I really appreciate your in depth review. This book was on everyone's anticipated release list, but I've been anxiously waiting for actual reviews. Given all that triggering subject matter, it certainly sounds like a tough read. It's probably not the kind of fantasy I usually pick up, but I do want to read it for myself.
I'm glad it was helpful! this is exactly why I wanted to post a review because I don't think the marketing has been very clear about the content. I will say it's a book that sticks with you and is probably worth reading if you can!
I started reading it and was having trouble rationalizing and grasping what I was reading. I didnt understand why I was feeling the way I was feeling but your review helped me to understand it and put it into words. Thank you and I look forward to continuing reading this masterpiece.
I just started it, I'm about 50 pages in, and I'm just really confused. I don't know if it's me or the book. This video makes me really want to keep reading, though.
A better review cannot be done. I am half way through this book and you just articulated every thought, feeling and opinion I have so far. This book is wonderful and sometimes ugly and often confusing but totally captivating. I marvel that the author is able to do all this with so much precision and style.That alone makes it worthy of reading but you really just have to open your mind and accept it for what it is. Thank you for such a thoughtful and thorough review.
What a fantastic thorough review and response! I enjoyed so much how you discussed its themes and how readers might respond to it. When I finished the novel I found it challenging to summarise the story because, like you say, there's SO much in it.
Thank you so much! I appreciate that. I agree it is such a dense novel it's hard to know where to start, but I have always tended to focus my reviews on major themes and story structure. This is one that I think I will want to revisit in the future!
I'm planning to read this later this month, and I'm so so glad you posted this review! I've heard tons of general buzz for this one, but not a ton of concrete things, so this was exactly what I needed. This was so thorough and informative. And now I know to allot myself more time to get through this! We will have to discuss in more detail once I finish it!
I went into this book completely blind and a few parts into the audiobook (which is amazing I highly recommend) I was like what am I reading?? Lol glad I paused to do some quick research. great review now I can continue the book!
Very impressed with this non-spoiler review! I hadn’t seen any discussion of the queer framework or power/graphic complexities. I am glad because that framework is important with this book being anticipated by so many readers! I’m going to the book signing this weekend and I am so curious how the talk will go considering how dense and dark the content is.
Thank you! I felt like it was important for people to be aware of what is in the book and I just had a lot to say. I went to the NYC launch and it was very interesting to hear him talk about it! I think I like the book more with that perspective.
I read today that the sequels are not going to continue the story, but will instead tell the events of this book from other perspectives, which sounds very intriguing. Can’t wait to start in on this one.
Thank you so much for your review! I haven’t seen anyone talk so in-depth about this novel as you just did and I’m really happy to know this information before I go in, especially as I really wasn’t expecting it to be this brutal and dark, honestly. I was planning on picking it up soon, but after hearing you talk about it I think I’ll wait for a bit. It still sounds like a very interesting and good book, but one that you really need to be in the right frame of mind for to enjoy. I think you just saved me a bad experience from picking it up at the wrong time!
Thank you, I'm so glad to hear it was helpful! It's a very well-executed book, but I think a lot of people will want to know going in what they are getting.
I went into the book fairly blind just knowing that it was going to be a heavy read. I listened to the audiobook over four days and intend the reread at a much slower pace in the future. My general practice is to read a book purely for entertainment the first time through. This is a hard book to do that with because as you said the reading experience is not always pleasant. I feel like comparisons to Lolita could be drawn as well as Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane as far as my visceral reaction. I'm really looking forward to doing a more literary reading in the future but there is so much in this book that I'm not even sure how to approach it. It is beautifully written and as much as it can feel like a slog, I'm with you that everything feels intentional, and I never felt like Marlon James was wasting my time. I just finished it so I'm very mixed up about how I feel about this book. I'm gonna have to let it simmer. Lol.
For sure! You did an awesome job on this video! I feel like my experience would have been a lot less jarring if I'd watched it before I started reading the book. I'm sharing it with others who are interested in reading this book because I'm afraid a lot of people are going to go into this one blind and have bad experiences. I ultimately still really liked it but I could have been better prepared than I was.
