Since reading her Binti series, I have come to expect a certain experience from reading anything by Nnedi Okorafor. Her latest book, Remote Control, is said to be another short, but powerful experience that science fiction readers will certainly enjoy.
The Situation: Sankofa was not always the way she is now. Before her world changed, she lived with her parents and older brother in a village in Ghana. One of her favorite things was to climb the shea tree by her house and point out the stars, giving them different names and places in the sky. It is during a meteor shower that the mysterious seed finds its way to her, only to be taken and sold to a politician for a more than decent amount of money. Sankofa knows it is for the best, and knows this will help her family, but she cannot help but feel the loss. However, this loss will only prove to be the first of many for Sankofa. It is when a terrible car accident threatens to take her life that everything changes, even her name. She was not always called 'Sankofa,' but it is the name she chose after the tragedy struck, and she was left alone with only the small fox that insists on following her everywhere.
The Problem: It does not take long for Sankofa to become famous...sort of. She is known for the strange green glow that emits from her body, and the devastating thing that come after it. Some say she is the daughter of death. Others claim her to be a witch. For the most part, people stay out of her way, though not everyone is afraid. And then there are those who seek her help, either hoping she will provide protection, or seeking her to help ease the pain of a dying loved one by having the inevitable come sooner. Sankofa misses her old life, and her family, and her home, but what is strange is that she also misses the seed that she found the day the meteors fell. It is her desire to find it that initially guides her travels. But even when she gives up on finding it, it does not give up on finding her.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction book set at some point in the future in the African country of Ghana. When the book begins, Sankofa is only five years old, having already endured a childhood full of illness. The book then follows her for the next few years as she travels around, doing her best to keep a somewhat low profile, while helping some, and trying her hardest not to hurt too many others. And in contrast to Sankofa's strength, through her abilities, is her small and petite frame. By the end of the book she is 13, though almost everyone she meets agrees that she looks no more then eight years old. While the book is mostly about Sankofa and her adventures, as well as her abilities and the range of reactions they bring in other people, there is also some mention of the effects of foreign influences on Africa's economy. It is not mentioned a great amount, but it is there, subtle and kind of hidden, but still there.
My Verdict: Much like the previous books I have read by Okorafor, this one contains a lot for being only 150+ pages. There is so much that happens to Sankofa, so much that she is able to do, and so far she is able to travel. It amazes me that the author can keep a story like this moving so quickly, and seemingly not leave out a single detail. And while Sankofa is a small child who has had something unexplainable happen to her, something that changes her entire world, she is not simply a character with a tragic past and a strange ability. There is a complexity to her that is hard to explain, and again, Okorafor manages to include all of this in a short amount of space. It is the kind of science fiction writing that my brain can grab onto and actually follow, but I think those that regularly read science fiction will enjoy it as well.
Favorite Moment: When Sankofa is able to hold off an entire group of armed thieves simply by glowing green.
Favorite Character: Alhaja is a businesswoman in one of the towns Sankofa visits. She takes Sankofa in, despite knowing what she can do, and gives her the closest semblance to a normal life that the young girl has had in a long time.
Recommended Reading: I recommend the Binti series to anyone who enjoys this book, as well as Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi.
No comments:
Post a Comment