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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Nnedi Okorafor again shows why she's a leading light of science fiction: inventive, fascinating world building combined with incredible depths of emotion and subtle yet effective narrative.
I got this ARC from Netgalley and Tor in exchange of a fair review.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Binti is colours. It's astounding how simple black and white text can evoke vivid imagery with a palette to rival even artists like Fiona Staples (If you have read Saga, you know this is no light comparison). The world of Binti is similarly vibrant, with the titular character Binti faring from a futuristic afropolitan Earth in a weird almost fantasy like sci-fi setting where spirituality and science are mixed. Further the world is space faring with myriads of alien races and cultures interacting, trading and always travelling, and making it further more interesting is the fact that the dominant technologies are all biotech, not in the conventional modern way we use the term, but rather in a very naturalist organic way which is really beautiful to imagine.
We spent more time on Earth in this book than the last one, and one of the good things about it was that unlike most other futuristic sci-fi stories where all the cityscapes seem to be just amped up versions of modern metroplitans, this was special. Between realistic and fantastical she fortunately erred towards the more colorful and you can understand why Binti would be homesick for her tree trunk like spirally yet stone textured house (called Root), the mildly glowing pink lake with green bioluminescent fish, hovering transport pods, etc.
Continuing the tale of the 17 year old super intelligent Himba girl, who we saw in the first book run from her secluded tribe in Africa to pursue her academic goals in a university far, far away, the story of Binti's return and all the hijinks that follow is a good second part in this coming of age tale. The themes of change, both physical and mental, the acceptance of said change, self discovery, feelings of isolation and pursuit of independence have some of the best unforced parallels in YA storytelling I have ever seen. According to her family her destiny was to become a good harmonizer and get married, have kids and be a good Himba woman always staying with her tribe but for Binti while she did love her village, her love for stars and learning made her leave for space. The very eventful journey (see book #1) was a transformative experience (literally!) and upon reaching she became different from her family in one more way. We see her clinging on to her ritual dressing and use of otize (a soil based concoction used to coat the skin) to maintain the semblance of oneness with her old life even as she is farther away from home than anyone she knew, doing things unimaginable to her family and peers. After one year when she returns home with a friend with a very complicated history we see all her fears and self doubts play out with a family that is trying to be loving but horrified at the changes. There the story takes an unexpected turn and surprisingly, stops before reaching the destination.
I din't quite like Binti: Home, as much as I did its predecessor. Perhaps it was because some of the novelty of the setting had worn off, or as is more likely, it was because of its weird structure. Now I don't think I am a stickler for the standard 3 act template, and while I do like the big build up towards the end culminating in a cathartic climax, I have appreciated quite a few stories which forego this structure entirely. This book however chose to have the first and second acts but not the third one, making me feel as if I got the appetizers had a whiff of the meat, maybe even cut into it, but before I could bite into the main course the plate was taken away. Of course I know that a sequel is coming, but I still expect the stories I read to at least be complete in themselves even if they leave a few plot threads loose for the sequels. Even in the rest of the book a lot of space was devoted to extensive recaps of the first part leaving not much room for a new story. This was particularly disappointing because after the brilliant 1st part which stood at 98 pages, I was really looking forward to a larger, meatier story and when I heard that it was going to be 176 pages I had raised my hopes quite a bit!
Anyways, the good thing is I am still invested in the story of Binti and in it's beautiful world and I am pretty sure I would be lining up for the next book whenever it comes. I recommend anyone looking for a good YA Sci-fi or fantasy to at least pick up its first part, it is low on investment and is thoroughly enjoyable!
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Binti is colours. It's astounding how simple black and white text can evoke vivid imagery with a palette to rival even artists like Fiona Staples (If you have read Saga, you know this is no light comparison). The world of Binti is similarly vibrant, with the titular character Binti faring from a futuristic afropolitan Earth in a weird almost fantasy like sci-fi setting where spirituality and science are mixed. Further the world is space faring with myriads of alien races and cultures interacting, trading and always travelling, and making it further more interesting is the fact that the dominant technologies are all biotech, not in the conventional modern way we use the term, but rather in a very naturalist organic way which is really beautiful to imagine.
