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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I thought it was clever how the worldbuilding was done through news pieces, research articles and interviews. Especially the fake IMDB page for the fake documentary was interesting.
I wasn't sure to expect when I started reading this as I had no idea what it was about and bought it simply because the cover caught my eye. I'm really pleased I bought it because I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was such a fresh, original concept and quite unlike anything I've ever read before! I really loved the whole concept of the animals and Zoo City, it completely drew me in right from the beginning. I also really enjoyed that there was some magic mixed in but that it also had aspects of modern times mixed in as well. All in all I absolutely loved this book and the world that the author created!
I'm still swithering over the rating for this one. I adored it all the way through, so it should have been a 5, but it ended much more abruptly than I expected. I haven't yet decided if the story ended too suddenly, or if it was simply that I was expecting 30 more pages of novel instead of what publishers call "extras" -- in this case, advertising for Lauren Beuke's other novel.
So, a 4 for the moment, but it might change.
So, a 4 for the moment, but it might change.
Being a novice SF reader, I didn't understand all the lingo at first. Once I got the gist of what was going on, I fell in love with this book. It is gritty, and honest, and deep, and wonderful.
In this alternate Johannesburg, criminals (zoos) magically get an animal familiar that must be with them all the time, or they both experience physical pain. This is an outward manifestation of a person's guilt, therefore they are cast out of society and relegated to Zoo City, a ghetto section of the larger city riddled with drugs and crime. Zinzi makes a living as a finder of lost things. Her job is to find a lost pop star. Intrigue and calamity ensues.
In this alternate Johannesburg, criminals (zoos) magically get an animal familiar that must be with them all the time, or they both experience physical pain. This is an outward manifestation of a person's guilt, therefore they are cast out of society and relegated to Zoo City, a ghetto section of the larger city riddled with drugs and crime. Zinzi makes a living as a finder of lost things. Her job is to find a lost pop star. Intrigue and calamity ensues.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
3.5
A friend of mine saw that I was reading this and warned me that it gets quite dark toward the end. She wasn't kidding. Though I admit I really like the last little tidbit of a chapter, do not go into this expecting a happy ending. I kind of did and had to readjust my thinking.
Having said all that, I liked the book. I liked the African setting and characters (They are from several African countries. I don't mean to reduce a continent of peoples to a single, geographic designator.), the world and magic system, the plot and the writing. I got a bit thrown by some of the non-English words. I could have done with a glossary, but it was followable.
All in all, I liked it. I'm undecided about if I'll read the next one in the series, but mostly I ended this one happy.
A friend of mine saw that I was reading this and warned me that it gets quite dark toward the end. She wasn't kidding. Though I admit I really like the last little tidbit of a chapter, do not go into this expecting a happy ending. I kind of did and had to readjust my thinking.
Having said all that, I liked the book. I liked the African setting and characters (They are from several African countries. I don't mean to reduce a continent of peoples to a single, geographic designator.), the world and magic system, the plot and the writing. I got a bit thrown by some of the non-English words. I could have done with a glossary, but it was followable.
All in all, I liked it. I'm undecided about if I'll read the next one in the series, but mostly I ended this one happy.
The animalism remembered me a little bit of The Golden Compass. I liked the "scientific" articles, emails and other overlays - it added greatly to the diversified style of the narrative. World-building was very lifely with different style for stoned teens, criminals and scam victims.
I'm sorry to say that it didn't work for me. It might exactly be those different styles that made it really hard for me to get into the story - when I simply didn't get the meaning of a conversation because of the slang or the South African foreign words that sometimes were important to the dialogues.
In addition it was a detective story which I generally don't like.
In summary it was just ok for me personally and I can't say that I liked it. But I see where others are really fond of it - after all, it is quite good quality.
I'm sorry to say that it didn't work for me. It might exactly be those different styles that made it really hard for me to get into the story - when I simply didn't get the meaning of a conversation because of the slang or the South African foreign words that sometimes were important to the dialogues.
In addition it was a detective story which I generally don't like.
In summary it was just ok for me personally and I can't say that I liked it. But I see where others are really fond of it - after all, it is quite good quality.
Ahhh fuck it. I accidentally read a horror novel. But OK this is the one (1) horror novel I would actually re-read. Usually I don’t generalise books but think: slick, mesmerising, dark Pokémon.
adventurous
dark
tense
I got sucked into this despite myself. I loved Sloth and wanted more of him. I thought it was a bit difficult to get a hold of Zinzi's character, because she is kind of a chameleon to herself. I'd love to hear what people from Joburg think of the book, and if it feels real to them.
[This review can also be found on Bookwanderer!]
I have waited a long time to read Lauren Beukes' sophomore offering, Zoo City--it was one of my first TBR adds on Goodreads--and happily, I was not disappointed! In just a few words, Zoo City is a creative, unique, and un-put-downable entry in the urban paranormal/sci-fi thriller genre.
In a futuristic Johannesburg, South Africa, our protagonist Zinzi December is eking out a living by finding lost objects with her burden and companion Sloth by her side. Like hundreds of other people around the world, Zinzi is 'animalled'--after an incident of wrong-doing and the ensuing guilt, an animal has appeared and has become physically and psychically linked to the offending human. There doesn't seem to be any sort of order to the type of animal that becomes linked to each guilty person; there is a brief mention of someone in prison with a butterfly companion, for example.
