justkyliep's reviews
756 reviews

Despite my familiarity with Okorafor's phenomenal writing, I was little concerned that this concept would fall flat. I could not have been more wrong! Death of the Author is an inventive and intriguing story. Flipping between a contemporary family-oriented narrative that feels in parts stifling, relatable, and heartwrenching and a sci-fi story-within-a-story, this has a little something for everyone. My favorite bit, however, is the end--unpredictable and brilliant, it launched an already good book way up the ranks of my favorite reads. 

As for the bones, you will find a lot of what makes Okorafor's works great. Loving and complicated families, unusual and exceptional protagonists, unexpected friendships, and rich blends of Nigerian culture come together to make a world that feels very real and vast. I particularly enjoyed how well the meta-fiction was handled--essentially giving the reader two novels in one. I'm impressed at how complete both stories feel without a vastly inflated word count, and how well their connections paid off by the end of the novel.