Reviews

The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor

cpaig's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

A young Malian man studying in Chicago returns home to Timbuktu at a moment of violence as a fundamentalist religious group burns the library. The destruction releases an ancient ghost who rescues a mysterious book of black pages. After discovering the connection of his family to the effort to save sacred documents, a violent encounter sheds light on the meaning of the book, his ancestor’s sacred connection to protecting history, knowledge, and identity, as well as his own obligation to it. He and the book are led to safety by the ancient ghost but never away from the generations of pain and loss. 

 

So much happens in the 31 pages of this short story it is almost magic. A tragic story with the burned edges of hope and perseverance. 

bookph1le's review against another edition

4.0

I found the ending a little unsatisfying, but otherwise this was a really compelling read.

ikykwklee_know's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

gu4n's review against another edition

3.0

Not sure whether the segments with Faro were difficult to follow because of its economy of words or because the setting was too much out there. It read like a prologue to something bigger, something I definitely would want to read more of.

wiltar4evr's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-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? No

4.0

seymone's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 Rounded up

naju's review

audiobook version brought a different side of it - rereading a fourth time for this translation project, still doesn't make too much sense, the purpose of it. 

intorilex's review

2.0

I expected to enjoy this alot more then I did. The story had some really cool elements but ultimately had too little information for me to enjoy what was happening.

rosabelle's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

4.25

menachris87's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense

• 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