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thebanhammer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked this book, I really did. The story and the characters were good and in general I thought it was a success. It was definitely a slow start. Or perhaps it’s not necessarily a slow start but it almost feels like the story starts too early. Might biggest struggle was with the pacing and some of the plotting. There are weird leads, some red herrings with interesting plot concepts that never ignite (like the whole bit with silencing Granny Nanny and the Nanny Song! ). The actual story is great and enjoyable. It’s heavy and heart warming at the same time. It deals with so many big concepts. Perhaps that’s why it feels like it wobbles so much. It’s worth reading for sure but it stumbles over itself at times and, in my opinion, ends on an odd note that feels out of sync with the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Incest, and Child abuse
beccalynnfrank's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Check the content warnings before reading!! Hard to read at some points, but I loved the ending and the main characters progression was so meaningful because of all the hard parts. Super cool universe she’s made and the aliens in it are super interesting and well done. Overall great world building + great characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Incest, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual violence
2treads's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"No need to wish for dead, it will happen soon enough. It does come to all of we." - Abitefa.
Nalo Hopkinson is quickly becoming one of my top authors. The way in which she infuses her books with portions of her/our culture shows how dedicated she is to bringing the richness of our practices and celebrations of the Caribbean to her readers.
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Midnight Robber is no exception; filled with influences from Jamaica to Trinidad to Carriacou as a whole was just exceptional. I was swept up and carried away and had no regrets.
Nalo has such an attuned way of writing her heritage: the dialect, the people, the places, the music, the festivals, and the experiences.
It is impossible not to just immerse oneself in the tale she tells, especially when one can relate to what is on the page. The atmosphere that Hopkinson weaves is lush; bursting with Caribbean flavour and folktales even as we travel to planets via 'interdimensional gateways'.
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
The impact of the cultures from the countries where Nalo has lived is vibrantly woven throughout this story, and I could not help but fall into every page. There are experiences that are familiar, both good and bad (friendships, parent/child relationships, family dynamics, and displacement). Not only is there passion in this story, but there is betrayal, misdeeds, bravery, self-acceptance, and triumph.
The polyamory representation was noted and appreciated and content warning: there is child sexual abuse depicted in this story, as well as the damaging effect on our MCs psyche.
Read This Book!!
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Nalo Hopkinson is quickly becoming one of my top authors. The way in which she infuses her books with portions of her/our culture shows how dedicated she is to bringing the richness of our practices and celebrations of the Caribbean to her readers.
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Midnight Robber is no exception; filled with influences from Jamaica to Trinidad to Carriacou as a whole was just exceptional. I was swept up and carried away and had no regrets.
Nalo has such an attuned way of writing her heritage: the dialect, the people, the places, the music, the festivals, and the experiences.
It is impossible not to just immerse oneself in the tale she tells, especially when one can relate to what is on the page. The atmosphere that Hopkinson weaves is lush; bursting with Caribbean flavour and folktales even as we travel to planets via 'interdimensional gateways'.
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
The impact of the cultures from the countries where Nalo has lived is vibrantly woven throughout this story, and I could not help but fall into every page. There are experiences that are familiar, both good and bad (friendships, parent/child relationships, family dynamics, and displacement). Not only is there passion in this story, but there is betrayal, misdeeds, bravery, self-acceptance, and triumph.
The polyamory representation was noted and appreciated and content warning: there is child sexual abuse depicted in this story, as well as the damaging effect on our MCs psyche.
Read This Book!!
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Murder, Incest, Death of parent, Child abuse, Rape, Abortion, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity and Body horror
forestghost's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was very engaging and made me want to keep reading to see what would happen next, though the very dark topics it deals with sometimes made it hard to do so (incest, child sexual abuse). But while Midnight Robber had a great emotional impact on me, I found myself struggling to understand what the book was trying to tell me. Various themes were woven into the narrative, but many plots that had seemed important were dropped eventually without satisfying conclusions.
Then again, this story is an exploration of the trauma the main character Tan-Tan experiences, and how she survives. In real life, things don’t usually get tied up neatly with a bow. It’s messy. And thus the narrative works wonderfully to reflect this messiness.
Also, as a side note, I loved how queer people were allowed to casually exist.
Overall, a book I would definitely recommend - as long as you’re in the right mindset to deal with the heavy topics. This was not an easy read, especially because I (foolishly) did not look up content warnings since it was required reading for a class.
Then again, this story is an exploration of the trauma the main character Tan-Tan experiences, and how she survives. In real life, things don’t usually get tied up neatly with a bow. It’s messy. And thus the narrative works wonderfully to reflect this messiness.
Also, as a side note, I loved how queer people were allowed to casually exist.
Overall, a book I would definitely recommend - as long as you’re in the right mindset to deal with the heavy topics. This was not an easy read, especially because I (foolishly) did not look up content warnings since it was required reading for a class.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Incest
Minor: Death and Abortion
dredadonx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
This is my first Nalo Hopskinson book and certainly won't be the last. This was a compelling narrative based around our main character, Tan Tan, who is the daughter of a political official, named Anthony. They go from living good in the Caribbean planet of Toussaint, to being thrust into the wild and brutal world called New Half Way Tree.
In this new setting, Tan-Tan has to navigate different species and people, along with dealing with her own traumatic experiences after being abused by her father twice.
In this new setting, Tan-Tan has to navigate different species and people, along with dealing with her own traumatic experiences after being abused by her father twice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Murder, and Sexual assault
domatilla's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, and Incest
ellekhupe's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, and Incest
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Infidelity
bubblescotch's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Physical abuse and Murder
Minor: Colonisation
maloki's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Child abuse
abmochapman's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is some of the best characterization, world-building, and story-telling in the fantasy / science-fiction genre I have read. I am also obsessed with the way Hopkinson experiments with African and Caribbean language to reflect the world she created.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault