Comments (22)

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Dec 02, 2023
I'm jealous of just how evocative and lyrical Okorafor's writing is. This is the second novel I've read from this author (Remote Control was the first) and it's apparent that Okorafor has a real ability to write strong female characters…
Jul 23, 2022DrPaul_0 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A dark, but important, post apocalyptic novel set in Africa and reflecting many of the continent’s problems from Colonialism and Western appropriation to abuse of women and genocide.
Jul 29, 2020826_05 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I read this because Okorafor is a female Afro-futuristic writer, and I have found so many of these authors deliver extraordinary works for us to read and learn from. I agree with another reviewer that there is a great deal to like about…
Jul 28, 2020cac27701 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
There is a lot to like about this book, and I read it because I liked the Binti series. But the writing struck me as more YA than adult. It was too long and somewhat anti-climactic. Still, read it for its Afrofuturist importance.
Aug 01, 2019ArapahoeTina rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I loved the flow of past and future, ancient and modern in this novel. The world felt real and tangible with the magic an integral part of the everyday. I really hope this makes it to the screen in its HBO adaptation. George R.R. Martin is…
Dec 10, 2018IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This award-winning fantasy novel takes place in Africa after some apocalyptic event that destroyed much of the technological world. A girl is born after her mother was raped by the leader of an invading army. The mother names her…
Nov 19, 2018SurreyLibraries_Reads rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Ms Okorafor is an African American author, the daughter of two Nigerian immigrants. I can’t remember how this book came on my radar but I’m glad it did. It’s catalogued as Science Fiction but the first half really doesn’t seem to fit that…
Nov 04, 2018_Mirelda_ rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Wow, this was a hard one. I almost quit after the first couple of chapters. Then I almost quit again about halfway through. TW for rape, genocide, and female circumcision...which tells you in a nutshell why I found it so hard to read. That…
Oct 18, 2018
What a great book! I am always looking for a science fiction author or book that is different, original, fast-paced, exciting, emotional, intriguing characters...I found it all in this book.
Jun 06, 2018WittySofa rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I LOVED THIS BOOK. It is amazing, and told extremely well. The harshness and the pain makes the ending only more bittersweet, and it opened my eyes to the conditions other people experience in the world. Onyesonwu is a powerfully complex…
Apr 05, 2018Lotushead rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I love this book. The heroine just does not buy into racism or sexism. She doesn't much like the Great Book either. I can so relate!
Mar 13, 2018
A breathtaking novel. Nnedi Okorafor is one of the best authors writing today. Please be mindful of the content warnings: the book deals with a lot of difficult and graphic subjects. This is one of my new favorites, and I highly recommend…
Dec 03, 2017lukasevansherman rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Given how white and male the sci-fi world is (less so in fantasy), it's refreshing to come across a book written from a different perspective. Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian American writer and "Who Fears Death" is set in a post-apocalyptic…
Jul 27, 2017KateHillier rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Once this gets made, assuming this gets made well, we are in for one heck of a TV show. This book is fantastic. It's immersive, imaginative, brutal, and beautiful. Onye, our lead character, is a child of rape and her and her mother live as…
Sep 15, 2016
Onyesonwu is the child of rape, and this is only the first of many brutal and violent events that are recounted in great detail in the opening of pages of Who Fears Death. For anyone who might struggle with reading about rape and female…
Jul 05, 2016
Haunting. There are some amazing friendships between women here, with all their ups and downs. Onyesonwu herself was realistically flawed - her blind spots actually led her to make catastrophic errors, which was occasionally frustrating…
Feb 27, 2016
I am a book critic & review for a living, so I need "guilty pleasure" reads to keep me sane. Thus far, this is hands-down my favorite guilty-pleasure read of 2016. Nnedi comes out of the YA world and it's evident in her tight plotting…
Sep 27, 2015traceofbase rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Moderately graphic at times, I had to skim or even skip sections, but I absolutely adore the breadth of issues addressed by this story. No conclusive answers or solutions, but so much to talk and think about: racism, genocide, religion,…
Jul 28, 2012rixonkarla rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I always look forward to reading a new book by Okorafor, and this one was not a disappointment. Fans of creative, original story telling should definitely check this one out.
Apr 28, 2012Rilelen rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
VERY different, refreshing take - it was fascinating to see a "fantasy" novel based on African traditions instead of the European ones of elves/witches/etc that most of the genre is based on. The first third of the book was absolutely…
Feb 14, 2012Incarnadine rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Multiple award-winner, and my favorite of Nnedi Okorafor's novels! The review says "this is dystopian fantasy at its very best" and I couldn't agree more; it is an amazing, sometimes heartbreaking, book! A young sorceress is largely…
Feb 03, 2012sexygecko rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Very interesting book. I couldn't put it down, but once I finished the book I was vaguely unsettled. I guess, that's the mark of a good story - this book defnitely doesn't follow the typical "heroine triumphs in the end" archetype (or…