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biojesspj's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-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
A beautiful blending of folklore and fable. A boy sets out to save his mother and his people, and he finds unexpected lessons that upend his world.
I loved having sign language be a vital part of the culture. An amazing depth fits into fewer than 90 pages, and I found myself surprised by how attached I had become to the characters and their cause in such a short time.
I loved having sign language be a vital part of the culture. An amazing depth fits into fewer than 90 pages, and I found myself surprised by how attached I had become to the characters and their cause in such a short time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Body horror
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Classism, Grief, Vomit, Torture, Animal death, Blood, and Child death
The book begins with a dehydrated city, and the lack of water causes death to be widespread. Ritualized, compulsory mutilation is key to the plot, and the process and results are described briefly a few times.annemaries_shelves's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? No
4.0
"There is no water in the City of Lies."
With that, this dark fable opens into a world where a desert city has very little water - people frequently and almost exclusively die of thirst (aka the blood drought). And at age 13, every child loses their tongue as tribute to the Ajungo for the little water they do have.
To save his beloved mother, our protagonist Tutu ventures out into the Forever Desert - where there are no friends beyond the City of Lies - to find water. What follows is the realization that "only by learning can you free us."
I really appreciated the fable-like storytelling of this book - it's also the perfect length at just over 80 pages. The world building was sufficient for the story's length, and Tutu's character development as a young boy into a young teen was handled well with his warring desires to trust and distrust, his love for and grief over missing his mother, and his growing realization at how the world works. The novella explores a lot in terms of the themes/topics of power and oppression, resource hoarding, the importance of sharing knowledge, love and compassion, and belief in one's self knowledge. I actually think it could be a good novella for school - there's a lot that preteens and teens could unpack here.
"There is no water in the City of Lies." By the end of the novella, you realize how true and how false that statement is. I won't spoil the ending (though the plot twist isn't that surprising) but it was a bittersweet satisfaction for the reader.
There's a good amount of violence, death, and severed body parts though, so be warned. I didn't find it too graphic (given the length) but it's all on-page and lends itself to the brutal story and desert setting.
Overall, it's a quick novella with a parable/fable/allegory that draws parallels to today's world while still remaining wholly unique in its world building and characters.
With that, this dark fable opens into a world where a desert city has very little water - people frequently and almost exclusively die of thirst (aka the blood drought). And at age 13, every child loses their tongue as tribute to the Ajungo for the little water they do have.
To save his beloved mother, our protagonist Tutu ventures out into the Forever Desert - where there are no friends beyond the City of Lies - to find water. What follows is the realization that "only by learning can you free us."
I really appreciated the fable-like storytelling of this book - it's also the perfect length at just over 80 pages. The world building was sufficient for the story's length, and Tutu's character development as a young boy into a young teen was handled well with his warring desires to trust and distrust, his love for and grief over missing his mother, and his growing realization at how the world works. The novella explores a lot in terms of the themes/topics of power and oppression, resource hoarding, the importance of sharing knowledge, love and compassion, and belief in one's self knowledge. I actually think it could be a good novella for school - there's a lot that preteens and teens could unpack here.
"There is no water in the City of Lies." By the end of the novella, you realize how true and how false that statement is. I won't spoil the ending (though the plot twist isn't that surprising) but it was a bittersweet satisfaction for the reader.
There's a good amount of violence, death, and severed body parts though, so be warned. I didn't find it too graphic (given the length) but it's all on-page and lends itself to the brutal story and desert setting.
Overall, it's a quick novella with a parable/fable/allegory that draws parallels to today's world while still remaining wholly unique in its world building and characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, Vomit, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying and Child death
mar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Vomit
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
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? No
4.75
Thanks to Books Forward PR for the free advance copy of this book.
- THE LIES OF THE AJUNGO is less than 100 pages, but in those pages is a story that you won't forget soon.
- The book reads like a folktale and is full of compelling characters, edge of your seat action and deep emotion.
- It looks like this might be the first book in a series, and I really hope so. I would love to see more exploration of this world and its magic system.
- THE LIES OF THE AJUNGO is less than 100 pages, but in those pages is a story that you won't forget soon.
- The book reads like a folktale and is full of compelling characters, edge of your seat action and deep emotion.
- It looks like this might be the first book in a series, and I really hope so. I would love to see more exploration of this world and its magic system.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Gore, Murder, Violence, Vomit, and Blood
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