A review by abicaro17
Tail of the Blue Bird by Nii Ayikwei Parkes

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Kayo is a forensic researcher and, after getting blackmailed by the Ghana police, a consultant on a high profile mystery. After remains are found in a remote village, Kayo is sent to investigate. The traditional villagers are suspicious of police and keep secrets regarding the case. Honestly the actual mystery/traditional folklore part of this book was really engaging. The issue was the ending and the language. A lot of slang/dialect specific to Ghana was used and never explained and that made it hard to really understand certain portions of the book. Also the ending was super unsatisfying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail