Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor

8 reviews

thatmedicalbookworm1's review

adventurous challenging sad fast-paced

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

4.0

This was such a good short story, like a prologue to a book. I wish it was longer and was actually written as book , it has great potential 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Blood, and Death

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

words_and_dreams's review

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

For such a short story, this managed to pack so much in. 

Issaka has returned home to Timbouctou after a devastating al-Qaeda raid. During the raid, a centuries old being that was bound to a book is released. Faro, the mystical being helps Issaka survive and guides him to a knowledge of his ancestors. 

A story of what happens when we return to our roots, how important it is to save knowledge and how far are we willing to go for it. Magic, history and personal struggles. The author has a beautiful writing style and the only down side was that it was not longer. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Gun violence

laurareads87's review

challenging dark emotional fast-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? No

4.0

A beautifully written short story focused on the convergence of Issaka, a young man from Timbouctou returning from his studies in America to visit his family, and Faro, a genie who is released from an ancient book when Al-Qaeda burn the library near Issaka's family's house.  With a short story it is hard to say much without spoiling -- I wish this was longer, and hope that it's the beginning of a longer work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Death, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

jselliot's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Although the story had some good build up and a solid basis in reality for the magical component of the djinn, it ultimately felt unfinished with how it resolved. And I wasn't fond of how the at that point oft-mentioned girlfriend only got a few lines of dialogue when a call finally happened near the end. It sounds like it implied the protagonist would end up abandoning her completely for the foisted-upon quest that trailed off into vague nothingness on the last page.

Content warning for Islamic extremism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, and Death

Moderate: Colonisation, Violence, Misogyny, and Fire/Fire injury

sundayray's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Gun violence

macknificent's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Hate crime, and Religious bigotry

introvertinterrupted's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Violence, and Gun violence

f18's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Misogyny