Hi Bethany! I just found your channel because I was looking for classic sci-if recs. I loved your video on that! And then I saw that you had reviewed this book...and I just had to check it out!! Thank you so much for the thorough review. I also received an ARC of this and I...couldn’t. Even. It was soo violent and way too crude for me. I really appreciate that you finished and reviewed this, though. I admire your tenacity. I think this book may reach some people with its messages, but not any of the people its really meant for. I’m reading The Fifth Season right now, and although I’m sure the books are working toward different goals, I have to say...Jemisin’s book seems a lot more successful. She knows when to use the horrible. (Sparingly. It goes a long way.) I can’t wait to watch more of your content! :) I’m a big SFF reader, too!
Ahhh yay! Glad you found me! Yes, this is an intense one and I’m glad people are finding the review helpful. I absolutely love NK Jemisin!!! That entire trilogy is amazing, and it does have some pretty dark content as well, but it’s not quite so brutal all the time.
Awesome review, Bethany. I know some of the topics you mentioned would usually cause me to lose interest in reading, but for some reason I'm curious to read it. There's seems to be some controversy about it being billed as an African GoT.
Thanks Sharon! I mean, it is a very well-written book, I just think people should know what they are picking up. I'm not sure the African GoT thing is particularly accurate. MAYBE some of the later plot of the book, but it's not an ideal comparison.
thank you so so much for sending to me! I feel like people compare everything to GoT or Hunger Games when most of the time the comparison is barely justified. but they think it will get people to read it. hearing that this isn't like GoT actually makes me more interested and it sounds like this book is doing so much more than just fulfilling the nerdy fantasies of an old white dude (GRRM).
Great review , I have read this book and like you it leaves me with mixed feelings . I want to celebrate it , for its uniqueness and for offering a chance to immerse myself in world that doesn’t prescribe to the fantasy fiction ‘ norm ‘ and much more . However I know this book as you say is not for everyone . It contains lots of triggers etc ... That being said I also rated it 5 stars . Thank you for a honest review 😊👍🏻
Ooh this book sounds way darker than I was anticipating, so I’m grateful for your review! I’m still interested in it but definitely not as high on my list now that I know how hard it will be to read.
I think it's a book I normally wouldn't read, but I am still willing to give it a shot. I will be getting the audible tomorrow for it. I might wait to read it for when I can buy the physical copy as well. Just because I would love to Annotate the book as I am reading it. Love your deep insight book reviews, they always might me think, on things I normally wouldn't think about.
I bought the book a few days ago. I plan to start it right after my book club pick. Tomorrow, we have our meeting and this is one of the books being presented. I really hope we pick this one. P.S, it looks like the other two books in the trilogy will be from two other character's perspective
Beautifully Bookish Bethany I can recommend A Short History of 7 Killings - as you found with Leopard, I thought it an incredibly demanding book to read and the violence was gruesome but so so worth it in the end.
I think I will have to try and get this through my library. I haven't read adult fantasy so I am not sure if this will be the book for me but I am willing to give it a shot.
Great review. Just finished it myself. I agree with a lot of what you uncovered. There's a lot of current event talking points, as well as alternatives to current thoughts on those points. The thing that struck me is that I never really understood what was motivating Tracker. And I wonder if that's because I don't have much exposure reading LGBT lit. I am well versed in the African and Fantasy tropes, but I really feel like I was missing something when it came to why Tracker felt the way he did about various people in his life.
Thank you! I think there are probably different potential perspectives, but I thought that Trackers arc was about going from needing nothing and remaining unattached to people, to valuing love even if it is painful.
Idk, I felt like this book was kind of making a case for women in power = BAD. It wasn't that obvious while reading the book because you think he's showing that both women and men do horrible things. But in hindsight you have a misogynist protagonist (which another character even points out), you have women (witches) who achieve power by sacrificing children, the raping hyenas (a matriarchy), Dolingo (a matriarchy), a mother who's willing to use her son as a puppet to bring back the matriarchy, tying a former matriarchy to incest... it just all adds up and it bothered me. It didn't help when it was revealed that the King who was supposed to be overthrown is apparently waging war to unite the land against a threat from the West therefore kind of justifying the patriarchy. :/
Very interesting perspective! Hearing the author talk, I’m interested to see what the next book is like because it’s from the perspective of a female character and I think the books in the series are designed to be in conversation with each other.
