This book tells the story of Yetu, a 'historian' who keeps all the memories for her people who are descendants of pregnant Africans who were thrown overboard during the Atlantic Slave Trade. Yetu is not content in her position as the historian and seeks ways to get out of her obligation to her kin. Eventually, she succeeds in escaping and finds herself damaged and stuck in a shallow tide pool until she has healed. Unable the hunt for herself she befriends some 'two-legs' who help her heal and provide her with a daily allocation of fish and other food sources. Yetu develops relationships with the two-legs but must choose between them or her own kin who, in the fury and confusion of her leaving, brew up a storm. In the past storms, entire populations had been erased and so Yetu knows the possible implications for the coming storm and seeks to solve the problems at bay.
So I have some qualms with this book and I think that my issues are just me not being able to understand or really get into the mind frame of this book and not anything related to the actual text. First off, this book really jumps around between two storylines and I didn't understand this until almost 90% through the book. I wish that that had been made a bit clearer or maybe there had been some sort of title or marker that lets the reader know there are two different storylines versus what seems like one big one. Once I got to the point of understanding there were two plots, it made a lot more sense. Actually, the two storylines become a lot clearer when Yetu, the main character basically leaves the ocean and starts hanging out with the "two-legs."
Next thing, this book is written very beautifully and is really loaded with cultural and social conventions or non-conventions that have a place in current Culture. This is specifically in terms of other pronouns and identity. I totally get the concept, but there are times when I get so confused. The thing about this that tripped me up was that I am not super caught up on current Pop Culture and so I have a slight difficulty understanding truly what is going on, but I can grasp the larger picture of the story. What I loved was how poetic it all feels and how the writing matches the ebb and flow of the ocean and waves. It all feels very lyrical and flowy.
I did enjoy how poignant this book feels and how it addresses so many things in the guise of a story: social constructs of gender and sexuality, what is gender, the body, and its use, racism, genocide, identity creation, myth creation in culture, mysticism and spirituality just to name a few. I especially enjoyed the conversations between Yetu and Oori and the almost innocence of the two. Their conversations really address several of these topics and give the reader a way to step aside and examine these tough and controversial topics.
I will say that I came into this book expecting a story related to slavery and mystical beings since that is what it is described as but came away with not quite that. I loved the idea of these mer-creaturs being descendants of the pregnant slaves thrown overboard; this is so brilliant and intriguing. I just wish maybe there had been a bit more to that in the book.
Overall I liked this book but also didn't really like this book. For the first 75%, I was just reading this book to post a review to fulfill what I had promised, but at a certain point it turned the opposite direction for me and I ended up really enjoying the story and the characters involved. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a science-fiction piece that is current and has some really interesting undertones and ideas. Thank you BookishFirst and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
So I have some qualms with this book and I think that my issues are just me not being able to understand or really get into the mind frame of this book and not anything related to the actual text. First off, this book really jumps around between two storylines and I didn't understand this until almost 90% through the book. I wish that that had been made a bit clearer or maybe there had been some sort of title or marker that lets the reader know there are two different storylines versus what seems like one big one. Once I got to the point of understanding there were two plots, it made a lot more sense. Actually, the two storylines become a lot clearer when Yetu, the main character basically leaves the ocean and starts hanging out with the "two-legs."
Next thing, this book is written very beautifully and is really loaded with cultural and social conventions or non-conventions that have a place in current Culture. This is specifically in terms of other pronouns and identity. I totally get the concept, but there are times when I get so confused. The thing about this that tripped me up was that I am not super caught up on current Pop Culture and so I have a slight difficulty understanding truly what is going on, but I can grasp the larger picture of the story. What I loved was how poetic it all feels and how the writing matches the ebb and flow of the ocean and waves. It all feels very lyrical and flowy.
I did enjoy how poignant this book feels and how it addresses so many things in the guise of a story: social constructs of gender and sexuality, what is gender, the body, and its use, racism, genocide, identity creation, myth creation in culture, mysticism and spirituality just to name a few. I especially enjoyed the conversations between Yetu and Oori and the almost innocence of the two. Their conversations really address several of these topics and give the reader a way to step aside and examine these tough and controversial topics.
I will say that I came into this book expecting a story related to slavery and mystical beings since that is what it is described as but came away with not quite that. I loved the idea of these mer-creaturs being descendants of the pregnant slaves thrown overboard; this is so brilliant and intriguing. I just wish maybe there had been a bit more to that in the book.
Overall I liked this book but also didn't really like this book. For the first 75%, I was just reading this book to post a review to fulfill what I had promised, but at a certain point it turned the opposite direction for me and I ended up really enjoying the story and the characters involved. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a science-fiction piece that is current and has some really interesting undertones and ideas. Thank you BookishFirst and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!