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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Beukes makes a rich alternative world - South Africa, but where those 'guilty' have animals (sorta ala P.Pullman) appear after their crimes that they can't be very far from. These people are, of course!, shunned and persecuted by the rest of society. They are also given minor magical powers, adding to their otherness. In fact, South Africa might actually be one of the better places to be a zoo, judging from the little snips of information we hear about the outside world. As with other modern urban fantasy or science-fiction books Beukes is good at slipping in the info. She also has little sections that are articles or papers from other sources to make the world even more rich in detail.
The character of Zinzi, a disgraced former journalist, with a dead brother and family who has disowned her, seems spot on. The book is in the first person and Beukes creates a voice that is real appealing at the same time you realize that Zinzi has fallen into her own deep dark hole and is only now just pulling herself out.
The book has pacing issues in the middle and then suddenly crashed to an end at the end. Really liked the relationship between the main character Zinzi and her animal Sloth. If this ends up as the start of a series I would totally seek out further books. The setting and mood, which is the primary thing I look for in mystery books, not the mystery, was really well done, based on the South Africa of today, which I know nothing about. About the mystery, I think this may have been where the plot was done in. At a certain point in the middle things trailed off in an unsatisfying way, but then *spoiler but not* gets taken back up later. This is a common trope in mystery novels, but I don't think Beukes picked up that middle part very well. Didn't give it a backup narrative thread to bridge the gap. It didn't feel like it was presented in a very controlled way in the book - but I could also be a clueless mystery reader. That and the final conclusion, the 'solution' to the troubles of the book didn't feel very satisfying - at least on an emotional level. It was like - huh - so that's what was going on. Oh well...
So while I'll be back for more, if there is more, I only found the book partly satisfying.
The character of Zinzi, a disgraced former journalist, with a dead brother and family who has disowned her, seems spot on. The book is in the first person and Beukes creates a voice that is real appealing at the same time you realize that Zinzi has fallen into her own deep dark hole and is only now just pulling herself out.
The book has pacing issues in the middle and then suddenly crashed to an end at the end. Really liked the relationship between the main character Zinzi and her animal Sloth. If this ends up as the start of a series I would totally seek out further books. The setting and mood, which is the primary thing I look for in mystery books, not the mystery, was really well done, based on the South Africa of today, which I know nothing about. About the mystery, I think this may have been where the plot was done in. At a certain point in the middle things trailed off in an unsatisfying way, but then *spoiler but not* gets taken back up later. This is a common trope in mystery novels, but I don't think Beukes picked up that middle part very well. Didn't give it a backup narrative thread to bridge the gap. It didn't feel like it was presented in a very controlled way in the book - but I could also be a clueless mystery reader. That and the final conclusion, the 'solution' to the troubles of the book didn't feel very satisfying - at least on an emotional level. It was like - huh - so that's what was going on. Oh well...
So while I'll be back for more, if there is more, I only found the book partly satisfying.
Unique and darkly fascinating. In an alterna-verse Johannesburg, anyone with a crime in their conscience finds themselves with an animal companion. In an already stratified country, being an “amp” or “Zoo” Is just one more way of being pre-judged.
I loved that the protagonist is in no way a hero. She’s done bad things, and will keep on doing those bad things to survive. She’ll have have an adorable sloth in tow....
The fact that there was never an explanation for why animals started to become attached to humans, or why the humans would die if their animals did was brilliant. I also got a real kick out of the occasional news article or academic paper popping up mid narrative.
This is a world that I would love to revisit.
4.5 stars
I loved that the protagonist is in no way a hero. She’s done bad things, and will keep on doing those bad things to survive. She’ll have have an adorable sloth in tow....
The fact that there was never an explanation for why animals started to become attached to humans, or why the humans would die if their animals did was brilliant. I also got a real kick out of the occasional news article or academic paper popping up mid narrative.
This is a world that I would love to revisit.
4.5 stars
Coming from South Africa, it was refreshing to read an South African based fantasy. Engaging, well-written, creative.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
A wonderfully original world and concept populated by interesting characters that aren't the usual stereotypes. My only gripe is that all this world building and character focus sometimes forgets that it's good to have a story happening too, and it bogs down in the first half in info-dumping. Nonetheless, totally worth reading and a very neat concept. If I had to lug around an externalized conscience, I'd want it to be a sloth too.
Interesting spec fic set in south africa. A little preachy and cute at times, but fun.
I did not read this in a good frame of mind, and so I think that may have coloured my opinion somewhat. The idea of the "animalled" was an interesting one, as was some of the implications that seemed to flow from it.
The main character was also an interesting person, nicely complex and obviously recovering from multiple traumas, which seemed to be related to her animalled status.
There however it all fell apart, the plot started well enough, and the info dumps in between charters were interesting, but the plot slowly got away from the author's control, and the final few chapters seem almost incoherent. The conclusion was unsatisfying and also left open what the point of much of the story had been about.
So an interesting idea, but needs work.
The main character was also an interesting person, nicely complex and obviously recovering from multiple traumas, which seemed to be related to her animalled status.
There however it all fell apart, the plot started well enough, and the info dumps in between charters were interesting, but the plot slowly got away from the author's control, and the final few chapters seem almost incoherent. The conclusion was unsatisfying and also left open what the point of much of the story had been about.
So an interesting idea, but needs work.
Liked it enough to read some of her other books, but didn't love it. Great concepts, love the winks toward The Golden Compass, but in the end not captivating for me.
I appreciate what Beukes was trying to do with this book, and I do think we need more books in this setting, by local authors, that aren't just kiddie safari picture books for tourists.
But I'm not sure if she got it quite right. Part One slogged - I struggled to get into it (and then gave up on getting into it and just finished the damn thing). Part Two picked up the pace... and then went too far. It felt rushed.
I didn't feel like I got to know the characters enough - not enough to care when they died. Those deaths should have been tragedies. They should have shocked me, and made me hate the baddies.
Instead, they were strangers. I had gotten to know Zinzi's car better than I knew them. I mourned the vandalism of said car more than I mourned the brutal murders. But even then, it was a skedonk so it wasn't a great tragedy either.
Even the sloth, which is supposed to be such a huge part of Zinzi, didn't quite cross the threshold where I started to care about it beyond the usual warm fuzzies I feel towards animals. I think Beukes (or her editor) could have sacrificed a few overwrought metaphors for some decent characterisation.
Basically, it was too much OMG JOBURG! OMG METAPHOR/SIMILE! and not enough story, and the characters all blended together. Meh.
But I'm not sure if she got it quite right. Part One slogged - I struggled to get into it (and then gave up on getting into it and just finished the damn thing). Part Two picked up the pace... and then went too far. It felt rushed.
I didn't feel like I got to know the characters enough - not enough to care when they died. Those deaths should have been tragedies. They should have shocked me, and made me hate the baddies.
Instead, they were strangers. I had gotten to know Zinzi's car better than I knew them. I mourned the vandalism of said car more than I mourned the brutal murders. But even then, it was a skedonk so it wasn't a great tragedy either.
Even the sloth, which is supposed to be such a huge part of Zinzi, didn't quite cross the threshold where I started to care about it beyond the usual warm fuzzies I feel towards animals. I think Beukes (or her editor) could have sacrificed a few overwrought metaphors for some decent characterisation.
Basically, it was too much OMG JOBURG! OMG METAPHOR/SIMILE! and not enough story, and the characters all blended together. Meh.