Hey Bethany. Thanks for this great in-depth review of the book. It hasn't put me off reading it, but I'm glad that you are making us aware beforehand what we are getting. I will ask however, how does it compare to grimdark fantasy in general or have you not read much/any? I haven't read much adult high fantasy at all so I can't compare myself, but I do think that knowing how dark Seven Killings was, in a way it was to be expected with this book. Anyway, I look forward to getting to it, but I'm in no rush as I rarely am with new releases, and especially the first in series'. TTFN :)
Thank you! I do think it's well worth reading, I just know that it might not be what some people have been expecting and wanted to put this out there. I don't know that I have read a lot of grim dark fantasy, but I heard someone compare it to The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin and I think that is fair. This is a bit grittier and definitely more focused on homoeroticism than her work, but it gives you a flavor.
My interpretation of female circumcision been a west African from what I saw and heard growing up is,to lessen the woman overly desire for sexual pleasure.My sister was circumcised and lot of my friends too.I wanted to get circumcise because it was a big thing but thanks to my grandma and mom.They said over their dead body meaning heck NO and I remembered balling my eyes out.Gosh am flow with memories right now 😊.I told my mom one day that I was going to sneak in because one ☝️ of the rules was,if you haven’t been circumcised you wasn’t allowed to see the the new people that was recently circumcised until their coming out day.Hence the reason why I wanted to be circumcised because the 30th or 31 days meant they was healed and ready to go home to their parents and family.Which meant big extravagant party,expensive gifts giving,getting everybody in the village or town attention,everyone treated you like you was an ant or very fragile glass.If you was 15 and above and still a VIRGIN boy oh boy,you was glorified.Everyone that got circumcised was honored with a Beautiful played name that was given by an aldult that choose to represent them,almost like your mom that didn’t give birth to you.It was very competitive because all those aldult when out I mean out for the kid they was presenting to the crowds after been in for all those weeks.If you was choosing by the richest person in the community you was hated on by others girls because your gifts and outfits for the ceremony was to be admire by all.It was bigger than a quinceanera at that time to us.I was older before I knew what my friends,sister and GOD knows how many others people when through.It was this big secret that nobody was allowed to say,I remembered begging my friends to tell me what was done to them and they wanted to so bad but kept telling me if they did they was going to die 😳.Well at least that’s what they was told and beside I didn’t wanna hear anything that will result in anyone of my friends demise.I would of probably told all my friends because growing up I wasn’t the child to be told to run and I ran,you better explain yourself first and convince me and I wasn’t still is not easily convince 🤣🤣🤣🤣.In my town my grandma RESTINPEACE wasn’t to be played with,she announced that no one dare to touch her grandkids because family members used to steal children and send them off to be circumcised,mostly aunt and one of the most popular reason was the child is growing so the sooner the better 🙄🙄.My sister was living with her aunt from her dad side of the family when she was circumcised,four(4) months later she came to us after my mom send for her and I remembered that night she hugged me so tight and said you’ll never understand so please don’t sneak in because you’ll regret it.From the look in my sister face and tears in her eyes I knew to listen.She was 17 and I was 11 and I never asked her what they did to her because I didn’t want her to die.I could go on and on but female friends that I have spoken to after the pandora box was open and no one die thank GOD said their desire for sex is very low and they’re not easily satisfied during intercourse.My best friend when to give birth to the hospital few years ago and the nurse pointed out her circumcision and she called me crying saying she felt humiliated.She is not confrontational and I was pissed 😡 and when in to confront the nurse,she Apologize to my friend and said she didn’t meant anything by it,I educated her and told her to passed the word around to others.I’ll pickup this book soon and his explanation could be from others African country meaning behind circumcision.Am glad that it rarely happening now compared to before.This one(1) part of culture need to rot because there’s more damage and I mean mentally and physically than good.
