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A review by ceceewing_
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
4.0
First, some notes on representation.
➾Black, trans girl lead who is selectively verbal and uses sign language frequently
➾Entirely black cast
➾Jam's best friend has three parents (they are in a polyamorous relationship and one of the parents uses they/them pronouns)
Now, onto the book itself.
For a book that was so hard for me to describe prior to reading it, this has a relatively straightforward premise. It is set in the world of Lucille, a place where righteous "angels" have eliminated all monsters. This is a world without bad people who do bad things, or so Jam has been taught. But one night a creature emerges from Jam's mother's newest painting. It is horrifying to look at, asks that it be called "Pet", and says it is hunting for a monster.
This is a story that confronts the idea that bad people don't stop existing just because you refuse to acknowledge they exist. It's about morality and the power to stand up against even those who are closest to you. It is harsh and difficult to confront the fact that sometimes bad people exist and you didn't see them, that you too have turned a blind eye to the things they have done, but once you look it in the face you cannot remain inactive.
In a lot of ways, Lucille is a utopia. It exists in a world where trans children are trusted to know their own bodies and their own minds. Jam expresses her identity when she's only 3-years-old and the world lovingly embraces her and helps her with each step she wants to pursue. She has access to hormones, hormone blockers, and the ability to make her own choices about medically transitioning while also hearing that her identity will be accepted and embraced whether or not she decides to pursue these routes. Jam is also selectively verbal, occasionally voicing her thoughts aloud but mostly using sign language. This is also embraced by her community, and most of the people in her life (down to the extended family of her best friend) learn sign language as well to reiterate over and over again that she is accepted no matter what.
It's also an examination of the fact that utopias can't be forced to exist if those who inhabit the world refuse to make the hard choices. I think it's remarkable for that. This is a book unlike any that I've read before. The hunt for the monster is straightforward, and I'm sure that most adult and teen readers will know the direction the book is heading. But the point isn't the hunt, the point is the people who inhabit this world and how their complacency has impacted their apparent utopia.
Thanks so much to Make Me a World for gifting me this copy at BookExpo this year. It's a fascinating and beautiful book that I won't soon forget.
Note: I am white and cisgender, so please don't take my review as the only one. It is not remotely my place to remark on the quality of representation in this book. This book is by a black, nonbinary author and deserves to be celebrated for that and for so much more.
➾Black, trans girl lead who is selectively verbal and uses sign language frequently
➾Entirely black cast
➾Jam's best friend has three parents (they are in a polyamorous relationship and one of the parents uses they/them pronouns)
Now, onto the book itself.
For a book that was so hard for me to describe prior to reading it, this has a relatively straightforward premise. It is set in the world of Lucille, a place where righteous "angels" have eliminated all monsters. This is a world without bad people who do bad things, or so Jam has been taught. But one night a creature emerges from Jam's mother's newest painting. It is horrifying to look at, asks that it be called "Pet", and says it is hunting for a monster.
This is a story that confronts the idea that bad people don't stop existing just because you refuse to acknowledge they exist. It's about morality and the power to stand up against even those who are closest to you. It is harsh and difficult to confront the fact that sometimes bad people exist and you didn't see them, that you too have turned a blind eye to the things they have done, but once you look it in the face you cannot remain inactive.
In a lot of ways, Lucille is a utopia. It exists in a world where trans children are trusted to know their own bodies and their own minds. Jam expresses her identity when she's only 3-years-old and the world lovingly embraces her and helps her with each step she wants to pursue. She has access to hormones, hormone blockers, and the ability to make her own choices about medically transitioning while also hearing that her identity will be accepted and embraced whether or not she decides to pursue these routes. Jam is also selectively verbal, occasionally voicing her thoughts aloud but mostly using sign language. This is also embraced by her community, and most of the people in her life (down to the extended family of her best friend) learn sign language as well to reiterate over and over again that she is accepted no matter what.
It's also an examination of the fact that utopias can't be forced to exist if those who inhabit the world refuse to make the hard choices. I think it's remarkable for that. This is a book unlike any that I've read before. The hunt for the monster is straightforward, and I'm sure that most adult and teen readers will know the direction the book is heading. But the point isn't the hunt, the point is the people who inhabit this world and how their complacency has impacted their apparent utopia.
Thanks so much to Make Me a World for gifting me this copy at BookExpo this year. It's a fascinating and beautiful book that I won't soon forget.
Note: I am white and cisgender, so please don't take my review as the only one. It is not remotely my place to remark on the quality of representation in this book. This book is by a black, nonbinary author and deserves to be celebrated for that and for so much more.