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ibi99's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
faithtrustpixiedust's review against another edition
3.0
Buddy read with Nana
This gave me flashbacks to a college class I took in high school about popular literature, where the focus of that quarter was science fiction. There was an unexpected emphasis on afrofuturism and I feel like my hippie teacher would have loved Binti.
I didn’t really love it though.
It wasn’t bad, by any means, it just could have been so much more. I see the point Okorafor was trying to make, it’s just that she repeated the point so many times that I got a little sick of it, and considering how short the book is, it was all a bit much. The writing wasn’t my favorite, either. A lot of time was spent establishing Binti as different, when I pretty much got the idea at the very beginning. I also didn’t understand how quickly she accepted the aliens, especially because they’d literally traumatized her for life. It was a refreshing perspective, but the psychology behind it wasn’t explored enough to make it reasonable to me.
And considering how short this was, it felt like it had like 5 fake-out endings before it finally did end, so by the time the last page came, I was expecting it to just keep going. The ending I got felt a little jarring in comparison. The writing style just wasn’t my cup of tea, either, but I tend to prefer a more pretentious style and this was very matter of fact. It just left something to be desired in the atmosphere and vibe department. Besides the super special and magical mud mixture and the jellyfish people, I didn’t have a clear view of what anything looked like. It made the already iffy pacing feel even more confusing.
Ultimately, this wasn’t as good as I’d hoped but I liked it enough. For a science fiction book, it wasn’t as dense as I’d expected which was a pleasant surprise. I don’t think I’ll continue the series but I’m glad I know what this is about now.
This gave me flashbacks to a college class I took in high school about popular literature, where the focus of that quarter was science fiction. There was an unexpected emphasis on afrofuturism and I feel like my hippie teacher would have loved Binti.
I didn’t really love it though.
It wasn’t bad, by any means, it just could have been so much more. I see the point Okorafor was trying to make, it’s just that she repeated the point so many times that I got a little sick of it, and considering how short the book is, it was all a bit much. The writing wasn’t my favorite, either. A lot of time was spent establishing Binti as different, when I pretty much got the idea at the very beginning. I also didn’t understand how quickly she accepted the aliens, especially because they’d literally traumatized her for life. It was a refreshing perspective, but the psychology behind it wasn’t explored enough to make it reasonable to me.
And considering how short this was, it felt like it had like 5 fake-out endings before it finally did end, so by the time the last page came, I was expecting it to just keep going. The ending I got felt a little jarring in comparison. The writing style just wasn’t my cup of tea, either, but I tend to prefer a more pretentious style and this was very matter of fact. It just left something to be desired in the atmosphere and vibe department. Besides the super special and magical mud mixture and the jellyfish people, I didn’t have a clear view of what anything looked like. It made the already iffy pacing feel even more confusing.
Ultimately, this wasn’t as good as I’d hoped but I liked it enough. For a science fiction book, it wasn’t as dense as I’d expected which was a pleasant surprise. I don’t think I’ll continue the series but I’m glad I know what this is about now.
shaila_m's review against another edition
5.0
It was something different and better than I expected it to be!
bookswithboo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.75
chucks_library's review against another edition
medium-paced
5.0
Binti is a sci-fi novella that packs a lot into the story in under 100 pages. Binti is a member of the Himba people and is the first Himba to be accepted into Oozma Uni which is on another planet. This story explores leaving home, facing new challenges and perceptions of people/creatures not like you. The world building was fantastic, the math/harmonizer part was really interesting. I loved how things weren't overly explained but you could grasp what was happening. I think this is a strong example of sci-fi and cannot wait to read more from the author.
likamu's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
2.5
shimmery's review against another edition
3.0
A short, fast paced read about a girl who is the first person from her tribe to leave her planet for a university far away. I loved the way peacemaking (or harmonising as it is called in the novel) was the main superpower here and liked the way that though it is only a small book it has multiple layers and manages to explore many themes including journeys, tradition, cultures colliding and family relationships. Stylistically the writing reminded me of Octavia Butler which is always a good thing. I think I’ll have to read the next books in the series to see how the character develops.
hilikus_00's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this! Perfectly paced. Just tense enough to be thrilling and beautiful in its detail.