Binti: Home

More of a 3.5.

While the first novella was about Binti trying to find herself, this time the story dives into her sense of belonging - what happens to her home when she has changed as a person, is she now alien to the family and culture she grew up in, was it so wrong of her to think beyond her people and be ambitious. As she grapples with all these questions and decides to return home for a visit, she is also struggling with PTSD from the attack. I thought the trauma and it's affects on her were depicted very realistically, and how it translates into her unique friendship with Okwu. She also gets to examine her own prejudices when the reality of her heritage comes to light, and she is forced to make more difficult choices.

Just like the previous book, the world isn't really explained and most of its left to our imagination. I'm still confused as ever by the sci-fi elements her and Binti's treeing abilities but it's the underlying themes of the story that matter and I liked exploring them through her eyes. The story also ends on a very tense cliffhanger, so I can't wait to read the finale immediately.

Impressive continuation that uses the plot action to develop the characters. Another great cover, and I think it will be easy to get kids hooked in to this world, as all teens will be able to resonate with identity and parent struggles. I'm now really looking forward to part three coming out next month, especially with the tension-ratcheting cliffhanger ending!

Una vez familiarizado con el universo de Binti, la aventura continúa fascinándome. La trama va tomando forma y fluye como las corrientes que solo un gran armonizador puede invocar. El primer libro fue la introducción y este ha sido el nudo. Ahora que todo está enmadejado, solo queda descubrir cómo se resuelve en la siguiente entrega. Ojalá hagan la serie de televisión.

Not wanting to compare—actually wanting very much to compare, I'm so sorry—, but Binti: Home was so much better than the first one, in so many ways. Binti was very good, it really was, but I guess because B:H didn't have to establish much of a setting, as it was already established, or else because it was way more intimate and personal to the protagonist, I loved it so much more. The main character, Binti, shines in a way she didn't get to amidst the turmoil of the Meduse attack, she is an amazing character and I fell in love with her life and story. This is a delightful read, and a quick one too. Recommended to everyone who likes and wants good contemporaneous science fiction.