This was a huge disappointment. The book focuses on poverty and inequality and the lack of access to education, healthcare, and other resources in America that are often found free and accessible in other first world countries. The problem is two fold- One is that the book tries too hard to appear moderate or else slightly liberal which means much of the discussion about capitalism and classism is shallow at best. Two is that much of the word choice is so poor it often simply comes off as offensive or else thoughtless and unpolished. The book quotes people like Woodie Guthrie and James Baldwin for flair without acknowledging their communist or anti-capitalist leanings. In fact, the book does nothing to critique capitalism, simply suggesting taxes be directed toward programs but not critiquing too deeply the economic system that so clearly continues much of the suffering the book aims to tear down. The book in one sentence says that America’s problems have inspired/ brought about support of “extreme” sides like Trump and Bernie Sanders. The book just casually drops this in and while it makes an effort later in to explain how/why Trump and his policies are extreme, it does nothing to explain why Sanders is mentioned not why is an apparent opposite end of the spectrum. This is either ignorance or a weak attempt at appearing centrist but those that read a lot of political theory will know that on a worldwide scale, Sanders doesn’t even register on the far left side of the spectrum. The book also continues the incorrect but often used idea that “America is a democracy” despite the fact that America is a republic and not a pure democracy. These errors built up and annoyed the hell out of me- if you’re well read on political theory it may bother you too. As for word choice- this book uses offensive and outdated terms like “g*psy” and “obese” despite modern Romani activists and fat lib activists making it clear since 10 years back that those terms are associated with discrimination. The book has many other word choice issues beyond these and even, at times, placed commas haphazardly. I had so much hope for this book but it came off as pandering to centrists with no regard for political accuracy or deep investigation. What a disappointment.

Excellent book. A unique concept and an adorable story. Great queer romance. My only negative is that it felt waaaay too quick/ short.

Absolutely beautiful! Remarkable, simple but emotionally evocative, and extremely ambient. Highly recommend to people that love/ are interested in fantasy, tea, sign language, dragons, Miyazaki- level ambient art, mythology, and inclusive children’s books.

Wonderful. I loved the alien technology that was added and some of the backstory, though this book was slower to start than the first Binti.

3.5 stars. Fascinating and with a lot of twists and turns. There is a bit of odd pacing and the ending has a bit off a deus ex machina thrown in that I wasn’t a fan of. However, the book was still good overall and I would still recommend it.

Absolutely gorgeous! If you love bakery aesthetics, vaporwave aesthetics, beach scenery, and gay content then you’ll definitely love this. The problems and plot were more realistic than most other graphic novels, which was nice for a change. The pace was quite slow but had just enough to keep me interested. Art is absolutely gorgeous.

I originally read this book when I was about 14 or 15 and I remembered liking it so I decided to re-read it for fun and nostalgia. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it holds up for me even as an adult. The characters are varied in personality, the ambience is great, and the magic system and world are unique. The mythology and world itself is really the star of the show. Although this is something of a YA it worked well for me despite the fact that I prefer adult fantasy. If I had to choose the weak point of the book it might be the romance. Overall, I still loved the book and would definitely recommend it.

I read a synopsis for this book that was very vague and basically just said “a story about a husband and wife that struggled to stay together“. That synopsis sounded very boring to me but I ended up checking out the book anyway because although I have read some African literature I had never read any Nigerian literature. I was pleasantly surprised that this book was amazing. There were some beautiful, poetic lines in it that really pleased me and the book had some interesting twists and surprises that I really appreciated. It definitely has some sad parts, so be prepared for that. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that is even remotely interested in reading a piece of contemporary literature that either deals with parentage, struggling relationships, or is a work of contemporary Nigerian literature in general.

Amazing. I love afrofuturism so much but sometimes it can be hard for me to find. This was a stellar example of afrofuturism and very unique. Would definitely recommend to sci-fi lovers. There are words you might need to investigate prior to reading if your education didn’t include a lot of info on African cultures- “ojitze” is main one I can recall.

This book started off great and then... well I loved all the drama and tension but the ending felt a little underwhelming. The issue wasn’t that the ending was devoid of twists or action. Rather, there are multiple plots/ povs and some had too MANY twists and turns and felt as though they were doing everything to be shocking. Other plots/ povs meanwhile were abandoned early on or wrapped up too quickly. I loved some of the concepts in this book and the start was awesome but at times the book came off a little like a soap opera, particularly in the last 25%. What irked me the most, however, was the fact that the book deals with a major scientific discovery and those in the book that argue against it or the company associated with it do nothing to take away from the fact that the discovery is legitimate and peer reviewed. I was really hoping there’d be a pro science minded argument to balance everything out but there’s just a pro business freedom individual and the entire book doesn’t really give the varied viewpoints I was hoping for. Instead, it focused on odd couples. This isn’t to say the book is altogether bad. It’s enjoyable and the beginning is absolutely addicting. If you’re looking for something with drama and a bit of a thriller element then this is for you. Unfortunately, I was hoping for something a little more serious, varied, and philosophical and this just wasn’t that. Again- it wasn’t terrible, I guess it just wasn’t for me.