Reviews

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

dimky's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.0

pipn_t's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Really good, though I have the incredibly minor complaint that you don’t tilt your head back when you have a nosebleed.  I mean, I suppose you can, but I really can’t imagine why anyone would want to, because it won’t help with the nosebleed at all, plus then you get to either choke on or swallow your own blood which is gross.  So.

jenhurst's review against another edition

3.0

I really liked the idea of this book and AI as a character but I felt DNA and the plot could’ve been developed more. It has the same issue I felt with binti, in that had it been 350 pages I think it could’ve been better.

jzarrow's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

2.5

Lots of interesting ideas in the service of a dull "chosen one" plot. Read BINTI instead.

rickireadss's review

3.0

okay, i think this was such so much all at once and also not a lot that i didn't vibe. the events that take place in this were apparently only in one week, but i could have sworn it felt longer but also shorter at the same time??? i don't even know how to explain it. for me, i started losing interest once AO met DNA, and then the fact that it became a romantic subplot between the two, i was just like "wtf??"

i liked how AO could like use her non organic/machine parts to like connect to the other machines and shut them down and see through all the cameras, and i honestly feel like if it had just been her and not DNA going on this journey, i may have had a better time.

representation: Black MCs (Nigerian), Limb difference and accident trauma rep

content warnings:

colonization, ableism, violence, murder, blood, animal death, medical content, body horror, car accident, death, gun violence, injury/injury detail, hate crime, medical trauma, suicidal thoughts, sexism, genocide, fire/fire injury

awoodenbird's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

ethias's review against another edition

1.0

I received this book for free from a prize drawing.

It felt like a high schooler wrote this book and I would be very surprised if anyone actually edited it. Very juvenile feeling and everything was extremely over simplified. Some interesting ideas that were utterly under executed, would have loved to be able to delve into some of these concepts and really enjoy them. Very disappointing. Even though it was only 210 pages it felt like it took forever to get through. Characters were basically nothing, they all had the same personality. The stakes should have been incredibly high but I didn’t feel them once.

If the ending was meant to be a twist it did not succeed as I figured it would be the case from the very first explanation of the noor.

Very anti-medication, anti-prosthetics, anti-GMO for some reason. Felt conspiratorial, as if all disabled people were made that way by an evil corporation or government. I have also simply never been a fan of “fixing” disabled people by making it so that their disability is actually now their superpower. Strangely ableist for a book that’s supposed to evoke disability pride.

Very unpleasant book that boiled down to the angsty and juvenile ramblings of a bland and whiny main character fighting an extremely on the nose big bad evil corporation complete with evil monologues. I will be donating it as soon as I can.

haylee_reads's review

adventurous challenging 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

4.0

Nnedi Okorafor had one of my favorite short stories in Out There Screaming, so it’s no surprise that I really enjoyed Noor! The world building was really lush for such a short story. I loved AO as a character and thought she was really well fleshed out. I did find the technology part a bit confusing, so I wish that was explored a bit more. This book did throw a lot at you from the start, so it was a bit confusing at first, but once I figured out what was going on that didn’t bother me. This was super fast paced and I was hooked from the start, despite the confusion. I can’t wait to read more by Okorafor, though.

ohboysidd's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

aardrian's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.75