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lovelyannalee's review
adventurous
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? It's complicated
3.0
A really fun and cool take on identity, culture, colonialism, and knowledge! I really do wish that it was a bit longer because the ending felt a bit rushed and wasn’t as satisfying as I hoped it would be, but I still enjoyed it a lot!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Gore, Confinement, Child death, Genocide, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation and Racism
Minor: Cultural appropriation
sarahaf712's review
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Violence, Death, Suicide, and Murder
offbrandclubsoda's review
adventurous
inspiring
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Violence
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
In 'Binti' by Nnedi Okorafor, we follow Binti as she sets out for Oomza University and uncovers a plot aboard her spaceship.
Binti is the first of her people to be accepted at the galactic Oomza University. Heading out from Earth, she anticipates what she will find at the university. But then disaster strikes and Binti is forced to negotiate for an alien race that Oomza University stole from in the past.
Despite being a novella, so much happens in 'Binti.' Okorafor introduces us to Binti as she is already heading to Oomza University so we get to know her through her anticipation for her time at the university as well as her recollections of her life on Earth. There aren't too many characters but even those that we spend minimal time with feel fully fleshed out. Through details and very specific moments, Okorafor fleshes out the world and the lives of each character. The story is both a complete, intriguing plot while also clearly setting up the next stories in the series. I am so glad that this is a series as I can't wait to see where Binti goes next.
Binti is the first of her people to be accepted at the galactic Oomza University. Heading out from Earth, she anticipates what she will find at the university. But then disaster strikes and Binti is forced to negotiate for an alien race that Oomza University stole from in the past.
Despite being a novella, so much happens in 'Binti.' Okorafor introduces us to Binti as she is already heading to Oomza University so we get to know her through her anticipation for her time at the university as well as her recollections of her life on Earth. There aren't too many characters but even those that we spend minimal time with feel fully fleshed out. Through details and very specific moments, Okorafor fleshes out the world and the lives of each character. The story is both a complete, intriguing plot while also clearly setting up the next stories in the series. I am so glad that this is a series as I can't wait to see where Binti goes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation
sofievg's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? No
3.0
Not really what I expected, with more violence and less world building than I had hoped for. Still curious about the other parts in the series though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Gore
grandiose_r's review
adventurous
emotional
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
4.25
I enjoyed it a lot, though I do understand why some reviewers felt like the resolution of the main conflict happened rather quickly. Small gripes I had were how often there were descriptions of "this group's men do x, and the women do y", making several groups very very binary gendered. This binary gendering was especially weird to me when encountering the main alien species in this book, who are so distinctly non-human, and yet are immediately viewed with a male/female lens and, conversely, who make gendered (and at one point vaguely misogynistic) judgements about humans.
Also, there's a throwaway line about the main character not being proud of having some lineage from a certain people whose only description is that they have very dark skin and wiry hair. This was especially jarring seeing as how the main character's journey is very much informed by her experiences with discrimination, more precisely anti-Blackness and colorism.
All in all though, I enjoyed the storytelling, the worldbuildung and the character and will be reading the next book in the series.
Also, there's a throwaway line about the main character not being proud of having some lineage from a certain people whose only description is that they have very dark skin and wiry hair. This was especially jarring seeing as how the main character's journey is very much informed by her experiences with discrimination, more precisely anti-Blackness and colorism.
All in all though, I enjoyed the storytelling, the worldbuildung and the character and will be reading the next book in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Racism, Death, and Violence
amandabrown's review
adventurous
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Racism
serena_hien's review
challenging
inspiring
reflective
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, and Violence
menomica's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I remember I read this book in 10th grade lit. and loved it. Rereading it for my 12 grade AFAM LIT class… it was definitely fun, I liked the beat! A lot of stuff was glossed over and the plot was swiftly resolved, but there are two other books in the series so I’m assuming things unfold more clearly there
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Misogyny
hanarama's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
CW: racism, death, body horror
The Good:
• Resourceful main character
• Horror into understanding
The Bad:
• Too short
• End is a little too "neat"
You Might Like this if You Like:
• A Memory Called Empire
• Octavia Butler
• Non-humanoid aliens
Binti is the first Himbe to be accepted into a prestigious intergalactic school. Though excited, she is apprehensive about leaving her family. Initially she has some difficulty, but soon starts building relationships with her future classmates.
But then their ship is attacked by the Meduse, a jellyfish-like alien species. Binti and the pilot are the only two left alive following the massacre. As Binti protects herself from the Meduse, she discovers a way to speak to them, and begins to relate to the aliens.
The setting is interesting, but the world building is mainly surface level. The novella is too short for a really in depth exploration of the setting.
The ending also suffers due to length. It feels a bit too neatly tied up and abrupt. It felt as though Okorafor was rushing to finish things up, when the story could have been further developed.
The Good:
• Resourceful main character
• Horror into understanding
The Bad:
• Too short
• End is a little too "neat"
You Might Like this if You Like:
• A Memory Called Empire
• Octavia Butler
• Non-humanoid aliens
Binti is the first Himbe to be accepted into a prestigious intergalactic school. Though excited, she is apprehensive about leaving her family. Initially she has some difficulty, but soon starts building relationships with her future classmates.
But then their ship is attacked by the Meduse, a jellyfish-like alien species. Binti and the pilot are the only two left alive following the massacre. As Binti protects herself from the Meduse, she discovers a way to speak to them, and begins to relate to the aliens.
The setting is interesting, but the world building is mainly surface level. The novella is too short for a really in depth exploration of the setting.
The ending also suffers due to length. It feels a bit too neatly tied up and abrupt. It felt as though Okorafor was rushing to finish things up, when the story could have been further developed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Death, Racism, and Violence