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A review by deedireads
Noor by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Noor is a quick but exciting, hard sci-fi novel that offers some really great commentary on ableism, privacy, and environmentalism. Not my favorite Okorafor, but a good one!
For you if: You are looking for more disability rep in sci-fi.
FULL REVIEW:
Thank you, DAW Books, for the electronic advanced copy of this book. I am a huge fan of Nnedi Okorafor — her novel Who Fears Death is a true standout — so I am always excited to read her new work. While this one wasn’t my favorite of hers, I definitely liked it, and I think it does some really great stuff.
The story is set in a future Africa, where a giant, ongoing storm (like the red eye on Jupiter) feeds the planet’s energy sources, making it the most commercially coveted area in the world. It’s about a girl named AO, which she likes to say stands for Artificial Organism. Born disabled, AO has chosen to embrace technological augmentations seen as unnatural by the rest of society in order to live a fuller life. A cataclysmic event in the beginning of the book sends her on the run from the Corporation and toward the heart of the storm.
This book is short and reads fast at 224 pages, but it manages to offer a ton of commentary on privacy, environmentalism, and ableism. I love Okorafor’s storytelling style, which is unapologetically rooted in Nigerian traditions, even if it leads some Westernized readers to say this or that thing (pacing, dialogue, etc) “just felt off.” This one is no exception. I think it’s more than worth the couple of hours it will take you to read.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Noor is a quick but exciting, hard sci-fi novel that offers some really great commentary on ableism, privacy, and environmentalism. Not my favorite Okorafor, but a good one!
For you if: You are looking for more disability rep in sci-fi.
FULL REVIEW:
Thank you, DAW Books, for the electronic advanced copy of this book. I am a huge fan of Nnedi Okorafor — her novel Who Fears Death is a true standout — so I am always excited to read her new work. While this one wasn’t my favorite of hers, I definitely liked it, and I think it does some really great stuff.
The story is set in a future Africa, where a giant, ongoing storm (like the red eye on Jupiter) feeds the planet’s energy sources, making it the most commercially coveted area in the world. It’s about a girl named AO, which she likes to say stands for Artificial Organism. Born disabled, AO has chosen to embrace technological augmentations seen as unnatural by the rest of society in order to live a fuller life. A cataclysmic event in the beginning of the book sends her on the run from the Corporation and toward the heart of the storm.
This book is short and reads fast at 224 pages, but it manages to offer a ton of commentary on privacy, environmentalism, and ableism. I love Okorafor’s storytelling style, which is unapologetically rooted in Nigerian traditions, even if it leads some Westernized readers to say this or that thing (pacing, dialogue, etc) “just felt off.” This one is no exception. I think it’s more than worth the couple of hours it will take you to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, and Violence