Review by Booklist Review
On the heels of her Hugo and Nebula Awards for Binti (2015), Okorafor brings us back to Binti and her Meduse friend, Okwu. Both are now a year into their enrollment at Oomza University. Binti, after her heroic actions on board the Third Fish, is studying mathematical meditation with Professor Okpala, learning the ancient ways of her edan. Okwu is with Professor Dema, learning to uphold the peace treaty between the Meduse and the Khoush. During a break in studies, Binti is going to go home for her woman's pilgrimage. Along with Okwu, she journeys back to her home planet of earth for the first time since the attack on the Third Fish. Upon landing, they are greeted by a crowd happy to see Binti back but fearful of what Okwu is. Binti must reckon with these emotions and her family before she determines if she can come back home after she completes her education. And is that not the question all students have, after all? This sequel is a great continuation that will leave readers asking for more.--Austin, Tiffany Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Okorafor picks up her interplanetary adventure story a year after the traumatic events of the Hugo-winning novella Binti. The titular heroine, Binti Ekeopara Zuzu Dambu Kaipka of Namib, is the lone human survivor of a massacre. The jellyfish-like Meduse attacked the living space vessel Third Fish while Binti and her fellow young adults were en route from Earth to the university on the planet Oomza. She now carries Meduse genetic material, which has changed her hair into tentacles, and her best friend at uni is the Meduse Okwu. When she feels a strong call to return to Earth, Okwu accompanies her as an ambassador of the Meduse. Binti hopes to engage in the traditional pilgrimage of the Himba, who live on the edge of the Namib Desert, to cleanse her outbreaks of anger. After traveling home in Third Fish, she finds the situation on Earth is complicated and her pilgrimage may not be possible. Strange happenings press her to choose her path into the future. Within a small space, Okorafor efficiently depicts several distinct cultures and portrays a strong and unusual heroine. A cliff-hanger ending promises more excitement to come. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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