I bought the book bc I thought it was interesting and I just read the first three pages and I was like nope. The writing is very poetic, too poetic for me and the constant mention of child sexual abuse in just a few paragraphs was off-putting. I'm probably still gonna read it since it is interesting
this is the third review ive seen about this book. the way you people go on about how "dark" this book is, it makes me wonder, wtf are u people reading?.....
my personal thoughts on the book confusing too fucking long too sexual for my taste the cover is misleading(i didnt read the back so i thought this was going to be like lion king were animals are the characters honestly the book would be better if it was that.) all this made me stop at page 30.cause i already have a short attention span cause im 14 so i ened up just ditching the book and reading my hero academia.BTW graphic novels especially manga have always been better than novels.easier to read and u can appreciate the art
I really appreciate your in depth review. This book was on everyone's anticipated release list, but I've been anxiously waiting for actual reviews. Given all that triggering subject matter, it certainly sounds like a tough read. It's probably not the kind of fantasy I usually pick up, but I do want to read it for myself.
I'm glad it was helpful! this is exactly why I wanted to post a review because I don't think the marketing has been very clear about the content. I will say it's a book that sticks with you and is probably worth reading if you can!
I started reading it and was having trouble rationalizing and grasping what I was reading. I didnt understand why I was feeling the way I was feeling but your review helped me to understand it and put it into words. Thank you and I look forward to continuing reading this masterpiece.
So happy to hear it was helpful! I hope you enjoy the rest of your reading.
Yeah, it totally read as a fever dream for like the first 50 pages. A plot doesn't really begin to form until about that point.
I just started it, I'm about 50 pages in, and I'm just really confused. I don't know if it's me or the book. This video makes me really want to keep reading, though.
A better review cannot be done. I am half way through this book and you just articulated every thought, feeling and opinion I have so far. This book is wonderful and sometimes ugly and often confusing but totally captivating. I marvel that the author is able to do all this with so much precision and style.That alone makes it worthy of reading but you really just have to open your mind and accept it for what it is. Thank you for such a thoughtful and thorough review.
Thank you so much! That means a lot and I completely agree with you- this book is wonderful, ugly, and so many other things.
What a fantastic thorough review and response! I enjoyed so much how you discussed its themes and how readers might respond to it. When I finished the novel I found it challenging to summarise the story because, like you say, there's SO much in it.
Thank you so much! I appreciate that. I agree it is such a dense novel it's hard to know where to start, but I have always tended to focus my reviews on major themes and story structure. This is one that I think I will want to revisit in the future!
I'm planning to read this later this month, and I'm so so glad you posted this review! I've heard tons of general buzz for this one, but not a ton of concrete things, so this was exactly what I needed. This was so thorough and informative. And now I know to allot myself more time to get through this! We will have to discuss in more detail once I finish it!
This is exactly why I wanted to do a review! Thank you, I'm glad to hear it was helpful and I would love to discuss when you get to it!
I went into this book completely blind and a few parts into the audiobook (which is amazing I highly recommend) I was like what am I reading?? Lol glad I paused to do some quick research. great review now I can continue the book!
Glad to help!
Will definitely check out the audiobook!
Very impressed with this non-spoiler review! I hadn’t seen any discussion of the queer framework or power/graphic complexities. I am glad because that framework is important with this book being anticipated by so many readers! I’m going to the book signing this weekend and I am so curious how the talk will go considering how dense and dark the content is.
Thank you! I felt like it was important for people to be aware of what is in the book and I just had a lot to say. I went to the NYC launch and it was very interesting to hear him talk about it! I think I like the book more with that perspective.
I read today that the sequels are not going to continue the story, but will instead tell the events of this book from other perspectives, which sounds very intriguing. Can’t wait to start in on this one.
Yes! I've been hearing more about the rest of the trilogy and I'm very interested to see where he takes it.
Thank you so much for your review! I haven’t seen anyone talk so in-depth about this novel as you just did and I’m really happy to know this information before I go in, especially as I really wasn’t expecting it to be this brutal and dark, honestly. I was planning on picking it up soon, but after hearing you talk about it I think I’ll wait for a bit. It still sounds like a very interesting and good book, but one that you really need to be in the right frame of mind for to enjoy. I think you just saved me a bad experience from picking it up at the wrong time!
Thank you, I'm so glad to hear it was helpful! It's a very well-executed book, but I think a lot of people will want to know going in what they are getting.
I’m getting my copy tomorrow, I think your review has made me want to read it even more, great review!
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy it!
I went into the book fairly blind just knowing that it was going to be a heavy read. I listened to the audiobook over four days and intend the reread at a much slower pace in the future. My general practice is to read a book purely for entertainment the first time through. This is a hard book to do that with because as you said the reading experience is not always pleasant. I feel like comparisons to Lolita could be drawn as well as Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane as far as my visceral reaction. I'm really looking forward to doing a more literary reading in the future but there is so much in this book that I'm not even sure how to approach it. It is beautifully written and as much as it can feel like a slog, I'm with you that everything feels intentional, and I never felt like Marlon James was wasting my time. I just finished it so I'm very mixed up about how I feel about this book. I'm gonna have to let it simmer. Lol.
Agreed, this is a difficult one, but I want to revisit it again in the future too. It has really stuck with me.
For sure! You did an awesome job on this video! I feel like my experience would have been a lot less jarring if I'd watched it before I started reading the book. I'm sharing it with others who are interested in reading this book because I'm afraid a lot of people are going to go into this one blind and have bad experiences. I ultimately still really liked it but I could have been better prepared than I was.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. It's exactly why I decided to film this review actually.
Hi Bethany! I just found your channel because I was looking for classic sci-if recs. I loved your video on that! And then I saw that you had reviewed this book...and I just had to check it out!! Thank you so much for the thorough review. I also received an ARC of this and I...couldn’t. Even. It was soo violent and way too crude for me. I really appreciate that you finished and reviewed this, though. I admire your tenacity. I think this book may reach some people with its messages, but not any of the people its really meant for. I’m reading The Fifth Season right now, and although I’m sure the books are working toward different goals, I have to say...Jemisin’s book seems a lot more successful. She knows when to use the horrible. (Sparingly. It goes a long way.) I can’t wait to watch more of your content! :) I’m a big SFF reader, too!
Ahhh yay! Glad you found me! Yes, this is an intense one and I’m glad people are finding the review helpful. I absolutely love NK Jemisin!!! That entire trilogy is amazing, and it does have some pretty dark content as well, but it’s not quite so brutal all the time.
Awesome review, Bethany. I know some of the topics you mentioned would usually cause me to lose interest in reading, but for some reason I'm curious to read it. There's seems to be some controversy about it being billed as an African GoT.
Thanks Sharon! I mean, it is a very well-written book, I just think people should know what they are picking up. I'm not sure the African GoT thing is particularly accurate. MAYBE some of the later plot of the book, but it's not an ideal comparison.
Great review, I am intrigued to read the book now.
thank you so so much for sending to me!
I feel like people compare everything to GoT or Hunger Games when most of the time the comparison is barely justified. but they think it will get people to read it. hearing that this isn't like GoT actually makes me more interested and it sounds like this book is doing so much more than just fulfilling the nerdy fantasies of an old white dude (GRRM).
YES!!! Thank you! It know it's a marketing thing, but I don't feel like it's doing the book all that many favors.
You were so much more open to the discussions in this book than I was. It was a really tough read.
It is a tough one and I understand why it has been polarizing
Great review. Now I am even more intrigued to pick up this book.
Wonderful! Thank you, I'm glad this was helpful!
Great review , I have read this book and like you it leaves me with mixed feelings . I want to celebrate it , for its uniqueness and for offering a chance to immerse myself in world that doesn’t prescribe to the fantasy fiction ‘ norm ‘ and much more .
However I know this book as you say is not for everyone . It contains lots of triggers etc ...
That being said I also rated it 5 stars .
Thank you for a honest review 😊👍🏻
Thank you! I am with you on all of this.
Ooh this book sounds way darker than I was anticipating, so I’m grateful for your review! I’m still interested in it but definitely not as high on my list now that I know how hard it will be to read.
