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mlthomas234's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Abandonment, Body shaming, Car accident, Grief, and Physical abuse
Minor: Blood
podanotherjessi's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book is much less about the characters or the plot and more about the emotions explored. It's about grief and loneliness and isolation. After the past year (I'm writing in 2021, for anyone finding this review in the future), it was strangely relatable and almost comforting. To see this young girl suffer through being alone and come out stronger for it was powerful. I'm not sure how I would have felt if I had read this at any other time, but right now, it just felt like something was right about it. And I will definitely be thinking about this for a while.
Characters: 8
Plot: 9
Setting: 9
Writing Style: 10
General appeal: 9
Originality: 9
Ending: 6
Characters: 8
Plot: 9
Setting: 9
Writing Style: 10
General appeal: 9
Originality: 9
Ending: 6
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
bluejayreads's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The back cover of this book is kind of misleading, but I don't really blame it because it would be hard to write a description of what happens in this book that doesn't sound incredibly boring. There is no greater purpose for Sankofa. But this book isn't about that. It's not really about a plot at all. It's about Sankofa, a girl who can kill with a thought and can't always control it and whom everyone fears because of it.
This story is, overwhelmingly, a tragedy. It is the story of Sankofa, a child, a young child, losing everything and everyone she knew and cared about again and again and again. The first time this happens she is seven, when she loses her family and her town and her name and everything she ever knew in one moment of disaster. With no home, no name, and no one to help her, she begins chasing something that was stolen from her.
All technology dies under her touch, but she doesn't even need touch to kill a human. Stories of her spread, and people fear her, and many hate what they fear. She is alone except for her fox companion. Every single refuge she finds is eventually destroyed or she is driven away by those who fear her power of death and hate what they fear. And as I read, all I could think was, She is a child. She is a child. She is seven, eight, nine, ten years old. She is too young for your hate and fear. She does not want to kill you. She is a child who has lost everything too many times to count. Have compassion.
But of course, there are children her age and younger in our real world also who face anger and fear and hatred from adults for something they cannot control and did not choose.
This is not a happy book. It isn't long, but the emotions it contains are large. This is a small story of big feelings, grief and loss and pain and being a child alone in the world and hated for something you are that you did not ask for, did not choose, and can't stop being. It is beautiful and vivid and intense and engrossing despite the lack of discernable plot and, above all else, heartbreaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood and Gun violence
nyoom's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer and Rape
Minor: Medical content
spiritedfaraway's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Everything starts with a meteor shower. A young girl sees something that falls from the stars and what she finds, or what is given to her, comes with great power and a great price. Now wandering with only a small red fox by her side, Sankofa is looking for what was taken from her. As she walks from town to town word by month spreads out even faster and soon Sankofa is wrapped in mythology and legend.
"People whisper things like, "She's the adopted child of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own." Three was truth in every single one of the stories."
An absolutely engrossing coming of age story with Sankofa looking for purpose and trying to find a sense of self. Amazing character and plot development, but also an exploration of grief, isolation, and trauma. This is a book that is mysterious and vivid and gripping and is so very hard to put down. I truly hope we get more of Sankofa in future books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Animal death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Sexism, and Self harm
Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness
There is also death of a sibling and mention of the covid pandemic.rorikae's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
In 'Remote Control' Nnedi Okorafor tells the story of a young girl with the power of death and how this power affects her life.
Fatima loves spending time in her family's backyard, drawing large patterns in the dirt and spending time climbing her favorite tree. But one day, meteors fall from the sky and Fatima finds a seed that has potentially come from outer space. The seed imbues Fatima with the power of death and her life is permanently changed. After a tragedy, she loses her name and becomes Sankofa, walking from city to city accompanied by death.
Though 'Remote Control' is under 200 pages, Okorafor enfolds the reader into Sankofa's story. We are introduced to her first after rumors have spread about her powers and so we see her first through the eyes of the public as this mythical being who has the power to control death. But Okorafor then sends us back to Sankofa's origin story, when she is just a girl who loves watching the stars and encounters a seed that changes her life. As Okorafor unfolds the story behind the legend, we learn more about the tragedy and grief that have plagued Sankofa ever since she lost her name. Despite the short nature of the story, it fills every page and feels like the perfect length. Okorafor also utilizes the story to comment on large corporations that exploit resources and the impact that the fear of death has on different characters. It's a gripping story with so much to say. I highly recommend it.
Fatima loves spending time in her family's backyard, drawing large patterns in the dirt and spending time climbing her favorite tree. But one day, meteors fall from the sky and Fatima finds a seed that has potentially come from outer space. The seed imbues Fatima with the power of death and her life is permanently changed. After a tragedy, she loses her name and becomes Sankofa, walking from city to city accompanied by death.
Though 'Remote Control' is under 200 pages, Okorafor enfolds the reader into Sankofa's story. We are introduced to her first after rumors have spread about her powers and so we see her first through the eyes of the public as this mythical being who has the power to control death. But Okorafor then sends us back to Sankofa's origin story, when she is just a girl who loves watching the stars and encounters a seed that changes her life. As Okorafor unfolds the story behind the legend, we learn more about the tragedy and grief that have plagued Sankofa ever since she lost her name. Despite the short nature of the story, it fills every page and feels like the perfect length. Okorafor also utilizes the story to comment on large corporations that exploit resources and the impact that the fear of death has on different characters. It's a gripping story with so much to say. I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, and Violence
_forestofpages's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Murder and Violence
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