A review by imaginary_space
Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 This is a timely read (which is in itself tragic, and I can't help but wonder for how long we will be saying this) with a very strong and personal voice.

I am very happy I read this. It isn't something I would usually chose, because it is marketed as a dystopian story and I don't lean towards this genre a lot. But there is a discussion to be had about how dystopian this story really is. I wouldn't categorize it as such, it is real, which the author has commented on himself.

The transitions are hard to follow, I didn't always know how old the protagonists were or how much time had passed between scenes. But although this was a bit confusing, I think it added to the style and voice of the narrative and put the focus on emotions. It was disjointed, very stream-of-consiousness, and it was intended to be. Nothing is polished here to make it "more pretty" or "more appealing", and I think that's a great thing.