Review - Who Fears Death

Who Fears Death
by Nnedi Okorafor
350+ pages

Description via Goodreads

I vividly remembered the sensation of having my forehead caved in by a large rock. It didn't hurt as much as it should have. It just felt like I was suddenly...exposed. A rock destroyed my nose, bloodied my ear, buried itself in my cheek. I was conscious through most of it (p.128)

Who Fears Death explores dark subject-matter and in its own way, sheds light upon the conflict that plagues the storyline. In post-apocalyptic Africa, widespread enslavement, genocide and rape are a norm in many regions. So much so, that it has become a myth of human existence that many people believe in. The central conflict is between the Nuru, a light-skinned people, and the Okeke, a dark-skinned people. In the West the Okeke are enslaved to the Nuru, who are gradually expanding their realm of hate into parts of the East. In this expansion, rape and genocide occur often. Nuru men kill Okeke men, and rape Okeke women simply because they can. Sometimes these rapes produce children, half-bloods known was Ewu. They are considered to be children of violence and are frequently outcast by either side. The main character, Onyesonwu, is one of these Ewu. This story is about her journey to death, and the mystical things that happen along the way.

Who Fears Death contains somewhat vivid descriptions of death, murder, rape and genital mutilation. These descriptions hold the book together and keep the reader engaged. Without them the rest of the narrative is rough. Many of the characters lack depth, and even though it's supposed to take place in post-apocalyptic Africa, as a reader, I don't get that feeling. The reader is frequently presented with folkloric tangents that are supposed to explain why certain things are the way they are. However, for the most part they muddle up the narrative and stall  forward progress of the book. For a very long time, I was confused as to what the true purpose of Onyesonwu's quest was. Was it to defy cultural norms, to become a great sorceress, to kill her biological father, to rewrite the Great Book? Maybe a combination. I don't know...I was only sure of one thing: her death. 

For me, the beginning of the book was very dynamic and intriguing. It faded in the middle because of the reasons mentioned above, and picked up a little towards the end. I found the actual ending to be anticlimactic, ambiguous and escapist. In some cases that works. In this case, not so much. With that said, I'm glad I read this book. It's unlike most of speculative fiction I've ever read.

I read this book for A More Diverse Universe Blog Tour. You can check out other book reviews here. 

Who Fears Death

Three stars