Reviews

The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor

alyshadeshae's review against another edition

5.0

I often feel like I'm missing something when I read Nnedi Okorafor's writing, but I never feel like I'm missing out - if that makes sense. It's always such an interesting read and I'm always left wanting more.

sahoek's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

undeadwookieebooks's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.0

qrschulte's review

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I really wish this was a bit longer. I wanted to know what happened next! It was such a cool world and we’re just left wondering what it all means. 

becausebrenna's review

mysterious tense

3.25

punsandpaperbacks's review against another edition

5.0

I almost didn’t review this book because when I was finished, I immediately went looking for the next instalment. It had me enraptured. Odd, considering the plot is the story, but it was so good. How can an author cause me to feel such strong emotions in just 31 pages??? Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

achilleanshelves's review against another edition

4.0

(4.5 Stars)

Content Warnings - Death, violence, guns, Al-Qaeda

pewterwolf's review against another edition

3.0

Out of all the BLACK STARS stories I have read, this is the one I enjoyed reading the most. I felt like I can read a longer novella or a novel with these characters and this world. Plus, it felt like this could be the start of something: a prologue of introduction short story to a novel with these characters and I would have enjoyed seeing more of them.

roadtripreader's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Success! Just needed a little patience - I hated the other short story by Okorafor in the Scifi collection edited by James SA Corey, but I was determined to find something I liked before delving into a full length novel for this BHM. Bingo! This is fire - I mean inflammable ... whatever you get it.

We open onto absolute chaos in Timbuktu; in the middle of a full blown Terrorist attack, extremists invasion and magic inbetween. I did not expect that at all.

Plot/Storyline/Themes:
So, there's a book in this library that wouldn't burn.

Two Sentences, A Scene or less - Characters:
Oh Issaka's family😥

Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Scene: :
●Faro taking refuge in an iPad.
●Uncle Moussa' soliloquy

Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Quotes:
🖤 “Heat rises, but it also scorches the earth when it is hungry. That fire is hungry.” (Faro on freedom and Fire)
🖤 “Chicago needs work. But Al Capone was a long time ago.”
“Sure, sure, but spirits and djinn always linger when there is something to linger for.” (On Tv's power to meld stereotypes)
🖤 “She stood tall now, looking at him, looking at him, looking at him. She wasn’t remembering him because she’d never forgotten him” (Faro on Issaka)

Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Concepts :
■ Timbuktu
■Ahmed Baba Institute (❤libraries)
■ tempête de sable sandstorm

StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Short Stories by 2025 

_christinacreads's review

3.0

I’ve tried multiple works by Okorafor at this point but unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that she’s just not for me. This was confusing and felt a little all over the place. It kind of weird that the blurb offered me way more context than the actual tale and that I had to refer to it over and again to orient myself.