REVIEW: BINTI by Nnedi Okorafor

Title: Binti
Author: Nnedi Okorafor
Series: Binti #1
Genres: Science Fiction, Novella, Short story
Publisher: Tor.com
Release: September 22nd, 2015
Source: Kindle
Pages: 96

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BLURB:

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself - but first she has to make it there, alive.

EXPECTATIONS: I was searching in Youtube, when I came across a lovely booktuber, who was talking about this book and how wonderful it was. I like science fiction, so I knew that I had to read it. The more I read about this book, the more I wanted to read it because the world, the space, the entire premise of this sounded simply amazing!

THE WORLD: The plot takes place in the future I would say, or rather in a Star Wars kind of future. We have Earth, but at the same time, there are multiple other planets in the world that are habitat by other different species. People live both on Earth and in other planets and spaceships. I say people, but there isn't such a thing as - human in this book. We have Khoush, this supreme leading species. They all seem very privileged and unopened to other species. We have other species mentioned in the book such as Meduse - these see through creatures whose mission is to destroy the Kroush and of course we have Himba - to whom our main character belongs. I have to say right off the bat, and I will mention this later, but the world wasn't disclosed enough for me. I wanted more!!!

CHARACTERS: We actually don't have that many characters in this novella. Main character and the protagonist is a young Himba girl named - Binti. I'll just stop here and just say what a beautiful name this is! I cannot stop saying it under my breath! Binti, Binti - music! Anyway, Binti is gifted, she has the sight of mathematics and an intelligence of the whole world combined and she is offered a position at the Oomza University. When we meet Binti, she is defying everyone that said she can't go - her family, the society - and is taking control of her life by making the decision to attend this university. According to her she is the first Himba, not only from her family but of the entire race to ever be accepted into the University, so she owns to herself and to every Himba to go, despite that the race looks down on this decision. According to Binti, Himbas' are settlers, they stay in one place and don't travel, therefore Binti becomes a true trailblazer!

During the novella we get to meet other minor characters, that either do not have names or have names but don't say anything. We are introduced to their races/species, what gifts do they have and so on. We do, however, get to meet Okwu, a Meduse, who meets Binti at the ship to the University. Now I won't go into details because I would be spoiling this book, but Okwu seems nice and caring and unlike other Meduse - nonviolent.

ROMANCE: None.

GOOD: The idea, the world and Binti. I enjoyed reading about the different world in this book. Binti guides us through her traditions as a Himba girl, her culture and believes. We get to hear and see interesting words like Otjize or astralobe (or at I have never heard of these words). I dunno, I found that I wanted to know more about the world, more about how and why things are happening this way. I also think Binti will become a female protagonist that everyone will know!

BAD: It was too short and too over-cramped in my opinion. In only 96 pages we were introduced to a whole other universe with laws and rules and different races and species and I personally lacked details. I wanted to read more about this world, I wanted to meet Binti's family.

I also expected a little more. It was a little difficult for me to concentrate because the plot was a little slow and safe for me.

OVERALL: I definitely recommend this book to you if you like science fiction! I will be reading the other books in the series, and I can only hope they will be longer!

What do you think about BINTI?