A review by ashlightgrayson
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This novella is very short, to the point, and speculative in nature. The main character, Binti, is from the Himba tribe and finds herself leaving her home in order to pursue a university career. There is a lot of introspective exploration of the character as she feels judged by her family for leaving and also by her university peers for her hair, traditions, skin tone, etc. I appreciated the futuristic setting that still had space for social commentary. There is another character introduced with whom Binti finds common ground in terms of being misunderstood and judged. By the end, there is a great message about how peace can be found if two parties are willing to try to understand each other. There are a lot of cool ideas presented in this short work and I'm looking forward to reading more in the future.
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