Phoenix was born in Tower 7, a human experiment who has aged to physical adulthood in two years, has a talent for speed-reading, and a confused relationship with her caretakers/captors and fellow superhumans. But when the man she is closest to apparently commits suicide, she realizes the Tower's secrets may be as dark as he had feared. Taking his warnings to heart for the first time, she hunts for a way to escape, discovers a strange new ability along the way, and ends up a central figure in a power struggle unknown to most of the world.

This book is fairly slim at 232 pages, but, like its heroine, packs a punch in a short time. Okorafor's writing walks a lovely tightrope between poetic lyricism and sparse, sharp clarity. Not a word feels unneeded, yet we get a clear image of Phoenix's world and mind. The plot seems loosely crafted, full of twists and changes, but the tension and energy of the characters keep it plunging ahead full-speed. Her vivid characters and settings are ones that will stay with me for a long time.

One of the starting volumes in the Otherworldly (Shrinking) Bookbox

Selected from the Round IV Otherworldly Bookbox.

I did not know about this book! Who Fears Death is on my wishlist and this book is the prequel to it. How wonderful!

Okorafor can certainly write interesting, compelling, complex, wonderfully flawed characters. The world she has created is rich and real. I knew I wanted to read Who Fears Death and this book just reaffirms that desire.

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Starting book for the To the Stars: A Science Fiction Bookbox.

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I'm claiming this handsome hardcover from the SF bookbox. It's a prequel to Who Fears Death, which I haven't read; if I like this one I may hunt that up.

Later: Very intense book! I've read other books about artificially designed/altered/mutated beings who try to escape their captors/abusers, and while this book has a lot in common with other such novels it takes its own spin, to very good effect. It's often unnerving and dark, deservedly so, and I admit that I hadn't anticipated the ending (an advantage of not having read Who Fears Death first!); what a climax! (Lesson: do NOT piss off a phoenix. Seriously.)

I liked the found-document setup, the cameo by HeLa (a nod to the all-too-true story of Henrietta Lacks), and the multi-cultural cast; I just wish things could have gone better for the main characters somehow...

[There's a TV Tropes page on the novel, with some entertaining tidbits.]

I'm adding this book to the Already Been Crossed bookbox, which will be on its way to its next stop soon. Enjoy!

*** Released for the 2019 Keep Them Moving release challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2019 Science Fiction release challenge. ***

This book enjoyed a brief stopover in Oklahoma in the series bookbox. Will travel on soon.

Continuing on in kaila-ann's Already Been Crossed Bookbox.

Took from the Already Been Crossed bookbox.

I guess originalslicey decided not to take the book, as it was still in the bookbox and I'm taking it now. (originalslicey if you left it in the box by mistake, just let me know, I'll be more than happy to mail it you.)