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4.5 *
Don't be fooled by the middle grade/YA adventure looking cover. It's actually a pretty gritty realistic view of the lives of the disenfranchised & poverty stricken in Johannesburg. Drug & alcohol use, nightclub life, prostitution, refugees, seedy underbelly of the music industry, pedophilia, rape plus actual underground sewers are explored by our flawed but rootable protagonist Zizi. The urban fantasy portion is quite fascinating as well, mainly from a process known as aposymbiosis i.e. those who've committed a crime and feel guilty are laden with an animal. Zizi's a sloth due to having killed her brother from a drug induced state. Others include an aardvark, meerkat, mongoose & various birds. Some also have various talents and Zizi's is ability to locate lost things.
Her recruitment to look for a young missing half of a twin singing sensation duo of course uncovers a lot more. There appears to be a fair bit of authentic information about Afropunk & Afrorock, as well as natural local dialogue.
I am glad the author did not coddle her audience and give us realistic outcomes for those in unpalatable circumstances. In fact, I'm wondering if the urban magic realism is a good cover to present to us hard cold facts about how these vulnerable people fare. Lauren Beukes writes with unflinching empathy for them and the real world situations they face.
Don't be fooled by the middle grade/YA adventure looking cover. It's actually a pretty gritty realistic view of the lives of the disenfranchised & poverty stricken in Johannesburg. Drug & alcohol use, nightclub life, prostitution, refugees, seedy underbelly of the music industry, pedophilia, rape plus actual underground sewers are explored by our flawed but rootable protagonist Zizi. The urban fantasy portion is quite fascinating as well, mainly from a process known as aposymbiosis i.e. those who've committed a crime and feel guilty are laden with an animal. Zizi's a sloth due to having killed her brother from a drug induced state. Others include an aardvark, meerkat, mongoose & various birds. Some also have various talents and Zizi's is ability to locate lost things.
Her recruitment to look for a young missing half of a twin singing sensation duo of course uncovers a lot more. There appears to be a fair bit of authentic information about Afropunk & Afrorock, as well as natural local dialogue.
I am glad the author did not coddle her audience and give us realistic outcomes for those in unpalatable circumstances. In fact, I'm wondering if the urban magic realism is a good cover to present to us hard cold facts about how these vulnerable people fare. Lauren Beukes writes with unflinching empathy for them and the real world situations they face.