sr_toliver's reviews
523 reviews

Great Read

What I like most about Nnedi Okorafor‘s work is that she interweaves concepts from different books throughout her other books. I like finding the connections between the stories even if they’re small. I believe that the protagonist in this story, Sunny, was such an endearing character, but not because she didn’t have flaws. In fact, she wasn’t the ideal hero. She was often scared. She lost her temper. She did not always respect her elders. However, in the end, she showed the duality within heroes, the one that we often forget exists.

Loved it. I especially liked how Cin.. brought the house down. I did want to see what happened to Taj, though.

Definitely an eye-opening read about an identity and way of life that is far removed from anything I have ever experienced. I think the book is good and easy to follow, and I like that there were threads interwoven throughout that harkened to earlier details. There was one part, however, that really rubbed me the wrong way. I get the point that she was trying to convey, and I understand why she would feel the need to include it. However, I’m never in the space to read (or hear read) the n-word in a book authored by a White person. It’s only in one section, and she’s describing the fact that her abusive brother used the word as an insult to her, but I just felt a grating anger any time the word was included, especially when it’s included in the audiobook.

It was a little predictable, but the story wasn’t bad overall. I think that the author did a great job providing a few red herrings in the story, and I also think that there were some interesting points in the story. I also think that some of the social commentary embedded within the story was spot on. I do, however, feel as though the narrator’s perspective is shoddy sometimes, and I think that the author could have tied up some random loose ends once the mystery was solved. Overall, I think tweens would like this book and have fun figuring out what happened to Alice.

I really enjoyed the characters, and the plot of the story kept me intrigued. I do wish that there was a little more information given to assist with the world building (the Peacemaker and the significance of the Dragons), but there was enough information to generally get the basics of the story. Based on other reviews, this is part of a larger universe of stories, so maybe I’ll get more of this world from the other books. If I remember to check, I’d definitely read the next book in the DFZ series.

This was a ride! I’m still processing... will write a better review soon.

Utterly amazing.

SUMMARY: A seventeen-year-old girl is chosen to be a Dreamwalker, one who travels to Wonderland to defeat the Nightmares, terrifying beasts who are created based on humanity’s fears. Although being a monster-fighting superhero seems fun, however, Alice must still juggle friends, family relationships, loss, and love. She must live her regular life alongside her heroism, and only her best friend knows about her double life. When Addison Hatta -her trainer, mentor and guardian of the gateway in the Looking Glass Pub - is attacked, her two worlds collide, and she must make choices that could save or end the world.

WHAT I LIKED: I really appreciated that McKinney showed Alice navigating both worlds. She was a superhero in some sense, but she also had to navigate her love life, dealing with her mother (while trying to hide this major secret), and going to school. I also loved the inclusivity. There are many Black and brown characters (including Alice), and there’s diversity in relationships - from platonic friendships to a Wonderland lesbian relationship. Lastly, I like that the Nightmares got stronger based on human fears, and a major fear factor was the murder of a Black girl by police. That incident created strong nightmares that were hard for Alice to defeat.

SUMMARY: The story tells the tale of Zelie, Amari, and Tzain as they travel to restore magic to the land of Orisha after it is forcefully destroyed by an evil dictator. The authoritarian king, Saran, killed all magical adults (Maji) in the land, leaving their children (Diviners) to fend for themselves or be taken care of by non-magical parents and relatives. Because of this loss, Diviners lose their language, history, and communal ties. To ensure that Diviners follow the rules, the king sends his guard, a police force that surveils all of Orisha and behaves in whatever manner they see fit. They kill, rape, and maim Diviners at will, and they are praised for their actions, as they ensure the subjugation and death of the marginalized. The main characters fight back, however, hoping to restore magic and justice in an oppressive world.

WHAT I LIKED: I loved the storyline and the subtle, yet present social commentary. It didn't feel didactic, but I definitely felt the pangs of social violence throughout the story, even though it was set in this high-fantasy world. The pacing was awkward for me at times, but nothing that detracted too much from the story.

SUMMARY: 14-year-old Eji is a Muslim girl living in the Nigerian village of Kwàmfa. The year is 2070, and after Peace Bombs descended upon the earth, some children were born with metahuman gifts- Eji is known as a Shadow Speaker, one who can talk to and become one with the shadows. Other children can become windseekers, rainmakers, or a vast number of things. Because of her ability, some people fear her, while others embrace the possible knowledge that she has. However, it is this gift and her strength that attract the attention of the warrior queen, Jaa. It is this gift and her strength that will determine whether or not the world will cease to exist. When Eji discovers that Jaa sees potential in her, she decides to follow Jaa on a journey that will alter her life in numerous ways. Although the spirits will guide her, Eji must prove to Jaa and herself that she has what it takes to lead. If not, the people in her world may come to extinction.

WHAT I LIKE: I really loved Eji as a character. She was constantly thinking about her family, her gifts, her friendships, etc. She didn’t drop one aspect of her life just because she had to focus on something else. I also liked her growth throughout the story. She was never a completely docile little girl, but she learned how to channel her feelings into positive ways to make change. Lastly, I loved how she called out dominant entities, rather than just thinking about the ways they were oppressing others. She never let them just get away with treating people a certain way, and that was powerful.