Reviews

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

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janagaton's review against another edition

3.0

loved that the author narrated this audiobook, but I think I'm personally too dumb to fully get it, plot-wise. It's also a really hard book to read just in terms of the discussions on all the social injustices like police brutality and riots. Aside from that, I couldn't fully get a grip on the "dystopian" part of the story. I thought Ella and her abilities were fascinating though. I just couldn't figure out how it all interconnected, if that makes sense..

tamunra's review

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I received a copy of this for free from Tor.com a while ago. It takes place in present day, and deals with race relations, and so I didn't expect a happy read, which is good, because I didn't get a happy read. I generally don't read urban fantasy, because it's too close to life, so I put off reading it for a while.

I'm a middle-class white woman. Reading this made me uncomfortable, which arguably it should, and was intended to do. I was upset on Kev's behalf, despaired when he made a wrong decision which would direct the course of his life.

The 3 months I've waited to review this short book haven't helped me settle it in my mind. It still disturbs me, the injustice of our real world, in which Kev and Ella live, and the injustice of the future one. The future "dystopia," which really isn't the future, and really isn't that different from our world.

And that's a point, isn't it? When we read fantasy, we cheer for the protagonists when they come into their power and go to burn the world down. But it's different when it's the world that I, the reader, inhabit. I cheer for them, but I also worry about myself. What a selfish, privileged position to be able to hold.

The way the POV jumps is jarring, and it's hard to tell what's going on sometimes. It's a struggle for anyone who wants a linear narrative, but then again, that jarring jump is sometimes how it feels when we're tired, sick, exhausted. While I'm not generally a fan of that style, it fits here.

I was surprised when the book ended. It felt unfinished. Again, maybe that's the point - to come into your own power, and not necessarily what the end result is. To tie everything up would be to end that discordance, that discomfort that readers like me have built up after reading it. Comfort doesn't lead to change, but discomfort might.

Content Warnings

tatyanavogt's review

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3.0

Really enjoyed the writing and the commentary from this book. I didn't connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to but it was a pretty quick read and I liked enough parts of it to still enjoy it.

veroperovero's review against another edition

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5.0

This is such a powerful book regardless of its length. The science fiction and dystopian elements are subtle, emphasizing the intense frustrations and injustices lived by all the characters. It's definitely not an easy read and I often found myself going back to re-read segments, but that's what makes it so powerful. You can barely see the line between what's real and what's not-plausible, because why wouldn't there be a world with microchips and superpowers when we have hatred and racism and other hideous things that shouldn't exist in the first place? This is definitely a title you want to take your time absorbing and then processing.

crimsoncor's review against another edition

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5.0

the dense prose packs 200 pages worth of story into a mere 100 (on my Nook at least). Just incredibly raw and angry. I haven't read the 2021 Hugo winning novella yet, but this definitely was a worth contender. Just visceral and unflinching. The saddest part is that all the worst parts of the story are the real ones, but the scifi elements. We're the real villains.

serenity043's review against another edition

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5.0

I'm not even sure where to begin. This book was intense and a must read. This was both moving, angering, and so much more. This book should shake you.This book captures so many emotions that I can't even begin to describe it. Read this.