thistle_and_verse's Reviews (299)

This is a book that's definitely not for everyone. The pacing is a bit slow, and it's a large ensemble cast, so the plot can feel disconnected and meandering at times. Many of the characters are some flavor of bigoted or stressful, and some grow and some don't. Daisy and Lisette's story seemed to get the most time, which I wasn't fond of. I thought there were more interesting characters in the book. In general, I wanted to hear more from the indigenous inhabitants of the Congo. I specifically thought Rima, Thomas the pastor, Mwenda, and Josina had really interesting storylines that I wanted to hear more of. There's a supernatural element to the story that was really cool but felt like it was introduced kind of late. I was most immersed in the story when Shawl included the supernatural or details of life in this alternate Congo. I really enjoyed how the new religions affected what they called their technologies and how they made decisions. I thought Shawl did a good job of showing coalition building and attempts at solidarity and the common pitfalls.

Adorned by Chi was such a fun read. I adored it - the upbeat tone, the gorgeous transformation sequences, the range of personalities in the group, and the Mwanwu designs. The art on the Mwanwu is exceptional, detailed, and otherworldly. I liked all the characters in the group, although I think Kelechi and Gogo are going to be my favorites. Usually the perpetually upbeat member of an ensemble cast rubs me a way, but Gogo is a good mix of energy, intuition, and humor. Adaeze is a compelling protagonist. I can't wait to see how she interacts with Kaira and Emeka and if the secret of the Mwanwu will be revealed. My only major complaint is that this volume is too short, and I need to know what happens next!

I came in with high expectations because I adored Solomon's debut novel. I didn't love it as much as I thought I would but still a solid read. This was a very imaginative take on mermaids, and I was intrigued by the changes Solomon made to the lore. The wanjiru world felt a bit underdeveloped. I felt like there was more to tell about how they structure family and their society. I think the analytical/ objectice tone made it difficult for me to get invested in Yetu. Stylistically and thematically it made sense, but it wasn't until about halfway in when Yetu falls in love that I felt an emotional connection to her character. The ending was very sweet. This novel looks at questions of memory and heritage in a thought provoking and engaging way.

I had some difficulty getting into this story just because I knew a little about Tituba already and that a lot of bad things happen to her. Tituba was portrayed pretty consistently and relatably. Petry gives readers a good sense of how precarious Tituba's life was as an enslaved woman in Salem. I would have liked Petry to flesh out Tituba's relationship with her husband. Understandably, her relationships with her charges dominate the story, but I would have liked to see more of her life outside of the work she was forced to do. Ending was bittersweet.

Fun read. I didn't guess the villain reveal, and I enjoyed Reagan's character. Jokes about her accidentally shooting her fiancee did not get old for me haha. I could complain that I never doubted that she would get the things she wanted, but honestly the wish fulfillment aspect was nice. Jenkins also does a good job of acknowledging the racism of the time period she's writing about without making the whole novel about her protagonists suffering.

Kossola lived through several periods of American history and makes for a fascinating interview subject. The book is made up of other author's mediations on Kossola's story and Hurston's scholarship and then the meat of the book (Hurston's transcriptions of her interview interspersed with her interactions with Kossola).

Great book, very engaging and made me zip through it. A character from the previous book returns, and Sunny has to do a lot of internal growth. My favorite parts of the book were probably Udide and Sunny's encounter with the djinn in the basement. The imagery is great, as I expect from Okorafor. There's a love triangle, which isn't a trope I'm a fan of, but it's not an overwhelming part of the story, and this is one of the better takes I've seen. The competing lovers have some nice moments of cooperation. Would recommend for young adult readers and adult fantasy fans

I enjoyed this more than the 1st one and this got me more invested in the Xenogenesis series. I think it was because this story focuses on a human-Oankali child, so we get more insight into how the Oankali operate. We also see more of the human resistance settlements. I thought the Oankali were paternalistic and condescending in the last book, even if they were right about some things, so it was nice to see some pushback from Akin in this book.

As other reviewers will probably point out, this book can be difficult to read due to the style. It follows different characters and jumps back and forth in time. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had a reading group or a class to help parse out the meaning from it, but as it was, I enjoyed it. The messages about healing rang true, and I liked the inner workings of the healer Minnie. I related to parts of Velma's struggles, and I think those 2 characters are what kept me reading even when I was confused.