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A review by nannahnannah
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
inspiring
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
As with most novellas, I wish this were longer! But that applies to Binti especially, because in just 90 pages Nnedi Okorafor has managed to stuff in the coolest magic system, amazing world building to go with it, an entirely new and unique alien race, and I just want to know more about everything!
Representation:
- the MC and her family are Himba, indigenous people from parts of Namibia & Angola
Binti is the first of the Himba people to ever be accepted to Oomza University, a prestigious university that takes up the surface of an entire planet. But the Himba don’t look outward; they develop their special technology by looking inward and staying on Earth. Plus, the humans at Oomza University would be Khoush, people prejudiced against the Himba because of the sacred otjize clay mixture their women cover themselves with. Despite all this, Binti risks it all -- only to be caught in the crossfire of a war between the Meduse, a jellyfish-like alien race, and the Khoush.
There’s a lot of good things to talk about here. There’s the way the novel deals with the concept of otherness, the way the characters bring their culture to the story in a way that’s rarely done, and there’s the discussion of colonialism, as well as other themes swimming under the surface of Nnedi Okorafor’s deceptively simple words. There’s also the fact that it’s not an easy book to put down once you start reading.
But even though I thoroughly enjoyed Binti, I (as I said above) wish it were longer to further explore some of the amazing things it brought to the table. I want to know more about the universe’s races, about the war between the Meduse and Khoush that was abruptly thrust upon the story, about the technology and what it means to be a harmonizer (aka Binti, someone with a genius for mathematics and bringing people together), and more about Binti’s family. Unfortunately there’s only so much you can do in a novella, and the ending felt rushed.
However, I’m very glad I bought this, because I plan on reading and enjoying it again. I’m even more glad I bought the entire trilogy, though, because now I can read on immediately.
Representation:
- the MC and her family are Himba, indigenous people from parts of Namibia & Angola
Binti is the first of the Himba people to ever be accepted to Oomza University, a prestigious university that takes up the surface of an entire planet. But the Himba don’t look outward; they develop their special technology by looking inward and staying on Earth. Plus, the humans at Oomza University would be Khoush, people prejudiced against the Himba because of the sacred otjize clay mixture their women cover themselves with. Despite all this, Binti risks it all -- only to be caught in the crossfire of a war between the Meduse, a jellyfish-like alien race, and the Khoush.
There’s a lot of good things to talk about here. There’s the way the novel deals with the concept of otherness, the way the characters bring their culture to the story in a way that’s rarely done, and there’s the discussion of colonialism, as well as other themes swimming under the surface of Nnedi Okorafor’s deceptively simple words. There’s also the fact that it’s not an easy book to put down once you start reading.
But even though I thoroughly enjoyed Binti, I (as I said above) wish it were longer to further explore some of the amazing things it brought to the table. I want to know more about the universe’s races, about the war between the Meduse and Khoush that was abruptly thrust upon the story, about the technology and what it means to be a harmonizer (aka Binti, someone with a genius for mathematics and bringing people together), and more about Binti’s family. Unfortunately there’s only so much you can do in a novella, and the ending felt rushed.
However, I’m very glad I bought this, because I plan on reading and enjoying it again. I’m even more glad I bought the entire trilogy, though, because now I can read on immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
also: mass murder, experimentation without consent