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A review by dalmavatai
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Wow, this book completely took me by surprise and if I'm honest, just totally stole my heart.
This is such a beautiful book. The writing is gorgeous, the characters, especially Jam, and the relationships between them, are incredibly meaningful and well-developed. I loved Jam's family and her relationships with her parents as well as with her best friend Redemption, but most of all I loved her relationship with Pet. After her initial fear and apprehension, she was so accepting and managed to view Pet as her equal, which none of the other characters could do. I love how Pet is not otherized in this story, as in, it's not portrayed as a thing but as a creature with its own emotions, ambitions, worldviews, and personality. Pet and Jam had such a great friendship where they teased each other but also made each other grow.
I loved the social commentary in this book. I love how Akwaeke was able to imagine this world where there is no police brutality or even police anymore, no transphobia, no racism, in other words, so many things that we want to see destroyed in the present moment. At the same time, she explores how problems have not disappeared from Lucille and monsters still exist. I feel like a lot of the time when we imagine a better future, many of us are liable to see it as a utopian one, and it was refreshing to see a future world which has made a lot of progress but which has its very own issues at the same time.
I loved the conversations around seeing, and how ideology can convince us not to see certain things that are nevertheless there. I loved Jam and Redemption's journey of finding out the identity of the monster in their midst, and deciding how to bring about justice for the person harmed.
This book is at its core about change, both social and personal, and how to go about making change in the world, how to uncover a problem that everyone else seems to be in denial about. It was so poignant, so lyrical, so nuanced, so beautiful, and so unique. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I'd recommend even if you're not a magical realism/fantasy reader like myself.
This is such a beautiful book. The writing is gorgeous, the characters, especially Jam, and the relationships between them, are incredibly meaningful and well-developed. I loved Jam's family and her relationships with her parents as well as with her best friend Redemption, but most of all I loved her relationship with Pet. After her initial fear and apprehension, she was so accepting and managed to view Pet as her equal, which none of the other characters could do. I love how Pet is not otherized in this story, as in, it's not portrayed as a thing but as a creature with its own emotions, ambitions, worldviews, and personality. Pet and Jam had such a great friendship where they teased each other but also made each other grow.
I loved the social commentary in this book. I love how Akwaeke was able to imagine this world where there is no police brutality or even police anymore, no transphobia, no racism, in other words, so many things that we want to see destroyed in the present moment. At the same time, she explores how problems have not disappeared from Lucille and monsters still exist. I feel like a lot of the time when we imagine a better future, many of us are liable to see it as a utopian one, and it was refreshing to see a future world which has made a lot of progress but which has its very own issues at the same time.
I loved the conversations around seeing, and how ideology can convince us not to see certain things that are nevertheless there. I loved Jam and Redemption's journey of finding out the identity of the monster in their midst, and deciding how to bring about justice for the person harmed.
This book is at its core about change, both social and personal, and how to go about making change in the world, how to uncover a problem that everyone else seems to be in denial about. It was so poignant, so lyrical, so nuanced, so beautiful, and so unique. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I'd recommend even if you're not a magical realism/fantasy reader like myself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, and War