I am invested in. The lore, the rituals, the factions, and the relationships are well established. And the different levels of intimacy between characters are at times revealed beautifully.
There are well-placed breadcrumbs along the way. Certain scenes could use massaging, but the plot is enjoyable and it's incredibly nice to see African stories and fantasy world-building with gods, heroes, villains, and savior characters who are representatives of Global South populations.
As I said in the beginning, I recommend The Waning and I hope Wunmi Aramiji gets the opportunity to continue this story with a publisher who will take care of her. For a self-published first outing, I am impressed.
Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
South of the Border, West of the Sun: A Novel by Haruki Murakami
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Curveball: When Your Faith Takes Turns You Never Saw Coming (or How I Stumbled and Tripped My Way to Finding a Bigger God) by Peter Enns
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Pete Enns invites us on the journey of reformatting our brains to run a new program of God.exe.
I'll say upfront this book is excellent if you're the kind of person who has/had questions about God, Church, and Doctrines but when you asked them you were disciplined, scolded, or told you had a weak faith and were questioning or doubting God. This is especially true if you've been more open to science and don't considering critical thinking a sin.
I don't say those things in a condemnatory way, but as a beckoning call to dive into this book and hopefully have your mind set at ease and then greatly blown by the vastness and immensity of a God that would create a world that is ever evolving on astronomical and quantum scales.
Like Pete's other books, this one is engaging and easy to understand even when the topics get to academic topics like theology, quantum physics, and research into near-death experiences. He is a gentle teacher, knowing that many folks engaging with this topic are probably deconstructing or are at a point in their faith journey where the answers to questions no longer seem simple or certain.
I highly recommend this book and believe if more of us came to view God, ourselves, and our connections to one another in the ways presented in this book, those who call themselves Christians would be perceived differently, because we would be different.
I am grateful for the valuable lessons in this book and the humility and vulnerability with which it is shared.
I'll say upfront this book is excellent if you're the kind of person who has/had questions about God, Church, and Doctrines but when you asked them you were disciplined, scolded, or told you had a weak faith and were questioning or doubting God. This is especially true if you've been more open to science and don't considering critical thinking a sin.
I don't say those things in a condemnatory way, but as a beckoning call to dive into this book and hopefully have your mind set at ease and then greatly blown by the vastness and immensity of a God that would create a world that is ever evolving on astronomical and quantum scales.
Like Pete's other books, this one is engaging and easy to understand even when the topics get to academic topics like theology, quantum physics, and research into near-death experiences. He is a gentle teacher, knowing that many folks engaging with this topic are probably deconstructing or are at a point in their faith journey where the answers to questions no longer seem simple or certain.
I highly recommend this book and believe if more of us came to view God, ourselves, and our connections to one another in the ways presented in this book, those who call themselves Christians would be perceived differently, because we would be different.
I am grateful for the valuable lessons in this book and the humility and vulnerability with which it is shared.
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Nnedi Okorafor's writing is magical. Who Fears Death is an intense, emotional, exceptional story.
I went through an entire emotional journey finishing this book. I celebrated, I was grieved, I had questions, I cheered, I cried - again, and I made the shocked Pikachu face again and again.
The societal issues are evident and are characters themselves in this world. The subject matter was heavy to carry at times but not burdensome. While the plot moved me forward quickly to learn what Onyesonwu and crew would face next, I could not help but pause to think about the obstacles she specifically and her group as a whole faced.
They were growing, a world unfolding before them, guided by old teachings and practices that led them to questions and most importantly to actions. I was so proud of various characters and their growth over the course of the story.
I love the diverse representation of peoples and their social mores and how there are rebels represented in every generation. I also love the magic systems that remain mysterious but gave us enough to understand our characters.
For all the story's magic, it felt so real. Maybe because the story had roots in a sad reality. Okorafor's world building and descriptors made it easy to visualize settings. There were many times I felt as though I were an observer WITHIN the story.
That ending. Whew. I read it twice. I didn't know it when I chose to read this book, but it's easy to see why it's been optioned for a cable adaption. Nnedi Okorafor is a gift. Knowing that her work will shape future writers and readers is more than a blessing.
This book is beyond excellent. Read it!
I went through an entire emotional journey finishing this book. I celebrated, I was grieved, I had questions, I cheered, I cried - again, and I made the shocked Pikachu face again and again.
The societal issues are evident and are characters themselves in this world. The subject matter was heavy to carry at times but not burdensome. While the plot moved me forward quickly to learn what Onyesonwu and crew would face next, I could not help but pause to think about the obstacles she specifically and her group as a whole faced.
They were growing, a world unfolding before them, guided by old teachings and practices that led them to questions and most importantly to actions. I was so proud of various characters and their growth over the course of the story.
I love the diverse representation of peoples and their social mores and how there are rebels represented in every generation. I also love the magic systems that remain mysterious but gave us enough to understand our characters.
For all the story's magic, it felt so real. Maybe because the story had roots in a sad reality. Okorafor's world building and descriptors made it easy to visualize settings. There were many times I felt as though I were an observer WITHIN the story.
That ending. Whew. I read it twice. I didn't know it when I chose to read this book, but it's easy to see why it's been optioned for a cable adaption. Nnedi Okorafor is a gift. Knowing that her work will shape future writers and readers is more than a blessing.
This book is beyond excellent. Read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism