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kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.5
I'm waffling between a 3.5 and a 4 ⭐s on this one. It is a fascinating and wholly original start to a sci-fi series set in Nigeria and following a biological alien lifeform that changes the makeup of Earth itself???? And then there's like people with telepathic powers???? And spy stuff???? And government conspiracies???? And I loved it???? The writing style was definitely different, it took a bit for me to get used to it. Also our MC is not the most likeable of bros. But overall, I enjoyed this immensely and will be continuing the series and reading more from Tade Thompson.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, and Violence
v171's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
This was an incredibly engaging, interesting read from start to finish. I have been on a New Weird kick recently, and I think Rosewater has set the standard. Everything about this book's construction was spot on. The writing was accessible, but not bland. The characters all felt distinctly human. The aliens felt "appropriately" alien. The setting across real world African locations and fictional areas was interesting to follow. If I had only one critique, it was that the story was a bit touch and go, but with how engaging it was, I didn't mind at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Grief, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts
atarihehe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
I enjoyed reading this book. At first it was quite slow and hard to get invested into but after about 25% I was really into the story. I don't really mind books with forward-backward storylines but this one has like three or four timelines and they're not always in the same structure throughout the book so sometimes I need to think and count. The main character is a complicated dude. He's not very likeable, but not unlikeable either as he has many many flaws and basically a criminal past but he has his own weird philosophy in life. I went into this book quite blindly since I've forgotten about it after buying it months ago so I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of things. I like the science-y aspect of it, I like the multilayered characters, I like the worldbuilding. I like how even if it's quite futuristic it's still not very different from the world we live in right now. They have tech implants but they still have beggars at the traffic stop! Now that's some realism.
Many other reviewers have said that Kaaro, the main dude, is sexist, and I agree but it was mentioned in the book that he is sexist and that his boss realises it as well. It was quite annoying though reading his thoughts about women's thighs and other stuff that made him horny.
All that being said, I enjoy the worldbuilding and the story and everything that passed here. I think I'm going to read the second book because I'm quite intrigued in what could happen afterwards.
Many other reviewers have said that Kaaro, the main dude, is sexist, and I agree but it was mentioned in the book that he is sexist and that his boss realises it as well. It was quite annoying though reading his thoughts about women's thighs and other stuff that made him horny.
All that being said, I enjoy the worldbuilding and the story and everything that passed here. I think I'm going to read the second book because I'm quite intrigued in what could happen afterwards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Cannibalism, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing
ohlhauc's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
This was just an okay read for me. The concept was interesting and some of the plot points and ideas were interesting. While a small thing, it was also refreshing to see aliens not portrayed as a monolith race but as different groups of the same race (like we have people from different countries, etc.).
I didn't care much about any of the characters and felt most of them were underdeveloped, and the main character who was well-developed was sleazy, sexist, and moody.
What really didn't work for me, however, was the execution of the multiple timelines. The story jumps between different years in the main character's past, progressively moving towards understanding the alien technology. However, the chapters were very short and they often ended during an emotional moment or cliffhanger in a scene. As such, I never got the emotional payoff and by the time the story returned to that moment, much of the investment had dulled. Because the chapters were so short and there were quite a few timelines, it was also hard to keep track of each storyline, so I often felt in a daze, trying to remember what was happening, and having to flip through past pages to trigger. It was a frustrating readable experience and it meant that I was never able to fully connect with any of the side characters or scenes.
I didn't care much about any of the characters and felt most of them were underdeveloped, and the main character who was well-developed was sleazy, sexist, and moody.
What really didn't work for me, however, was the execution of the multiple timelines. The story jumps between different years in the main character's past, progressively moving towards understanding the alien technology. However, the chapters were very short and they often ended during an emotional moment or cliffhanger in a scene. As such, I never got the emotional payoff and by the time the story returned to that moment, much of the investment had dulled. Because the chapters were so short and there were quite a few timelines, it was also hard to keep track of each storyline, so I often felt in a daze, trying to remember what was happening, and having to flip through past pages to trigger. It was a frustrating readable experience and it meant that I was never able to fully connect with any of the side characters or scenes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Murder, Sexism, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Homophobia, Torture, and Vomit
crow_enjoyer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
There's a lot going on in this book. Aliens, superpowers, various sci fi tech, and more. All set in a futuristic Nigeria.
The book is really about how one man reacts to all this. He's not particularly likeable. He's a horny kleptomaniac who struggles to maintain any friendships, and he admits as much. It makes sense why he is this way, given his circumstances, but regardless, he's not exactly a loveable guy. This is equal parts fascinating and frustrating, in my opinion, and ultimately I'm left wanting more.
In a way, my ultimate opinion on this book will likely depend on what I get in the rest of the triology, but for now I can say it's been an enjoyable ride.
The book is really about how one man reacts to all this. He's not particularly likeable. He's a horny kleptomaniac who struggles to maintain any friendships, and he admits as much. It makes sense why he is this way, given his circumstances, but regardless, he's not exactly a loveable guy. This is equal parts fascinating and frustrating, in my opinion, and ultimately I'm left wanting more.
In a way, my ultimate opinion on this book will likely depend on what I get in the rest of the triology, but for now I can say it's been an enjoyable ride.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Torture
mandkips's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Sexual content, and Torture
emtur007's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Sexual content, and Cursing
hanz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Despite having an interesting premise, I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. The constant time jumps made the story difficult to follow. The main characters constant sexism and objectification of women made him difficult to root for, and even though some characters describe him as amoral and sexist, there were no real consequences for his actions. He still got everything he wanted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
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