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vkcwy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
beefmaster's review
2.0
Woof. What a stinker. Too many characters but they were interesting at first. About the two thirds point, you could hear the plot creaking as the coincidences piled up. I can see what the author was trying to do and in some ways, they succeeded. But if you're going to write about the underworld, populate it with characters who don't act so naïve or shocked when something bad happens
deereadstoo's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. I'm not sure what to say other than wow. I think Akwaeke's special weapon might be crafting full-bodied characters. There's no way you leave their books without your brain split amongst the good, bad, and the ugly of any character they bring to life. That's especially evident in Little Rot.
To be frank, the plot isn't even what's important here. The true meat of this novel is the characters, how their lives interwine, and what that means for their futures. Emezi carefully crafts these characters by starting us off with something as innocent as a break-up and--ironically enough--a sex party and plunging us deep into the belly of the beast with each action that unfolds the true horrors that lay within. A book always sticks with me more when I can go back and fully understand the meaning behind the title and the epigraph. Going back to page 0 after I finished and seeing the quote from Toni Morrison in the epigraph, "I'm just trying to look at something without blinking to see what it is like, or it could have been like, and how that had something to do with the way we live now," packed a different punch. Seeing people for who they are in their fullness might be your salvation or destruction.
I say all this to say that Little Rot was a true character study and a testament to humanity and the truth. How it can only be hidden for so long until it is brought to light for all to reckon with. You peel back layers upon layers of people you've known your whole life only to realize you haven't even scratched the surface. Their core holds secrets they'll never tell and pain that's etched into their bones. So for those that love character-driven books, this might just be your favorite piece of rotten fruit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Murder, Child abuse, and Rape
bookofcinz's review
2.25
Underwhelming, one-dimensional and chaotic
This may be my least favourite book by Akwaeke. Trigger Warning: Lots of sexual abuse.
In Little Rot we are taken to a city in Nigerian where we meet four friends. The book opens with Kalu taking his long time girlfriend Aima to the airport because she refuses to live in sin and he is not ready for marriage. After much back and forth Aima decides its time to move away, however she can’t seem to get on the plane so she stays with her friend in Nigeria.
Kalu, unaware that Aima didn’t get on the plane decides to go to sex party hosted by his best friend Ahmed. These parties are highly exclusive, invitation only and caters to Nigeria’s rich, everything must be discreet and everyone looks the other way even at things that are illegal. Kalu makes a snap decision and attacks a guest at the party and that puts everyone in danger.
The book explores what happens when powerful people are put in position where they don’t feel powerful. How corruption, power, sex and money can get you everything.
I am not sure what I expected from this book but this was not it. I was reading it and I thought, “this book feels very lacklustre, it’s not the book I expected them to write, it feels ordinary and lacking any form of substance.” The book felt too long, it was insanely predictable, often times it felt like the author was trying to shock me which made me roll my eyes. It felt so pedantic and overdone.
I guess you can say I didn’t like this one.
This may be my least favourite book by Akwaeke. Trigger Warning: Lots of sexual abuse.
In Little Rot we are taken to a city in Nigerian where we meet four friends. The book opens with Kalu taking his long time girlfriend Aima to the airport because she refuses to live in sin and he is not ready for marriage. After much back and forth Aima decides its time to move away, however she can’t seem to get on the plane so she stays with her friend in Nigeria.
Kalu, unaware that Aima didn’t get on the plane decides to go to sex party hosted by his best friend Ahmed. These parties are highly exclusive, invitation only and caters to Nigeria’s rich, everything must be discreet and everyone looks the other way even at things that are illegal. Kalu makes a snap decision and attacks a guest at the party and that puts everyone in danger.
The book explores what happens when powerful people are put in position where they don’t feel powerful. How corruption, power, sex and money can get you everything.
I am not sure what I expected from this book but this was not it. I was reading it and I thought, “this book feels very lacklustre, it’s not the book I expected them to write, it feels ordinary and lacking any form of substance.” The book felt too long, it was insanely predictable, often times it felt like the author was trying to shock me which made me roll my eyes. It felt so pedantic and overdone.
I guess you can say I didn’t like this one.
enobong's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
This book is a far cry from Emezi’s usual style and often feels gratuitous in its depictions of sexual violence.
jukietoss's review against another edition
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Akwaeke Emezi is one of my favorite authors, and they only reinforced that with Little Rot. I love the way Emezi plays with genre, bending the boundaries and carving profound stories that defy strict categorization. Taking place over one consequential weekend, we are dropped into the characters' lives as observers of long-lasting relationships whose dynamics are all on the brink of major changes. I really enjoyed seeing the characters learn one another anew as circumstances shifted and events exposed new aspects of each's personality. Emezi so thoughtfully touched on both the depth of longterm friendships and that which remains invisible to them until/unless circumstances demand.
It's a story about what's hidden from the light, about the walls we put up and who and where and when we let people behind those walls. It shows the necessity of connection but also the limits to how vulnerable any one person is willing to be. Each character thinks they understand their own motivations and boundaries, but over the course of the book those are tested. They also think they understand the people by whom they're surrounded, but there are similarly limitations there, too. Despite their interdependence, this novel looks at deep loneliness. It is wrenching, raw, gorgeously written, and entirely absorbing.
It's a story about what's hidden from the light, about the walls we put up and who and where and when we let people behind those walls. It shows the necessity of connection but also the limits to how vulnerable any one person is willing to be. Each character thinks they understand their own motivations and boundaries, but over the course of the book those are tested. They also think they understand the people by whom they're surrounded, but there are similarly limitations there, too. Despite their interdependence, this novel looks at deep loneliness. It is wrenching, raw, gorgeously written, and entirely absorbing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Murder
chelsiaann's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
This is exceptionally well written but damn there is a lot of sex.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
maddy_brown99's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was an extremely dark, twisted, and depraved look at morality, corruption, and the interplay between sex and violence. This was my first Akwaeke Emezi book and I absolutely love their writing style. It's poetic and sensual without feeling too heavy-handed. Definitely some potentially triggering stuff, so check content warnings! But overall, an extremely well-paced and gritty look at the blinders we can put up to the evils of ourselves and the world.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my review copy!
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my review copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Violence, and Sexual assault
dejeunee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.75
I... truly do not even have the words for this book. I don't even all the way know how to feel. This book is sick. it's twisty, it's messy. These characters are deeply flawed and are in some crazy situations. We truly are thrust into the underworld of New Lagos with what we experience in Little Rot. I had very visceral reactions to what unfolded in this book and I felt deeply uncomfortable at times.
One thing I will say is Emezi has range. The way they are able to write so many vastly different books and move in and out of genres is incredible. I am very curious to hear/see other people's reactions to this book because I am...
stressed
I also want to add that I wish this book had content warnings in the beginning. There are so scenes in that can be very triggering to folks and I personally wished I would have had a heads up on what to expect. This is an ARC so hopefully once the book releases in June, they will be included. Still this book causes us to take a long hard look at the ugly deeds that are often thinly veiled in our society.