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hyperpension's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
Imaginative but hits terrifyingly close to home. Couldn’t help but think I wish I had this book as a kid. Beautifully written in a heart-wrenching way that makes you fall in love with Jam, Redemption, and Pet. The ways Emezi writes humanity is so lively and you can feel warmth in every page. Recommend to anyone!! Monsters and angels look like all kinds of things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Rape, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
Minor: Gaslighting
Dissociationcriticalbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, and Gaslighting
laurareads87's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
4.0
Having been blown away by Emezi's Freshwater, I decided to pick up Pet and am glad I did. Emezi's an incredible writer and I look forward to reading the rest of their work.
Pet is a really thoughtful consideration of what happens when others can't or won't believe that abuse is occurring: when harms go unseen because, at least in part, of a refusal to see them. The book also explores - albeit somewhat in the background - the complexities of trying to come up with socially just and anti-oppressive ways of meaningfully addressing perpetrators: attempts at shifts away from violent carceral paradigms towards healing, accountability, and community safety. I am grateful to Emezi for tackling this in the way that they have -- these are extraordinarily complex and urgent issues, and they've addressed them in a way that is suited (I think) to younger audiences without downplaying their seriousness. I am appreciative of the trans, disability, and relationship diversity representation in this book as well. As a reader of pretty much exclusively adult fiction (and as an adult reader) I'm not <i>quite</i> sure what the intended age bracket of readership is for a book like this -- on the one hand, the protagonists do read as younger than they're described to me, and the text would be accessible to quite young readers (I'd have been able to read this, and get a lot out of it, at age 12 or so), but on the other hand some of the content relating to violence may be difficult for some readers of all ages and some of the subtleties might go over the heads of very young readers. Overall, definitely recommend.
Content warnings: child abuse + pedophelia (note: it is made clear in the book that a child is being abused and this is central to the plot; however, the abuse is not described on the page or discussed in any graphic detail at all), blood, gaslighting
Pet is a really thoughtful consideration of what happens when others can't or won't believe that abuse is occurring: when harms go unseen because, at least in part, of a refusal to see them. The book also explores - albeit somewhat in the background - the complexities of trying to come up with socially just and anti-oppressive ways of meaningfully addressing perpetrators: attempts at shifts away from violent carceral paradigms towards healing, accountability, and community safety. I am grateful to Emezi for tackling this in the way that they have -- these are extraordinarily complex and urgent issues, and they've addressed them in a way that is suited (I think) to younger audiences without downplaying their seriousness. I am appreciative of the trans, disability, and relationship diversity representation in this book as well. As a reader of pretty much exclusively adult fiction (and as an adult reader) I'm not <i>quite</i> sure what the intended age bracket of readership is for a book like this -- on the one hand, the protagonists do read as younger than they're described to me, and the text would be accessible to quite young readers (I'd have been able to read this, and get a lot out of it, at age 12 or so), but on the other hand some of the content relating to violence may be difficult for some readers of all ages and some of the subtleties might go over the heads of very young readers. Overall, definitely recommend.
Content warnings: child abuse + pedophelia (note: it is made clear in the book that a child is being abused and this is central to the plot; however, the abuse is not described on the page or discussed in any graphic detail at all), blood, gaslighting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Blood
sssssoup's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Police brutality, Medical content, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
buttermellow's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
maple_dusk's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gaslighting
Moderate: Physical abuse and Violence
Minor: Drug use and Emotional abuse
Dating violence (minor)dalmavatai's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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? No
4.5
Wow, this book completely took me by surprise and if I'm honest, just totally stole my heart.
This is such a beautiful book. The writing is gorgeous, the characters, especially Jam, and the relationships between them, are incredibly meaningful and well-developed. I loved Jam's family and her relationships with her parents as well as with her best friend Redemption, but most of all I loved her relationship with Pet. After her initial fear and apprehension, she was so accepting and managed to view Pet as her equal, which none of the other characters could do. I love how Pet is not otherized in this story, as in, it's not portrayed as a thing but as a creature with its own emotions, ambitions, worldviews, and personality. Pet and Jam had such a great friendship where they teased each other but also made each other grow.
