Riot Baby
by Tochi Onyebuchi
What is it about:
Ella and Kev are brother and sister, both gifted with extraordinary power. Their childhoods are defined and destroyed by structural racism and brutality. Their futures might alter the world. When Kev is incarcerated for the crime of being a young black man in America, Ella—through visits both mundane and supernatural—tries to show him the way to a revolution that could burn it all down.
What did I think of it:
Sometimes you read a book and you are gripped by it while at the same time it makes you feel uncomfortable. That is this book for me.
I read it in one sitting and was eager to to see how things would go for Ella and Kev. The writing was beautiful, the imagery atmospheric, and the story thought provoking.
It also was a very uncomfortable read, as it made me very aware of how little I know about the struggle of black men and women, even after I've tried to educate myself. Although the book is magical realism, real life events are mentioned, and while familiar with some, others I had to look up online. It makes me feel that I might not to be the right person to give this book the review it deserves.
All in all I can advice anyone to give this book a try. I myself will most certainly read more by Onyebuchi and even have two other books by him in my TBR pile.
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