Scan barcode
A review by goodthingsread
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 rounded up to 4, because I like the author and think there's plenty here of worth, I just have a particular viewpoint and taste.
I enjoyed this book, but at the same time I was confused by it. Several have labeled this as "middle grade," which seemed to make sense when I started the book. The story is set in a near future where it seems all the bad people in the world (abusers, racists, etc.) have been removed, those who suffered have been healed, and the people in charge are those who helped cleanse the world. The world's terminology for all of this is "angels" vs. "monsters." The angels who are in charge now helped get rid of all the monsters and there are no monsters in the world. (Of course this is not true and the story will revolve around hunting a monster.) The problem is this choice of wording and the way it's been taught to the children of the world, including our narrator Jam, makes the narration all sound and feel very childish. There's no nuance, which would make sense in a MG book. But quickly Jam is shown to be at least 16? So the simplistic narrative feels very off.
Jam's mother, Bitter, is an artist, and she paints a monster (a real monster, a creature of monstrous design) who escapes its canvas. It bonds with Jam and informs her that it is here to hunt a monster in her world. Initially, Jam cannot believe that any monsters exist in her world, but when the creature -- Pet -- informs her that the monster is related to her best friend, Redemption, she chooses to join the hunt.
What confuses me about the world building is that if the angels were wise enough to realize that rehabilitation was necessary for some monsters and that the victims needed therapy and care to recover, then it seems to me that they should have built a society that focused enough on mental health that it would still recognize the signs of abuse and unhealthy mindsets. Instead it's a world that simply says, "Once there were bad people. But we tore down that world and rebuilt it and there's no evil anymore." They were smart enough to see the evil in the system in the first place, but apparently too arrogant to allow for the possibility that it will come back in the future?
Unfortunately, that's not the focus of the story, so I'm not sure what the author's intention there was. The focus of the story is Jam and Pet, as well as Redemption. I'm also unsure what the moral of the story was exactly. The story hints at the idea that being too focused on the hunt, on eradicating monsters, can make one a monster. But instead a literal <i>deus ex machina</i> comes in to save the day, so... I'm not entirely sure what's supposed to be taken from the story other than monsters are everywhere and we can never stop looking for them.
I enjoyed this book, but at the same time I was confused by it. Several have labeled this as "middle grade," which seemed to make sense when I started the book. The story is set in a near future where it seems all the bad people in the world (abusers, racists, etc.) have been removed, those who suffered have been healed, and the people in charge are those who helped cleanse the world. The world's terminology for all of this is "angels" vs. "monsters." The angels who are in charge now helped get rid of all the monsters and there are no monsters in the world. (Of course this is not true and the story will revolve around hunting a monster.) The problem is this choice of wording and the way it's been taught to the children of the world, including our narrator Jam, makes the narration all sound and feel very childish. There's no nuance, which would make sense in a MG book. But quickly Jam is shown to be at least 16? So the simplistic narrative feels very off.
Jam's mother, Bitter, is an artist, and she paints a monster (a real monster, a creature of monstrous design) who escapes its canvas. It bonds with Jam and informs her that it is here to hunt a monster in her world. Initially, Jam cannot believe that any monsters exist in her world, but when the creature -- Pet -- informs her that the monster is related to her best friend, Redemption, she chooses to join the hunt.
What confuses me about the world building is that if the angels were wise enough to realize that rehabilitation was necessary for some monsters and that the victims needed therapy and care to recover, then it seems to me that they should have built a society that focused enough on mental health that it would still recognize the signs of abuse and unhealthy mindsets. Instead it's a world that simply says, "Once there were bad people. But we tore down that world and rebuilt it and there's no evil anymore." They were smart enough to see the evil in the system in the first place, but apparently too arrogant to allow for the possibility that it will come back in the future?
Unfortunately, that's not the focus of the story, so I'm not sure what the author's intention there was. The focus of the story is Jam and Pet, as well as Redemption. I'm also unsure what the moral of the story was exactly. The story hints at the idea that being too focused on the hunt, on eradicating monsters, can make one a monster. But instead a literal <i>deus ex machina</i> comes in to save the day, so... I'm not entirely sure what's supposed to be taken from the story other than monsters are everywhere and we can never stop looking for them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Child abuse