melissa
I do not like to write negative reviews cause writing any book is difficult, but that one had a big flaws on a political level. I personally feel offended when someone uses the tag “afro futurist” when the story is in no way shaped by the race of the character, and the protagonist just happens to be black. Like really, what is the point of writing a sci-fi book at this point.
Second of all, I just knew the book was written by a second generation American immigrant from the first paragraph. Can they for one second not “defy their traditions” and then spend the whole book speaking about how alienated they feel outside their community. Why did you leave?!?! Third, I really have no idea about the lore of the universe in this book, thus I really did not care about the Meduse's operation or whatever the whole book was about. No description whatsoever about the History of these “planets”? satellites? Galaxies? where even are we?
Dear Binti, just go harmonize with your family, and enjoy the desert you come from. No one cares about you being the first to join a university, cause according to you, you already are masters of your trade, so just enjoy your traditions and stop defying them just to follow this ridiculous metaphor of an “American dream”.
This book was so American, i can't.
Sorry but [spoiler alert!] what kind of operation that starts with the killing of a bunch of civilians is then dealt with diplomatically. Really? no retaliation? Binti told the Meduses that she's gonna represent them after a massacre, and the uni was like “our bad, take whatever you want”. What the hell liberals? Wars were started over less! Especially when it's the oppressed people doing the damage.
Anyway, still 3/5 cause it was well written style wise, and an easy read, but some nuance and depth please. It's science fiction.
I wanted to read the comic after watching the movie, cause the adaptation was so dense and intense, and I needed more backstory about the characters, yet somehow the comic is even denser. The art is beautiful but I can understand now why it took Miyazaki 13 years to finish the series.
The main point I got from the comic (more flagrant here than in the movie), is the fact that all these tribes are being attacked by the forest's protectors, the Ohmu, yet all they can think of doing is kill each other off, while finding ways to be even more destructive towards nature. It is the curse of humans bent upon expansionism.
As Feinberg writes “I wrote it not as an expression of individual “high” art but as a working-class organizer mimeographs a leaflet - a call to action”. I loved this book. It is as much a portrait of Jess (the protagonist), as it is a portrait of working class america, through out the decades. A materialist study of gender, sexuality, and society, and the importance of unionizing, regrouping and organizing.
In a moment of clarity, Jess addressing a crowd says “I don't know what it would take to really change the world. But couldn't we get together and try to figure it out? Couldn't the we be bigger? Isn't there a way we could help fight each other's battles so that we're not always alone?” And that's all I have to say about the dichotomous separatist concept of labels and the destructive powers of gatekeeping that have come with liberalism and the assimilation of some on the back of others.
There's a lot of things to learn from the book, mostly how sad farms are lol. For a children's book it was quite blunt about what farming is all about, I'm very surprised not all american children have turned to vegetarianism. Anyway, a really nice sad yet happy book, with the cutest little illustrations and the most radiant pig.
The Orientalism is a bit icky at first, like do western writers believe Arabic culture is all made up, or are they assuming they're basing these universes on fact? Anyway, it get's better when Abdullah leaves Zanzib. It's like Aladdin on lsd, but Aladdin itself is hard to stomach lol, still a really well knitted series of events. Very entertaining.
Higashida's first book seemed to be written for parents of kids with autism, however this one, 5 years later, seems to be written for younger kids with autism, for them to learn of his experience. I really like his books, they are definitely helpful, even if we know not all neuro-atypicals have the same experience.
However, I would LOVE a book of his short stories. There's a haunting quality to them, that remind me of Kafka's magical realism. Yet sadly, in this collection of works and the earlier one (The reason I jump), there's only one short story in each. It's like, the only way for people to buy his work in English, is by saying he's an autistic writer writing about Autism, and i really want a collection of his work as a fictional writer. He's such a good writer.
I like to read YA books from time to time cause they're a cozy and fast read, but I did not expect to like one that much.
First positive, this book is british and not american, so none of the “illegal underage drinking” nonsense, and no “i hate my family” ridiculousness. Second of all, we're following adults in uni, which is always better than having an adult writer writing about highschool teens experimenting with their sexuality. And third and most important point, it's an accurate depiction of asexuality (not the usual association with autism or some other over simplification), and delves into the whole spectrum and complexity of sexuality and identity. Also it's really well written structure wise, i truly loved the characters, and it made me cry a bunch of times.
The run on descriptions of the island were beautiful, the woodcuts introducing every chapter were good, but it's just orientalist (is there a more specific word for people describing Polynesians in an extremely objectifying dehumanizing matter?) af. I try not to judge old books with the moral compass of the present, but that one was a struggle.
It was a really nice enjoyable book to read and relax. Asmita in this book is sharing her thoughts and feelings, and it feels like a discussion, wether you agree or not, it's definitely nice to think about the issues she broached. The drawings capture the poems really nicely and the book flows smoothly from start to finish.
If you ever uttered the word “Revolution” you need to read this. And you can't speak about Revolution without defining what a “State” means, and what it means to take over.
This book was written between the 1917 February revolution and the Bolshevik revolution in October, and the insight, the context and the in-depth Engels and Marx analysis, is invaluable. Definite Must read.
