Binti: The Complete Trilogy

The story was engaging and unexpected, with fantastic imagery and a wonderful blend of ethnic traditions and sci fi. I definitely got hooked and look forward to reading the other two parts of the trilogy.

Another string side of the book is the themes it establishes - tradition and self discovery, bus vs them. We get to ponder these ideas together with Binti and perhaps grow a little with her.

My biggest problem with the book is, however, a spoiler, so I will hide it under a SPOILER tag.

I am very much disturbed by the fact that the murder of all those students and professors is never addressed - neither by the Meduse as a form of apology, nor by the people at Oomza University. It's a huge deal! I understand that the Koush have wronged the Meduse, but that is no justification to murdering innocent people. There can be justification to the Meduse actions, really. The whole idea of branding a whole species as evil is, the way I see it, the opposite of the message the book is trying to convey - we see Khoush who are nice to Binti, who become her friends. Why, then, is their death trivialized?I didn't like the fact that the Meduse turned Binti's hair into their okuoko. She seemed to have understood them well before, so it seemed both unnecessary and disrespectful.