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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, I did not.
I really like the character of AO, the setting, and the intent to examine the relationship between disability, technology, and othering. But at its bones, the plot is like every Matrix clone from the 2000s, a previously unremarkable person discovers how truly unique they are and sets off on a quest to discover their full abilities while saving themselves from the faceless controlling institution. It's just not as innovative as I would have preferred. The romance was also so incidental I wish it wasn't there. Either cut the romance, or write a long enough book that you can explain why the two people get together other than that they're isolated in peril together.
I love nnedi okorafor’s story telling. The mix of technology with a yearning for a simpler way of life. It’s a beautiful story.
Okorafor is a hit-or-miss writer for me. I loved [b:Remote Control|34215764|Remote Control|Nnedi Okorafor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587580886l/34215764._SY75_.jpg|55266235] but this book was disappointment. I always love her vision of a future Africa that perfectly blends technology with traditional culture - and in this book it was especially interesting applied to Fulani herding life. But the book felt more like an action adventure screenplay than deeply realized fiction. I wouldn't want it to be longer, but I wish it went deeper, maybe by focusing on fewer themes and especially not turning the protagonists into international criminals. That cheapened the whole story for me - it turned the protagonists into caricatures and made much of the plot look like a series of dystopian cliches - the exceptions being But.... if this book was made into a movie, I'd be first in line to see it - it might not be great, but it would be fun - especially if it spent a lot of time in The Hour Glass.
Spoiler
AO's visit to DNA's people, and especially Baba Sola - so much more could have been done with him! What was his backstory???
adventurous
reflective
AO is almost more machine than human, with cybernetic legs, arms, and even a brain implant. Having endured several difficulties in her life, however, she’s a survivor. She has to endure prejudices about her non-human body parts, however. When men attack her in a marketplace and she fights back, she becomes a fugitive, and her entire life changes.
This book is Afrofuturism, and the world is well developed, well researched, and intriguing. It raises a lot of fascinating questions about capitalism, the power of corporations, how fear and prejudice can be weoponized, and what we are willing to give up or ignore for the sake of comfortable lives.
This book is definitely worth reading, and absolutely feels relevant to today’s world.
This book is Afrofuturism, and the world is well developed, well researched, and intriguing. It raises a lot of fascinating questions about capitalism, the power of corporations, how fear and prejudice can be weoponized, and what we are willing to give up or ignore for the sake of comfortable lives.
This book is definitely worth reading, and absolutely feels relevant to today’s world.
Tough to describe. This book is about racism and being "othered," corporate greed, technology fears, and so many other big ideas.