Reviews

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

tregina's review against another edition

5.0

I've never loved a book so much that made me feel quite so upset and angry. Not for what it was, because it's truly moving and spectacular, but for those issues that it brings to the forefront, the ones I deal with in my own life and the ones I mercifully never have. Everything that happened made me feel so intensely, and I was riveted by a setting and tapestry of cultures that I have encountered so seldom in speculative fiction.

skyblue212's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.0

mitskacir's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. I thought this book had wonderful world building, an interesting premise, and a unique perspective. Okorafor's writing is engaging and really kept me reading chapter after chapter. The plot was suspenseful and just mysterious enough to be intriguing without being frustrating. However, I did have some issues with the book that prevent me from giving it a higher rating. I was not invested at all in the relationships or the characters in the book - something about Okorafor's writing made me disinterested in the characters, their fates, their romances and friendships, etc. I especially disliked Mwita, the romantic interest of the main character - I did not feel any chemistry between him and Onyesonwu. Mostly, I found his protectiveness, moodniness, and mystery irritating, and was unsure why Onyesonwu put up with him (or at least how she could feel so deeply in love with him, as she tells us many times in the book). Mwita was also a deeply flawed character, and I wish his flaws had been explored more. Instead, I felt like they often ran counter to the message of the book, and like I said, irritated me. The relationship drama that spawned amongst their traveling companions also did not stir me, nor even did the fate of Binta, Fanasi, Diti, and Luyu. I was also a bit put off by the, for lack of a better word, feminism in this book - it was a little too heavy handed, and I think could have been more impactful if written more subtly (I am not saying it should have been less feminist - I just think it would have been more effective if it was more nuanced and took more of a show-don't-tell approach). I would read a sequel if it were written (because of the world building), but would go in with mild expectations. Finally, I will warn anyone thinking of reading this that there is a large amount of violence, especially sexual violence. It is especially intense in the first few chapters, but does continue through the whole book.

jennkei's review

2.0

This book just didn't quite hit the mark for me. I liked the world...but it was covered in tantalisingly-small glimpses. The characters were ok, but the main character was sometimes fairly annoying. (Realism??)

Some things really miffed me, though. The narration that keeps going 'oh, but we'll later see how it was different' or 'but the worst was yet to come'. And also the ending..

outcolder's review

5.0

Intergenerational trauma is the worst kind of juju. This book won the Tiptree Award, and like Tiptree's stories, it left me wondering if there is any hope for humanity. Okorafor ends on a much more pleasant note than your typical Tiptree story but that's a low bar for pleasant notes. The main character has some real anger issues and swears she will never regret doling out collective punishments on future generations... refreshing after all the paladins in fantasy and in our heads.

Maybe the only way to really talk about intergenerational trauma is in fantasy literature.

Wonderful to have all the Africanisms and African personalities here, from the constant sucking of teeth to the magical creatures and sorcery... even if this book hadn't been full of genocide, mass rape, child soldiers, and female genital cutting, this would still be a long way from the wizard schools we're used to in epic fantasy. It reminded me that there is a world of African literature out there, not just genre fiction, and I should read more of that.

Harrowing though. It was a relief to finish it.

kivt's review

5.0

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending, which felt a little tacked on. But the actual events of the end were great!

theillegiblevirgo's review

5.0

it's been years since i read this book, but it haunts me (in the best way) to this day. the story of onyesonwu is incredibly motivational, especially if you are looking to process how to move forward after your understanding of self has completely shifted. while it's definitely a coming of age story, this experience can be relevant at many stages of life.

i want to read it again, especially after reading the prequel, but it's an amazing stand alone and encourage it.

tgibbs44's review against another edition

3.75

it started off really strong but by the end, it felt a bit rushed and not fully fleshed out. the deaths of characters didn't really have as strong of an impact and I was much more interested in the worldbuilding/magic system than the actual plot/characters

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Genocide

otterparty's review

dark fast-paced

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

2.75

Started off fantastic. Halfway through, it became a rush job. Aspects of the plot and the world are not explained enough.

wolfbridge's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

Science fantasy that pulls no punches of any kind and is I afraid to depict the more brutal nature of the human race.