Sound silly? Well, I absolutely loved the concept of the 'animalled'. Beukes sells it through Zinzi's wry, no-nonsense tone and the solid world-building. These aren't just people with animal friends; they are faced with fear and hatred from the non-animalled, lack the opportunity to get jobs, and are haunted by their fear of the Undertow, the mysterious force that kills them if their animal dies. Beukes' world is helped along significantly by the inclusion of several 'non-fiction' chapters that feature academic papers, IMDB pages, and more that show the various ways in which culture and society have adapted to the 'animalled' in their midst. (Additionally, this section's shout-out to Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass was a well-done treat for fans of his series, since most of them will probably be thinking of daemons on their foray into Zoo City.)
Zinzi herself is a wonderful character, flawed, with a tough exterior that hides a heavy heart. She is a former drug addict who is responsible for someone's death, and has found herself working for her ex-dealer in order to pay off her debts. She ends up taking a missing person job (which she usually spurns) in her desperation, and winds up entangled in a much larger and more insidious plot that targets her fellow 'animalled'. I though Zinzi's voice and personality were great; within just a few pages her character had been broadly established, and her snarky pop culture references were very funny. The cast is rounded out by Zinzi's boyfriend, her employers Maltese and Marabou, teen pop idols, music moguls, and various other crooks and two-timers. Though the setting is quite sci-fi in flavor, the characters and plot is almost entirely thriller/noir, and the question of who to trust is brought up constantly by Zinzi.
The only thing that kept Zoo City from being a five star review, for me, was the pacing. It has the twists and turns of a noir novel, but unfortunately, too many of them seem to come right at the end, and there wasn't really enough time to follow all the threads, or to let the impact of each cascading action really sink in. Allowing the reader some space to catch their breath would have allowed the various revealed secrets and betrayals some more 'oomph,' as well as a better understanding. This is one case where I wish the book had been 50 to 100 pages longer, or had been expanded into a sequel. I loved the unique world Beukes created, and I hope to be able to return to it (either through a movie--reportedly in the works!--or through a reread).
Despite the pacing issues, Zoo City is an incredibly innovative novel that uses some well-established tropes to great effect. The atypical setting, engaging characters, and excellent world-building all make this a novel to remember.
I have waited a long time to read Lauren Beukes' sophomore offering, Zoo City--it was one of my first TBR adds on Goodreads--and happily, I was not disappointed! In just a few words, Zoo City is a creative, unique, and un-put-downable entry in the urban paranormal/sci-fi thriller genre.
In a futuristic Johannesburg, South Africa, our protagonist Zinzi December is eking out a living by finding lost objects with her burden and companion Sloth by her side. Like hundreds of other people around the world, Zinzi is 'animalled'--after an incident of wrong-doing and the ensuing guilt, an animal has appeared and has become physically and psychically linked to the offending human. There doesn't seem to be any sort of order to the type of animal that becomes linked to each guilty person; there is a brief mention of someone in prison with a butterfly companion, for example.
Sound silly? Well, I absolutely loved the concept of the 'animalled'. Beukes sells it through Zinzi's wry, no-nonsense tone and the solid world-building. These aren't just people with animal friends; they are faced with fear and hatred from the non-animalled, lack the opportunity to get jobs, and are haunted by their fear of the Undertow, the mysterious force that kills them if their animal dies. Beukes' world is helped along significantly by the inclusion of several 'non-fiction' chapters that feature academic papers, IMDB pages, and more that show the various ways in which culture and society have adapted to the 'animalled' in their midst. (Additionally, this section's shout-out to Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass was a well-done treat for fans of his series, since most of them will probably be thinking of daemons on their foray into Zoo City.)
Zinzi herself is a wonderful character, flawed, with a tough exterior that hides a heavy heart. She is a former drug addict who is responsible for someone's death, and has found herself working for her ex-dealer in order to pay off her debts. She ends up taking a missing person job (which she usually spurns) in her desperation, and winds up entangled in a much larger and more insidious plot that targets her fellow 'animalled'. I though Zinzi's voice and personality were great; within just a few pages her character had been broadly established, and her snarky pop culture references were very funny. The cast is rounded out by Zinzi's boyfriend, her employers Maltese and Marabou, teen pop idols, music moguls, and various other crooks and two-timers. Though the setting is quite sci-fi in flavor, the characters and plot is almost entirely thriller/noir, and the question of who to trust is brought up constantly by Zinzi.
The only thing that kept Zoo City from being a five star review, for me, was the pacing. It has the twists and turns of a noir novel, but unfortunately, too many of them seem to come right at the end, and there wasn't really enough time to follow all the threads, or to let the impact of each cascading action really sink in. Allowing the reader some space to catch their breath would have allowed the various revealed secrets and betrayals some more 'oomph,' as well as a better understanding. This is one case where I wish the book had been 50 to 100 pages longer, or had been expanded into a sequel. I loved the unique world Beukes created, and I hope to be able to return to it (either through a movie--reportedly in the works!--or through a reread).
Despite the pacing issues, Zoo City is an incredibly innovative novel that uses some well-established tropes to great effect. The atypical setting, engaging characters, and excellent world-building all make this a novel to remember.