Reviews

The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson

lolajoan's review against another edition

3.0

Still intriguing, and definitely better than the first one - multiple points of view really helped. A fun read but ultimately not particularly life-changing or anything.

albernikolauras's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An installment of a series that creeps and grows on you. This sequel picks up after a short gap and expands on different perspectives outside of Kaaro (including Aminat - the star of this series).

This installment plays a lot more with the politics of Rosewater, the repercussions of the reveals of the previous book, and how the aliens and humans of Rosewater and Nigeria interact.

I love the way we have such a passive and casual takeover of a planet. It's eerie and enjoyable to watch.

kylerbooks14's review against another edition

I just hate all the sexism in this story. During the first one I thought it was just our character but it seems everybody thinks this way. I don't like reading about the sexualization on women so I am done. 

starscattered's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

mia_difelice's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Trafficking, and War

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Trafficking

salema's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

kat42's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Definitely weirder than the first one, which is exactly what I came here for

ronpayne's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

krsweet's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

__apf__'s review against another edition

4.0

The Rosewater novels are incredibly unique. At first, it seems familiar: Rosewater Insurrection is grounded in a recognizable, near-future Nigeria. Then the prose begins to fill your senses — particularly scent — in a vivid, musky, hyperrealistic way. Mud squelches underfoot and everyone sweats and farts and fucks and bleeds, and it feels simultaneously mundane and overwhelming. Extremely bizarre aliens appear amidst the effluvia. Indeed, I’ve never read another sci-fi book with aliens like these. Like its predecessor, Rosewater Insurrection is strange, delightful, and it lingers with you.

Rosewater Insurrection features a change of narration style from the first novel in the series. Instead of focusing on Kaaro, narration is split between many characters. Aminat and Alyssa are a large focus of the novel, and I find them to be more interesting and heroic than Kaaro.