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mandi_lea's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Police brutality, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Ableism, Child abuse, Blood, and Emotional abuse
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: violence, police violence mention, abuse mention, anxiety, self harm, death
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi is the prequel to their first YA novel, Pet. This one blew me away just as much as Pet did. Emezi's writing is just so powerful and evocative. Like Pet, it's a short and fast read, but doesn't feel rushed.
We follow Bitter, Jam's mother, when she is a teen going to the art school Eucalyptus during the time of Lucille's peak violence and protests. Bitter is a traumatized and jaded girl who wants nothing to do with the protests that often get people hurt and killed. She is resentful of the Assata, the group of young people fighting in the streets against corporate greed and police brutality. She just wants to stay within the walls of Eucalyptus and focus on her art.
When one of her friends is severely injured by police during a protest, Bitter's rage takes over, and she begins to paint something from that rage and brings it to life. She doesn't realize that she has opened a gate for the violent angels to come through seeking vengeance on Lucille's monsters. Bitter learns that there are other ways to contribute to a movement without being on the front lines. Movements need artists too.
There was so much diversity and representation in this book! Almost every single character is queer. The story is so apt and prescient. Emezi poured all their rage and frustration into this book and still gave it a hopeful outcome. I think Bitter represents so many of us who struggle with the conflict of wanting the suffering to end, but not wanting to inflict violence or be on the front lines themselves. It was validating to read that there are other ways to contribute without being in the streets.
I would recommend this to any young person tired of the constant fight or feeling inadequate about their role in the fight. I recommend this to elders to see the hurt and rage the youth are going through. The main message here is to not lose hope, and that we must move beyond violence.
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi is the prequel to their first YA novel, Pet. This one blew me away just as much as Pet did. Emezi's writing is just so powerful and evocative. Like Pet, it's a short and fast read, but doesn't feel rushed.
We follow Bitter, Jam's mother, when she is a teen going to the art school Eucalyptus during the time of Lucille's peak violence and protests. Bitter is a traumatized and jaded girl who wants nothing to do with the protests that often get people hurt and killed. She is resentful of the Assata, the group of young people fighting in the streets against corporate greed and police brutality. She just wants to stay within the walls of Eucalyptus and focus on her art.
When one of her friends is severely injured by police during a protest, Bitter's rage takes over, and she begins to paint something from that rage and brings it to life. She doesn't realize that she has opened a gate for the violent angels to come through seeking vengeance on Lucille's monsters. Bitter learns that there are other ways to contribute to a movement without being on the front lines. Movements need artists too.
There was so much diversity and representation in this book! Almost every single character is queer. The story is so apt and prescient. Emezi poured all their rage and frustration into this book and still gave it a hopeful outcome. I think Bitter represents so many of us who struggle with the conflict of wanting the suffering to end, but not wanting to inflict violence or be on the front lines themselves. It was validating to read that there are other ways to contribute without being in the streets.
I would recommend this to any young person tired of the constant fight or feeling inadequate about their role in the fight. I recommend this to elders to see the hurt and rage the youth are going through. The main message here is to not lose hope, and that we must move beyond violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Police brutality and Child abuse
kitstonglade's review
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Murder and Child abuse
itsnotalakeitsanocean's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
4.25
This and Pet are one of my favourite stories of all time. Definitely read Pet before going into this one, because you are missing a lot of context for some of the characters if you don't
What I liked
What I liked
- We got to see the inner workings of what a freedom fighter support group looks like. I feel like most modern stories about rebellion and stuff focus far too much on the people on the frontlines, or imply that you are either with a rebellion on the frontlines or against it completely which is just not true.
- In a similar vein,
the revolution is presented in a way that suggests there isn't a "one size fits all" clean solution, which is crucial to stories like this. People fighting will get brutalised, people's entire legacies will be destroyed in an instant through death or destruction. Emezi doesn't spare killing off characters or injuring them just because they're on the side of revolution or allied with it. Not only that, they do it with the appropriate amount of gravity that doesn't wallow in angst to the point of narm. - Perhaps a controversial opinion but I liked Bitter's hesitance and guilt over not being able to do anything. I think it's all too easy to expect characters to be willing to jump into the fray, with any doubts or hesitations easily fixed for plot convenience (something that with Black characters runs the risk of portraying stereotypes). Bitter has a lot of trauma to unpack about being shifted from foster home to foster home - each with their own problems that wore her down over the years. Of course she's going to be hesitant to leave the one place she's only just found is safe in her life.
Of course this mindset is challenged and approached from various different perspectives instead of coddling her safety in favour of larger community safety, but I found it refreshing that Bitter's mindset was portrayed and given respect whilst doing so. - Lots of amazing queer relationships and characters that were normalised and given the approriate amount of focus when necessary without slowing down the plot. I also really liked Ube in general - he's a really cool guy who just happens to be a wheelchair user.
What I didn't like
- The only thing I didn't care for was how quickly Aloe and Bitter got together. However, this is a very small, easily overlooked problem because they are one of the healthiest couples I've read in a while (not that I don't like a messy couple from time to time), and unlike a lot of other modern couples, they put in the effort to love each other and you can see why they love each other so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia
glitterdeww's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
I shouldn't be surprised that this story is just as brilliant as it's predecessor. Emezi's writing is as sharp as a knife, as forceful as gravity. I love these books. They are so important. ❤️
Named for it's protagonist, and reluctant revolutionary, Bitter takes place in pre-utopian Lucille. In this prequel we see agitators and artists grappling with a city set on devouring itself through corruption. The Lucille of this time feels all too familiar with reality. Bitter and her friends portray everything from the hope of revolution to the fear, numbness, and rage that lurks on the other side of their trauma.
Named for it's protagonist, and reluctant revolutionary, Bitter takes place in pre-utopian Lucille. In this prequel we see agitators and artists grappling with a city set on devouring itself through corruption. The Lucille of this time feels all too familiar with reality. Bitter and her friends portray everything from the hope of revolution to the fear, numbness, and rage that lurks on the other side of their trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Death
blubonby's review
dark
hopeful
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
4.0
Loved seeing the backstory to what goes on in PET and I really appreciated the more in depth focus on Bitter and Aloe. Really really great duology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse and Self harm
thebookworm_queen's review
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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 is such a smart book I love the layers within the story where there is an underlying message to everything on the surface. I think I could read this again and find something new to appreciate
Filled with so many inspirational and comforting lines; I cried! Almost better than PET the first book that introduced us to Lucille, almost 😉
Filled with so many inspirational and comforting lines; I cried! Almost better than PET the first book that introduced us to Lucille, almost 😉
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia and Self harm
matheo96gro's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Police brutality, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape
edenclam's review
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Self harm, Murder, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Rape
cameronreads's review against another edition
4.5
For some reason I was sceptical that I would like this as much as Pet but I absolutely did; perhaps even more. The discussions in this book were genuinely so necessary and powerful, but also handled with an incredible nuance. There were conversations about responsibility to make change, when you should prioritise yourself, whether eventually peace is worth present violence, etc. I loved Bitter’s character and the friends she made. The representation, as always, was fantastic. This was a great prequel, and I think this duology is a must-read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Violence, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Grief
Minor: Death of parent, Medical content, and Child abuse