A review by albernikolauras
Rosewater by Tade Thompson

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.5

Rosewater is a book following a town centered around an alien presence and the main character Kaaro as he looks into the reason people with powers like him are dying. It's a fast-paced sci fi that throws you into the action and jumps around in the timeline to help you figure out the history of Rosewater.

This book is not for everyone. Kaaro is a misogynistic coward and an opportunistic criminal, and you are stuck with him for the majority of the book. I ended up having a near affection for him despite this - he's probably the most likable unlikeable character. But his issues are never left unconfronted, Aminat is amazing, and the plot kept me interested the entire time. It's jam packed with government conflicts, underhanded trickery, an oddly cute romance, and some squishy alien science.

This was a re-read to prep me for reading the rest of the books.
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