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roadtripreader 's review for:
Riot Baby
by Tochi Onyebuchi
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
By Mandalore The Great that was one helluva cold open . Not gonna lie, I thought I was about to read about a Crip putting a gun to a 12 year old's head and pulling the trigger. I've read horror, extreme even and I was not ready for that. The entire read was just me holding my breath and then exhaling in relief then crushed back to suffocation. Round and round.
"Grandma sweeps bullet shells out of the empty driveway while Ella chews on her second Werther’s of the afternoon. - (heartbreaking that it's just normal)
I am in love with the prose.
Plot/Storyline/Themes:
It's almost like the words form this vivid painting of a life lived between bullets and gangbangers and beautiful baby boys and neighborhood grandmas and sunshine and concrete and pitbulls tied to fences and farseeing premonitions and endless tragedy ...It is bitterwork and manages to yank hope out and beat it with a stick.
Two Sentences, A Scene or less - Characters:
Ella has a gift and for someone so young that's utterly painful yet beautiful and maybe a little traumatic to be able to see what she sees and through the medium of nosebleeds. As she grows ans her power grows both the reader and Ella wonder why she doesn't take action, all that anger she has would destroy but still. She ia passiveas ahe gains more knowlede and foresight.
Kevin, poor sweet science nerd.
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Scene:
✔️The entire Bodega Scene.
Kevin telling the gangbangers about his day at school. Actually, the gangbangers asking him in the first place. A sweet moment in an otherwise bleak existence.
✔️Ella physically visiting Kev instead of appearing in "spirit" form using her gift.
✔️Finally, Ella's permission
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Quotes:
🖤 “Hot outside becomes suffocating inside” (out of the frying pan of LA into the pan of Harlem)
🖤 “We not vegetarians when it comes to the beef, bro.” (Kevin heard&had some strange conversations as a kid )
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Concepts:
■ Ella's Thing and Kevin's mini-Thing
■Born in a riot ... died in a riot.
■Mechanized race-neutral cops
■Guardians
■Surveillance orbs
■WATTS chip 😲
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Speculative Fiction (Magic Realism) Books by 2025
"Grandma sweeps bullet shells out of the empty driveway while Ella chews on her second Werther’s of the afternoon. - (heartbreaking that it's just normal)
I am in love with the prose.
Plot/Storyline/Themes:
It's almost like the words form this vivid painting of a life lived between bullets and gangbangers and beautiful baby boys and neighborhood grandmas and sunshine and concrete and pitbulls tied to fences and farseeing premonitions and endless tragedy ...It is bitterwork and manages to yank hope out and beat it with a stick.
Two Sentences, A Scene or less - Characters:
Ella has a gift and for someone so young that's utterly painful yet beautiful and maybe a little traumatic to be able to see what she sees and through the medium of nosebleeds. As she grows ans her power grows both the reader and Ella wonder why she doesn't take action, all that anger she has would destroy but still. She ia passiveas ahe gains more knowlede and foresight.
Kevin, poor sweet science nerd.
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Scene:
✔️The entire Bodega Scene.
Kevin telling the gangbangers about his day at school. Actually, the gangbangers asking him in the first place. A sweet moment in an otherwise bleak existence.
✔️Ella physically visiting Kev instead of appearing in "spirit" form using her gift.
✔️Finally, Ella's permission
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Quotes:
🖤 “Hot outside becomes suffocating inside” (out of the frying pan of LA into the pan of Harlem)
🖤 “We not vegetarians when it comes to the beef, bro.” (Kevin heard&had some strange conversations as a kid )
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Concepts:
■ Ella's Thing and Kevin's mini-Thing
■Born in a riot ... died in a riot.
■Mechanized race-neutral cops
■Guardians
■Surveillance orbs
■WATTS chip 😲
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Speculative Fiction (Magic Realism) Books by 2025