I picked this book up because I saw some really interesting hype surrounding it, and now here I am adding to the hype. This book was every bit as good as I was told it was going to be. I'm not usually a fan of the story within a story premise because I find that the secondary story tends to be distracting and take away from the message of the main story rather than add to it. But the parallels between Zelu and Ankora are hard to ignore. Nnedi Okorafor really knows what she's doing! I found myself getting so emotionally invested in Zelu's personal life. She herself was an infuriating character, but I found myself constantly rooting for her. And her family! Don't get me started. All of the characters in this book are so dynamic and well-rounded and FLAWED!

Okorafor tackles some pretty deep topics in this book including racism, ableism, death of a parent, and even AI?! But it never gets overwhelming. She balances each plot point so well between the two novels but also ties them together in a fascinating way. I hesitate to call the ending a plot twist...but I didn't see it coming I was too busy thinking something totally different was going to happen. This book is more than just a book, it's a work of art and Okorafar is a talented master of her craft.