Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

32 reviews

mgmotley's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Ableism, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Drug use, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, and Cursing

kitwhelan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Nnedi has done it again! I loved this story of a disabled woman making her own fate against all circumstances. The plot was action packed and I never knew exactly where it was going. The characters were entire people who I felt I knew after a short time. As usual with her writing, it contains deep and profound observations about humanity, how we build our societies, and hope for the world we could live in. 10 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Ableism

ashleybakerwrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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? No

3.75

I enjoyed this book from the middle onward. The hook isn't particularly strong for me, but it was very enjoyable past that. I loved the world building and anticapitalist message. A lot of it felt more fantasy than sci-fi, but there was definitely enough sci-fi in it for the average sci-fi reader. The journey was very interesting. And the pinch points felt very real for the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Terminal illness, Classism, Violence, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Death, War, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Ableism

doesntread's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

This is going to stick with me for a very long time. It is the real kind of science fiction, with imaginative rich world building that help us process the issues (privacy, renewable energy, natural disasters, and corporate exploitation for example). We experience the drama of this world through AO and DNA, two very different but similarly tortured characters. They are excellent foils for each other, and I quickly found myself rooting for them.

AO is a disabled character who feels real. I am thankful that the author is speaking from experience here because it really really adds to the richness of AO as a narrator. Technology is not a cure that erases all disability in the future, but something that has pros and cons. Taking a psych med might help you but might have side effects too. AO speaks similarly at the beginning of the book about her high-tech sci-fi treatments. If you are disabled and/or chronically ill oh my god please please at least check out the first chapter of this book, it will feed your soul.

Plot-wise, this book is fast paced and stays pretty tense throughout, though there are times of rest for our heroes as they find shelter for a bit while on the run. This is a very hopeful book, but it is the kind of hope that is generated through very very bleak moments, making it even stronger. I really adore this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Hate crime, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Xenophobia and Animal death

The book holds your hand through it as you gradually get more information of the hate crime that triggers the events of the book. There is not a sexual violence component. If an ableist hate crime with some misogynistic and racial components is a trigger, proceed with caution, but know you are in good hands with the author and it is never trauma porn or left unresolved. Chronic illness:

AO has mystery chronic illness symptoms such as headaches and bleeding through the eyes and ears. She pushes through a lot of it, and the people around her worry. She also reminisces on her time stuck in the hospital after her car accident before the events of the book.

Animal death

Cows. The emotional toll of this is very intense, but not much time is spent on describing the death.

Xenophobia:

DNA's subplot involves his dwindling herdsman tradition being framed as terrorists, and violence is motivated against him, his peers, and his family because of this. They get justice and hope, but there is also a lot of loss.

This book covers some really painful stuff, but it does so respectfully, with appropriate gravity, and facilitates the emotional processing of it.

juniperbranches's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

5.0

‘So why revere the aesthetics of traditional beauty? It's like worshipping a god who cannot see you. It is choosing to never be celebrated. I wanted to be celebrated.’

Noor is the final book in this months Black authors book bag. AO is a physically disabled woman that was able to re create her damaged legs and arm with the help of cybernetic technology. Her implants are crucial to her survival and comfort, but because of them she is looked down on, shunned, and occasionally faces violence. One day it all goes wrong and she is run out of her local market. Unsure of where to turn she takes refuge outside of the city, in Nigeria’s vast deserts, where she befriends a herdsman and his cattle who is filled with his own dark secrets. The two travel the desert into the eye of a massive dust storm caused by ongoing climate change, seeking answers to problems of racism, ecology, poverty, late stage capitalism and disability justice. 

My little synopsis isn’t remotely enough to communicate everything this slim volume contains. This is a story, but it’s also a critique of the way our world operates. I cannot say enough good things, go read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Xenophobia, Violence, and Animal death

vegabela's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Animal death, Ableism, Violence, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Car accident, Grief, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Child death, Colonisation, Car accident, and Hate crime

tinyflame4's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Hate crime, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Racism

Moderate: Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and Colonisation

Minor: Genocide, Abortion, Car accident, Classism, Death, Animal death, and Misogyny

katsmedialibrary's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism

zombiezami's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

5.0

This is my favorite book by the author that I've read so far!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, Ableism, Violence, Death, Chronic illness, Blood, Sexism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Colonisation, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Genocide, Gore, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

Minor: Child death, Car accident, and Toxic relationship

Eugenics

bites_of_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

 I just love it when stories manage to combine what the future might look like with real problems that the world if facing in the present.

Noor is about AO, a woman who has multiple artificial limbs and other "upgrades" who is on the run after getting in trouble after an incident at her local market. As she tries to get away, she runs into someone else who is also trying to stay hidden. Together they go on a journey through the desert, facing intense dust storms, trying to find somewhere to hide.

This book is about corporate greed, technological advancements used for the benefit of the rich, disregard for the environment, all told from the point of view of the people most affected by it. Set in a future Nigeria, it paints a picture that we want to get away from.

I'd recommend it if you like speculative fiction, science fiction with an African setting, and fantastic world building. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism