Who Fears Death

I’m not sure how Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor made it onto my library wish list, most likely through a book review I read somewhere, but it was available and intriguing, so I checked it out a few weeks ago. Lately I prefer to read fiction before bed, I think because I want to be taken into another world after living another day in our world. And I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this book, but it surprised and challenged me.

Onyesonwu, the main character of the book, is Ewu, she is half Okeke and half Nuru and was conceived in violence. As she grows, it becomes apparent that she has special powers. And throughout the book the power manifests itself in different ways and we see her grappling with how to handle it. Onye’s journey is about her growing up and coming to terms with who her father is and the world in which she lives.

I enjoyed Okorafor’s writing, her descriptions, the characters, and the pacing all worked quite well. And, as I’m finding is becoming normal for me, the last third of this book is amazing. I enjoy the stories so much once I really understand the characters.

Oh, how our traditions limit and outcast those of us who aren’t normal. (loc 3551)

To be something abnormal meant that you were to serve the normal. And if you refused, they hated you . . . and often the normal hated you even when you did serve them. (loc 3385)