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A review by bookishmillennial
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
• teen fiction fantasy centered around gifted artist, Bitter
• companion novel to Pet — Bitter is Jam’s mom
• this is set in Lucille when Bitter attends Eucalyptus, a residential school for young artists, run by Miss Virtue
• she just wants peace and quiet, after a childhood spent in foster homes, but young activists involved with Assata, including some of her classmates, are protesting racial & economic injustice with hopes for a better Lucille
• Bitter meets Aloe, who is friends with her ex, Eddie
• Her friends get Injured and one dies, infuriating Bitter into painting a creature called Vengeance, bringing it to life by using her own blood & dealing with the aftermath
• I totally empathized with Bitter, wanting to choose peace — it’s exhausting work but choosing joy ✨is✨ a form of resistance! We all play our roles in activism!
• Nice to see the beginning of Bitter & Aloe’s relationship
• reflections on what activism can look like, including music & art as representations of protest & resistance
• cw: police brutality, violence, death, gun violence, murder, abuse, homophobia, death of parent
I loved this prequel to show how Lucille was before the society we come to know in Pet! A short, powerful, absolute must-read 👏🏽
• teen fiction fantasy centered around gifted artist, Bitter
• companion novel to Pet — Bitter is Jam’s mom
• this is set in Lucille when Bitter attends Eucalyptus, a residential school for young artists, run by Miss Virtue
• she just wants peace and quiet, after a childhood spent in foster homes, but young activists involved with Assata, including some of her classmates, are protesting racial & economic injustice with hopes for a better Lucille
• Bitter meets Aloe, who is friends with her ex, Eddie
• Her friends get Injured and one dies, infuriating Bitter into painting a creature called Vengeance, bringing it to life by using her own blood & dealing with the aftermath
• I totally empathized with Bitter, wanting to choose peace — it’s exhausting work but choosing joy ✨is✨ a form of resistance! We all play our roles in activism!
• Nice to see the beginning of Bitter & Aloe’s relationship
• reflections on what activism can look like, including music & art as representations of protest & resistance
• cw: police brutality, violence, death, gun violence, murder, abuse, homophobia, death of parent
I loved this prequel to show how Lucille was before the society we come to know in Pet! A short, powerful, absolute must-read 👏🏽
Graphic: Police brutality and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Violence