I loved the social commentary in this book. I love how Akwaeke was able to imagine this world where there is no police brutality or even police anymore, no transphobia, no racism, in other words, so many things that we want to see destroyed in the present moment. At the same time, she explores how problems have not disappeared from Lucille and monsters still exist. I feel like a lot of the time when we imagine a better future, many of us are liable to see it as a utopian one, and it was refreshing to see a future world which has made a lot of progress but which has its very own issues at the same time.
I loved the conversations around seeing, and how ideology can convince us not to see certain things that are nevertheless there. I loved Jam and Redemption's journey of finding out the identity of the monster in their midst, and deciding how to bring about justice for the person harmed.
This book is at its core about change, both social and personal, and how to go about making change in the world, how to uncover a problem that everyone else seems to be in denial about. It was so poignant, so lyrical, so nuanced, so beautiful, and so unique. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I'd recommend even if you're not a magical realism/fantasy reader like myself.
This is such a beautiful book. The writing is gorgeous, the characters, especially Jam, and the relationships between them, are incredibly meaningful and well-developed. I loved Jam's family and her relationships with her parents as well as with her best friend Redemption, but most of all I loved her relationship with Pet. After her initial fear and apprehension, she was so accepting and managed to view Pet as her equal, which none of the other characters could do. I love how Pet is not otherized in this story, as in, it's not portrayed as a thing but as a creature with its own emotions, ambitions, worldviews, and personality. Pet and Jam had such a great friendship where they teased each other but also made each other grow.
I loved the social commentary in this book. I love how Akwaeke was able to imagine this world where there is no police brutality or even police anymore, no transphobia, no racism, in other words, so many things that we want to see destroyed in the present moment. At the same time, she explores how problems have not disappeared from Lucille and monsters still exist. I feel like a lot of the time when we imagine a better future, many of us are liable to see it as a utopian one, and it was refreshing to see a future world which has made a lot of progress but which has its very own issues at the same time.
I loved the conversations around seeing, and how ideology can convince us not to see certain things that are nevertheless there. I loved Jam and Redemption's journey of finding out the identity of the monster in their midst, and deciding how to bring about justice for the person harmed.
This book is at its core about change, both social and personal, and how to go about making change in the world, how to uncover a problem that everyone else seems to be in denial about. It was so poignant, so lyrical, so nuanced, so beautiful, and so unique. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I'd recommend even if you're not a magical realism/fantasy reader like myself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, and War
nicolaparty's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcohol
clea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.5
This novel is incredibly well-written and although quite short, gives a lot to think about. I found the setting (a utopian (?) city named Lucille) very interesting and I'm looking forward to reading the next book which will be a prequel telling the story of the infamous revolution during which all monsters were eradicated. I really want to know more about this world! At first you think it is perfect; tolerance and acceptance shine through everyone and every action, be it ever so small. But then you realize that in a world where people don't believe in monsters anymore, it can be all the easier for those monsters to hide behind a shining facade.
Obviously the themes discussed, are very important. They are explored in a creative and sensitive way which I strongly appreciated. The characters were strikingly well-developed and the dynamics between them were really interesting (and heart-melting). I especially liked Jam and Redemption's relationship; it just seemed so pure and wholesome! It's a welcome change to see a great friendship between a boy and a girl in which romantic feelings play no part.
I can't recommend this book enough!! Also the audio book is really nice to listen to, the narrator is fantastic and really brings the characters to life.
Obviously the themes discussed, are very important. They are explored in a creative and sensitive way which I strongly appreciated. The characters were strikingly well-developed and the dynamics between them were really interesting (and heart-melting). I especially liked Jam and Redemption's relationship; it just seemed so pure and wholesome! It's a welcome change to see a great friendship between a boy and a girl in which romantic feelings play no part.
I can't recommend this book enough!! Also the audio book is really nice to listen to, the narrator is fantastic and really brings the characters to life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting
Minor: Police brutality and Mass/school shootings