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maggiegirouard's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Graphic: War, Death, Blood, Xenophobia, Gore, and Violence
jeremie's review
adventurous
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
3.0
My first venture into Afrofuturism and I’m slightly underwhelmed. Should’ve been much, much longer, but overall it was fun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Gore
vigil's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
2.0
it clearly was trying to do something it really didn’t succeed at. suffers from being a novella for sure. and the prose is a bit bland for my tastes, though the story ideas are interesting. i might read on but not right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, War, Xenophobia, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
ellementary's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I wish I liked this more but I just didn't connect. The premise is interesting and the cultural integration and social commentary was really good, but the story never took off for me. I feel like it would have been better as a full novel rather than a novella, personally. I needed more time for this story to bloom.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Gore, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: War
some_random_person_hi's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
The writing style reads quite inexperienced and there were few emotional beats. It's a very simple story that would've done better with a longer length for non-rushed out character development as well as just a non-rushed out plot in general. Despite how quickly things moved, it managed to still feel boring
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Suicide
asahome's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings added from: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor - Book Trigger Warnings
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Racism, Gore, Murder, and Death
Minor: Animal death
walkie_check's review against another edition
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
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
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Racism, Blood, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
nevenolson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore
motherbeetle's review
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Gore