Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

17 reviews

nerdysread's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I didn't know anything starting this book, and honestly, that's a good thing. This is a good story. Maybe I was expecting more action, but it would have been too much. So yeah, a good surprise. Sometimes I felt a bit lost, but I think it's more because I was reading it when I needed to sleep than because of the book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Violence, and Hate crime

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Racism, Grief, and Colonisation

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Colonisation, War, Classism, Racism, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

lollymac's review

adventurous informative tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Minor: Blood and Grief

book_snail's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

VERY good book; I would definitely recommend going in blind for this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Racism, and Genocide

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Death

walkie_check's review

adventurous dark hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Death

Moderate: Classism, Grief, Kidnapping, Death, and Murder

Minor: Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, and Xenophobia

titch's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Medical content, Genocide, Hate crime, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Violence

erebus53's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This is a book that hinges on the deeply human need for family, and place, and also our innate curiosity and exploration. Many themes are contrasted in a seamless flow that ties into the reader's experiences in personal and relevant ways. Binti is at the same time both a deeply logical mathematician and a whole and emotional human girl. She uses her talents in mathematics to earn a scholarship to go offworld to university, and leaves without her family's blessing, not knowing what she is getting herself into. This is a coming of age story with twists, and is an allegory for the child who leaves their home and becomes a new person in a new place, not knowing how they will fit back into their home should they return.

Daubing herself, in the traditions of her people, with red clay from her homeland, she does not know if her new place will even have that clay, which is part of her cultural identity. When calamity strikes she must use her power to find harmony in treacherous situations.

This is a short read, but deeply engaging. Nnedi Okorafo explores the bigotry that that is shown toward people of unfamiliar ethnic minority, and how pride and honour can be preserved inside a person even when they feel  the need to hold their tongue to avoid conflicts. She emphasises how through focusing on our similarities we can form bonds of friendship and even kinship with others.

I'm in a conflicted place when I consider the messaging in this story. Ultimately there is an element of needing to change who one is, to survive in hostile environments, which is a testament to the adaptability of humans in general, but at what cost?  And isn't it always the way, that it is those who are oppressed who have that change forced upon them, and then just need to find a way to be  okay with that?

I can see why this story won awards, and it would be a great club book, or conversation starter for the classroom.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Racism, Blood, Gore, and Grief

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

kbbru's review

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Grief

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

A quick sci-fi read with some fantasy notes. I really enjoyed this and am excited to read the others in the series. Interesting characters and plot. Mix of quick plot progression and introspection about identity and home.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Confinement, Racism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: War, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Grief

rachelwierick's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence