Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

54 reviews

anotherbigapple's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

Couldn’t put it down. A challenging read, with some graphic parts that were hard to read (see content warnings), but a beautifully written and imaginative story that has stuck with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Slavery and Xenophobia

obliteraturebygaytorayd's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A wholly engaging read with rounded, individual characters, so frequently falling prey to social expectations and the unknowns of fate. Onye is spirited and an unstoppable force, charging wholeheartedly (not always whole-headedly) into situations and disrupting the accepted “natural” order, whether for ostracized groups or women. Who Fears Death is ignorance laid bare, the cruelty of imperialism and its unlovable pervasive extended family, and a circular exploration of life and the (often karmic-inducing) choices we make to survive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Gore, Rape, Slavery, Death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: War, Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, Infidelity, and Torture

Minor: Death of parent

junalynx's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The ending was slightly anti-climactic in my opinion. The characters were mostly distinct and engaging, though Diti was dancing on my every nerve throughout the entire book. I have so many questions to the author, but mainly “why?”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, and Misogyny

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Torture and Murder

wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Incest, Violence, Slavery, Sexism, Rape, War, Torture, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Genocide, and Blood

rnfortier's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This was a very tough but important read. It is certainly not a book for the lighthearted or those who cannot read books with darker themes.
I found the prose to be choppy but it seemed almost reflective of Onye’s inner turmoil throughout her life. Still, it made getting through the book somewhat hard.
The book itself dealt with several important themes of slavery, genocide, rape, female mutilation, the list goes on. But at its center is the love between two people; a love that persists in the face of hatred and oppression.
The end has a ray of hope, but the path to get there is paved with graphic descriptions of the aforementioned themes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Genocide, and Xenophobia

eclipse799's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Child death, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Classism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Sexism, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, War, Xenophobia, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, and Pregnancy

ramreads5's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Incest, Grief, Sexual violence, Rape, War, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Bullying, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Violence

juniperbranches's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This has been such an honour to read. Onyesonwu is a child of rape, of anger and of magic. Living in a post apocalyptic African society Onye is living through a genocide of her mother’s people committed by the people of her unknown biological father. When ancient shapeshifter magic stores in her bones Onyesonwu knows she can keep her primal rage silent no more and sets into the desert to change the world. 

Listen, if you are going to read this book there are a ton of trigger warnings. But, oh god is it worth it. This book is going to be one I think I about constantly. Please read it if you have the capacity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, War, Murder, Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Vomit, Slavery, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Genocide, and Racism

chelseaclif7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Child abuse, Slavery, Racism, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This will probably be a 5 star when I reread it one day. Wow. It's a complex story, feels epic in scale, but also has relatable and realistic characters. My new favourite Nnedi Okorafor book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Hate crime, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Racism, Death, and Sexism

Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Slavery, Blood, Infidelity, Death of parent, Body shaming, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Bullying, War, and Fire/Fire injury

Female genital mutilation