To whom would you recommend this book? Readers who can appreciate Emezi’s subtlety and will be satisfied exploring questions with no easy answers. I would probably recommend reading the books in the order in which they were published, but readers who start with Bitter will feel inspired to check out the first book. All the main characters are Black.Īnything you didn’t like about it? No. Emezi’s writing is just right for this allegorical and mysterious story its straightforward style and quick action anchors the bizarre elements, which includes acts of witchcraft, a host of bloodthirsty “angels” created by the Eucalyptus students, a nightmarish execution, and a final battle between supernatural forces. Those who loved Pet will recognize Bitter and her new boyfriend, Aloe, as Pet’s parents, and the beast that Pet will eventually liberate as Vengeance.
The first novel seemed more like a middle-grade read, but Bitter focuses on existential issues, such as the role of individual responsibility and the morality of righteous anger. As in Pet, they present a world that celebrates queer youth and uses magical realism to bring the author’s native Nigeria to readers.
This highly creative, absorbing, and spare novel is a prequel to Emezi’s well-received earlier book, Pet. Ultimately, Bitter must step outside of her fear and rethink her simplistic view of Assata’s members and mission, facing down Vengeance in a pitched battle and reshaping her own future and that of her city. Vengeance (as it calls itself) can’t be controlled and soon the otherworldly being is rampaging through Lucille, intending to murder those responsible for the violence and corruption engulfing the city. Pouring her anger and fear into her work, she creates a massive painting of an avenging monster and brings the creature to life with drops of her own blood. But outside the school’s walls, students in the resistance group Assata face down injustice and rubber bullets, and Bitter feels increasingly torn about retreating to safety while her friends risk their lives. After a lifetime in foster homes, the teen finally feels cherished and able to paint. What did you like about the book? Bitter lives at Eucalyptus, an art school presided over by the unusual, gray-eyed Miss Virtue. Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5
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