graypeape 's review for:

Bina: A Novel in Warnings by Anakana Schofield

4.0

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This will be a difficult book to describe, as I don't want to give any details away- this is a book that should wash over you, I think, so the less you know going in, the better. I quite enjoyed this book, but I can see it's not going to be for everyone. There isn't much of a plot, for one thing, and Bina (that's Bye-na, I feel obliged to point out, not Beena) is not the most easy to follow narrator. She's forgetful, and repeats herself occasionally; she's elusive, not wanting to give up information that may incriminate herself or others; and she's angry and done with it all, she's taken to her bed with no intention of leaving it. Before the end, she wants to leave you with her warnings and her remarkings, written out on the backs of receipts, old bills, whatever paper she has handy. Writing it out helps her remember her story and get everything straight in her head. Bina has been accused of doing something bad, and she's trying to get her story straight before she goes to court, you see. We do eventually learn what happened, the tension building steadily throughout the narrative till I could barely turn away at the end. We get to know Bina, her inner workings; she's angry, frightened, heartbroken from loss, but she's not going to let all that get in the way of what she needs to do- leave her warnings, the wisdom she's gained in her 74 years. If you're looking for lots of action and clarity, this probably isn't the book for you. If you'd like a good character study, a no-nonsense look into a complicated life, I'd highly recommend this to you.
#Bina #NetGalley