We spent more time on Earth in this book than the last one, and one of the good things about it was that unlike most other futuristic sci-fi stories where all the cityscapes seem to be just amped up versions of modern metroplitans, this was special. Between realistic and fantastical she fortunately erred towards the more colorful and you can understand why Binti would be homesick for her tree trunk like spirally yet stone textured house (called Root), the mildly glowing pink lake with green bioluminescent fish, hovering transport pods, etc.
Continuing the tale of the 17 year old super intelligent Himba girl, who we saw in the first book run from her secluded tribe in Africa to pursue her academic goals in a university far, far away, the story of Binti's return and all the hijinks that follow is a good second part in this coming of age tale. The themes of change, both physical and mental, the acceptance of said change, self discovery, feelings of isolation and pursuit of independence have some of the best unforced parallels in YA storytelling I have ever seen. According to her family her destiny was to become a good harmonizer and get married, have kids and be a good Himba woman always staying with her tribe but for Binti while she did love her village, her love for stars and learning made her leave for space. The very eventful journey (see book #1) was a transformative experience (literally!) and upon reaching she became different from her family in one more way. We see her clinging on to her ritual dressing and use of otize (a soil based concoction used to coat the skin) to maintain the semblance of oneness with her old life even as she is farther away from home than anyone she knew, doing things unimaginable to her family and peers. After one year when she returns home with a friend with a very complicated history we see all her fears and self doubts play out with a family that is trying to be loving but horrified at the changes. There the story takes an unexpected turn and surprisingly, stops before reaching the destination.
I din't quite like Binti: Home, as much as I did its predecessor. Perhaps it was because some of the novelty of the setting had worn off, or as is more likely, it was because of its weird structure. Now I don't think I am a stickler for the standard 3 act template, and while I do like the big build up towards the end culminating in a cathartic climax, I have appreciated quite a few stories which forego this structure entirely. This book however chose to have the first and second acts but not the third one, making me feel as if I got the appetizers had a whiff of the meat, maybe even cut into it, but before I could bite into the main course the plate was taken away. Of course I know that a sequel is coming, but I still expect the stories I read to at least be complete in themselves even if they leave a few plot threads loose for the sequels. Even in the rest of the book a lot of space was devoted to extensive recaps of the first part leaving not much room for a new story. This was particularly disappointing because after the brilliant 1st part which stood at 98 pages, I was really looking forward to a larger, meatier story and when I heard that it was going to be 176 pages I had raised my hopes quite a bit!
Anyways, the good thing is I am still invested in the story of Binti and in it's beautiful world and I am pretty sure I would be lining up for the next book whenever it comes. I recommend anyone looking for a good YA Sci-fi or fantasy to at least pick up its first part, it is low on investment and is thoroughly enjoyable!
adventurous
challenging
tense
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
Again, the plot did not go the direction I was thinking it would at the start of the book. So much of this is about identity and shifting between what a culture expects of someone and what an individuals wants or is forced to do. Binti is a bridge between so many cultures, and this really made me think of code switching. I am curious how the story will continue to develop.
The book had desert elements and water condensers, so that brought [b:Dune|44767458|Dune (Dune, #1)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555447414l/44767458._SY75_.jpg|3634639] to mind. The Desert People in this book reminded me of some of my anthropology classes, where outsiders will often view a group as "primitive." The irony is that often times these groups have amazing technology to adapt to life in some of the harshest environments on earth. Many of the "primitive" groups only need to spend about 20 hours a week to feed themselves, which sounds a lot more pleasant than the modern, "advanced." world.
The book had desert elements and water condensers, so that brought [b:Dune|44767458|Dune (Dune, #1)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555447414l/44767458._SY75_.jpg|3634639] to mind. The Desert People in this book reminded me of some of my anthropology classes, where outsiders will often view a group as "primitive." The irony is that often times these groups have amazing technology to adapt to life in some of the harshest environments on earth. Many of the "primitive" groups only need to spend about 20 hours a week to feed themselves, which sounds a lot more pleasant than the modern, "advanced." world.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
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:
Yes
Home was a great follow up to Binti #1. I was gripped by what was happening and had to turn every page to find out what was going on next. If you're looking for something a little different this is a great choice.
adventurous
reflective
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:
No
Binti heads home bringing an alien being in an attempt to bring harmony among different species. When she returns she must confront how she is now different from her community and take a deeper look at her family’s history. Ends on a big cliffhanger. Still not a sci-fi person but I’ve enjoyed the first two books of this trilogy.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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