Glad to help! I do think it's a very good book, but one to walk into with eyes open.
I think it's a book I normally wouldn't read, but I am still willing to give it a shot. I will be getting the audible tomorrow for it. I might wait to read it for when I can buy the physical copy as well. Just because I would love to Annotate the book as I am reading it.
Love your deep insight book reviews, they always might me think, on things I normally wouldn't think about.
Thank you Lori! Let me know what you think when you get to it. It's a unique one.
@@BeautifullyBookishBethany I sure will.
Subscribed to your channel and ordered the book. Fantastic review. Can't wait to read it!
Wonderful! Enjoy!
Thank you so much for your extremely articulate review !
I bought the book a few days ago. I plan to start it right after my book club pick. Tomorrow, we have our meeting and this is one of the books being presented. I really hope we pick this one.
P.S, it looks like the other two books in the trilogy will be from two other character's perspective
Wonderful! Yes, I've been hearing more about the structure of the other books and I'm very interested to see what he does with it!
Michael B. Jordan's bought the film rights to this book. Most likely the violence will be toned down.
Great in-depth review, thanks! So excited about this book, dying to read it!
Thank you! I think it is the kind of book that really sticks with you and is well-worth reading.
Beautifully Bookish Bethany I can recommend A Short History of 7 Killings - as you found with Leopard, I thought it an incredibly demanding book to read and the violence was gruesome but so so worth it in the end.
It is on my radar and I may pick that up as well.
I think I will have to try and get this through my library. I haven't read adult fantasy so I am not sure if this will be the book for me but I am willing to give it a shot.
Interested to see what you think!
Very well done review.
Wonderful review. Amazon is sending me my copy by Friday February 8th. Thanks.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!
Great review. Just finished it myself. I agree with a lot of what you uncovered. There's a lot of current event talking points, as well as alternatives to current thoughts on those points. The thing that struck me is that I never really understood what was motivating Tracker. And I wonder if that's because I don't have much exposure reading LGBT lit. I am well versed in the African and Fantasy tropes, but I really feel like I was missing something when it came to why Tracker felt the way he did about various people in his life.
Thank you! I think there are probably different potential perspectives, but I thought that Trackers arc was about going from needing nothing and remaining unattached to people, to valuing love even if it is painful.
Idk, I felt like this book was kind of making a case for women in power = BAD. It wasn't that obvious while reading the book because you think he's showing that both women and men do horrible things. But in hindsight you have a misogynist protagonist (which another character even points out), you have women (witches) who achieve power by sacrificing children, the raping hyenas (a matriarchy), Dolingo (a matriarchy), a mother who's willing to use her son as a puppet to bring back the matriarchy, tying a former matriarchy to incest... it just all adds up and it bothered me. It didn't help when it was revealed that the King who was supposed to be overthrown is apparently waging war to unite the land against a threat from the West therefore kind of justifying the patriarchy. :/
Very interesting perspective! Hearing the author talk, I’m interested to see what the next book is like because it’s from the perspective of a female character and I think the books in the series are designed to be in conversation with each other.
Hey Bethany. Thanks for this great in-depth review of the book. It hasn't put me off reading it, but I'm glad that you are making us aware beforehand what we are getting. I will ask however, how does it compare to grimdark fantasy in general or have you not read much/any? I haven't read much adult high fantasy at all so I can't compare myself, but I do think that knowing how dark Seven Killings was, in a way it was to be expected with this book. Anyway, I look forward to getting to it, but I'm in no rush as I rarely am with new releases, and especially the first in series'. TTFN :)
Thank you! I do think it's well worth reading, I just know that it might not be what some people have been expecting and wanted to put this out there. I don't know that I have read a lot of grim dark fantasy, but I heard someone compare it to The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin and I think that is fair. This is a bit grittier and definitely more focused on homoeroticism than her work, but it gives you a flavor.
