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A review by iam
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
inspiring
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I greatly enjoyed this, and I'm really glad I went into this knowing a lot of people consider it more lit fic than SciFi.
While it has some SciFi elements, I too do not really consider this a SciFi novel - but I generally really don't enjoy lit fic, so I hesitate to call it that. Contemporary fiction, then, I guess?
The book followed Zelu, a Nigerian-American aspiring writer who, one day down on her luck, starts writing a SciFi novel about robots on an earth past humanity. A SciFi book that, then, takes off and brings her fame and virality.
At the center of the plot is Zelu's rise to fame and how she deals with it, as well as her relationship with her big family. Zelu is a complicated character, who has complicated relationships, and a not straightforward history. And her story utterly captivated me!
The other part of the book is chapters of the book Zelu writes, Rusted Robots. I expected to like these parts, because hell yes, robots! But I just found them fine. I certainly didn't think they lived up to the hype they were getting Zelu in the book - I have to say, that almost broke my suspension of disbelief. Still, it was a lovely story.
The marketing of the book makes a big deal about the line between reality and fiction blurring... to be honest, I got none of that. I guess there were some vague similarities between the robot main character and Zelu? And at one point Zelu gets some cool tech to help her walk again (she's paraplegic), leading to people calling her "robot".
Mentioning the cool tech, the SciFi elements of the book (aside from Rusted Robots) were some cool tech things in the background, though they never get much of a focus. Even Rusted Robots, while about robots, was very grounded in humanity and ultimately about human problems and feelings, in my opinion.
A subplot I enjoyed was the one about Zelu as an author. It was not in detail, and almost certainly not a real depiction of how publishing works. In a way, it reminded me a bit of Yellowface, though it was way less focussed on the publishing and social media drama and #cancelling aspect of it all. That said, after hearing that there are some interesting parallel's between the author's life and Zelu's, it made me think of Yellowface even more.
I also enjoyed the glimpses into Nigerian culture, though I have no concept to compare it to or really judge its authenticty, and I hear there is some criticism for it out there.
The family drama was sometimes frustrating to read, but also felt very real, and I still enjoyed Zelu's big family greatly.
My biggest complaint was the ending - not because I hated it, but because there were plenty of retrospective interviews interspered in the book, where Zelu's family and friends talk about her life and fame from the future. In these interviews there are constant hints to a big event that I felt like the book was leading up to, hints to what happenes to Zelu... all of which lead nowhere. When I finished the book I thought I had somehow got a faulty copy that was missing a chapter. That left me feeling robbed and dissatisfied at the end, which is never a feeling I want to end a book on. It also left me very confused. What did it all mean??? I also felt like some of the events towards the end were directly contradictory to the hints given in the interview. So I am unsure what to think.
Overall I had a great time with the book, somewhat unexpectedly due to it not being nearly as SciF as advertized.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
While it has some SciFi elements, I too do not really consider this a SciFi novel - but I generally really don't enjoy lit fic, so I hesitate to call it that. Contemporary fiction, then, I guess?
The book followed Zelu, a Nigerian-American aspiring writer who, one day down on her luck, starts writing a SciFi novel about robots on an earth past humanity. A SciFi book that, then, takes off and brings her fame and virality.
At the center of the plot is Zelu's rise to fame and how she deals with it, as well as her relationship with her big family. Zelu is a complicated character, who has complicated relationships, and a not straightforward history. And her story utterly captivated me!
The other part of the book is chapters of the book Zelu writes, Rusted Robots. I expected to like these parts, because hell yes, robots! But I just found them fine. I certainly didn't think they lived up to the hype they were getting Zelu in the book - I have to say, that almost broke my suspension of disbelief. Still, it was a lovely story.
The marketing of the book makes a big deal about the line between reality and fiction blurring... to be honest, I got none of that. I guess there were some vague similarities between the robot main character and Zelu? And at one point Zelu gets some cool tech to help her walk again (she's paraplegic), leading to people calling her "robot".
Mentioning the cool tech, the SciFi elements of the book (aside from Rusted Robots) were some cool tech things in the background, though they never get much of a focus. Even Rusted Robots, while about robots, was very grounded in humanity and ultimately about human problems and feelings, in my opinion.
A subplot I enjoyed was the one about Zelu as an author. It was not in detail, and almost certainly not a real depiction of how publishing works. In a way, it reminded me a bit of Yellowface, though it was way less focussed on the publishing and social media drama and #cancelling aspect of it all. That said, after hearing that there are some interesting parallel's between the author's life and Zelu's, it made me think of Yellowface even more.
I also enjoyed the glimpses into Nigerian culture, though I have no concept to compare it to or really judge its authenticty, and I hear there is some criticism for it out there.
The family drama was sometimes frustrating to read, but also felt very real, and I still enjoyed Zelu's big family greatly.
My biggest complaint was the ending - not because I hated it, but because there were plenty of retrospective interviews interspered in the book, where Zelu's family and friends talk about her life and fame from the future. In these interviews there are constant hints to a big event that I felt like the book was leading up to, hints to what happenes to Zelu... all of which lead nowhere. When I finished the book I thought I had somehow got a faulty copy that was missing a chapter. That left me feeling robbed and dissatisfied at the end, which is never a feeling I want to end a book on. It also left me very confused. What did it all mean??? I also felt like some of the events towards the end were directly contradictory to the hints given in the interview. So I am unsure what to think.
Overall I had a great time with the book, somewhat unexpectedly due to it not being nearly as SciF as advertized.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.