@@BeautifullyBookishBethany Thanks for letting me know :)
My interpretation of female circumcision been a west African from what I saw and heard growing up is,to lessen the woman overly desire for sexual pleasure.My sister was circumcised and lot of my friends too.I wanted to get circumcise because it was a big thing but thanks to my grandma and mom.They said over their dead body meaning heck NO and I remembered balling my eyes out.Gosh am flow with memories right now 😊.I told my mom one day that I was going to sneak in because one ☝️ of the rules was,if you haven’t been circumcised you wasn’t allowed to see the the new people that was recently circumcised until their coming out day.Hence the reason why I wanted to be circumcised because the 30th or 31 days meant they was healed and ready to go home to their parents and family.Which meant big extravagant party,expensive gifts giving,getting everybody in the village or town attention,everyone treated you like you was an ant or very fragile glass.If you was 15 and above and still a VIRGIN boy oh boy,you was glorified.Everyone that got circumcised was honored with a Beautiful played name that was given by an aldult that choose to represent them,almost like your mom that didn’t give birth to you.It was very competitive because all those aldult when out I mean out for the kid they was presenting to the crowds after been in for all those weeks.If you was choosing by the richest person in the community you was hated on by others girls because your gifts and outfits for the ceremony was to be admire by all.It was bigger than a quinceanera at that time to us.I was older before I knew what my friends,sister and GOD knows how many others people when through.It was this big secret that nobody was allowed to say,I remembered begging my friends to tell me what was done to them and they wanted to so bad but kept telling me if they did they was going to die 😳.Well at least that’s what they was told and beside I didn’t wanna hear anything that will result in anyone of my friends demise.I would of probably told all my friends because growing up I wasn’t the child to be told to run and I ran,you better explain yourself first and convince me and I wasn’t still is not easily convince 🤣🤣🤣🤣.In my town my grandma RESTINPEACE wasn’t to be played with,she announced that no one dare to touch her grandkids because family members used to steal children and send them off to be circumcised,mostly aunt and one of the most popular reason was the child is growing so the sooner the better 🙄🙄.My sister was living with her aunt from her dad side of the family when she was circumcised,four(4) months later she came to us after my mom send for her and I remembered that night she hugged me so tight and said you’ll never understand so please don’t sneak in because you’ll regret it.From the look in my sister face and tears in her eyes I knew to listen.She was 17 and I was 11 and I never asked her what they did to her because I didn’t want her to die.I could go on and on but female friends that I have spoken to after the pandora box was open and no one die thank GOD said their desire for sex is very low and they’re not easily satisfied during intercourse.My best friend when to give birth to the hospital few years ago and the nurse pointed out her circumcision and she called me crying saying she felt humiliated.She is not confrontational and I was pissed 😡 and when in to confront the nurse,she Apologize to my friend and said she didn’t meant anything by it,I educated her and told her to passed the word around to others.I’ll pickup this book soon and his explanation could be from others African country meaning behind circumcision.Am glad that it rarely happening now compared to before.This one(1) part of culture need to rot because there’s more damage and I mean mentally and physically than good.
Wow, I cannot imagine how complicated that would be to grow up around. Thank you for sharing! ❤️ I agree, I’m glad it’s something that is changing.
I’m so excited for this book still
Glad to hear it! It's a very well-written book.
I bought the book bc I thought it was interesting and I just read the first three pages and I was like nope. The writing is very poetic, too poetic for me and the constant mention of child sexual abuse in just a few paragraphs was off-putting. I'm probably still gonna read it since it is interesting
Yeah, it is heavy from the get-go and won't be the right book for everyone. BUT it is very well done.
this is the third review ive seen about this book. the way you people go on about how "dark" this book is, it makes me wonder, wtf are u people reading?.....
my personal thoughts on the book
confusing
too fucking long
too sexual for my taste
the cover is misleading(i didnt read the back so i thought this was going to be like lion king were animals are the characters honestly the book would be better if it was that.)
all this made me stop at page 30.cause i already have a short attention span cause im 14 so i ened up just ditching the book and reading my hero academia.BTW graphic novels especially manga have always been better than novels.easier to read and u can appreciate the art
Is there alot of characters to keep track of
There are a lot of characters! But there is only one narrator.
Is the torture really bad and disturbing?
Yes!