Frankenburger's Reviews > Who Fears Death

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
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M 50x66
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did not like it
bookshelves: dystopia, adventure, fantasy, sci-fi

So there's this lady, and she lives in Africa where things aren't so great. In fact, one day she gets RAPED. She gets RAPED so hard that apparently enough semen pours out of her to make a hentai proud. As luck would have it, she gets a pregnant, and so our story begins.

This is the tale of Onyesonwu, a girl who's as obnoxious as she is mad. She doesn't think life is all that fair to the women in ol' Africa, and so she sets out to learn juju so that she can take revenge on her father (the guy who did all the RAPE). Along the way, she gets circumcised. But it's okay, 'cause some other girls get circumcised with her, and they all become fast friends as a result. Did you know that girls get periods? You did? Well, in case you forget, this book will remind you every few pages that girls get periods. What a clever way to indicate to the reader every time a month has gone by.

So once Onyesonwu learns enough juju, she and her circumcised friends, along with a couple men (two of only a handful of male characters in the book not constantly trying to RAPE), set off on a journey to kill Onyesonwu's father (the RAPE king of the west). Along the way, Onyesonwu regrows everyone's clitorises, so then everyone can enjoy lots and lots of sex. The entire second half of the book is young women wandering the desert having sex with their newly grown clits. Then the book ends. Also, random men try to RAPE the women along the way.

If this all sounds awesome, let me assure you that it's not nearly as exciting as it sounds. In fact, you could say it's retarded... or rapetarded if you will.
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Reading Progress

July 14, 2012 – Started Reading
July 14, 2012 – Shelved
July 18, 2012 – Finished Reading
July 19, 2012 – Shelved as: dystopia
July 19, 2012 – Shelved as: adventure
July 19, 2012 – Shelved as: fantasy
July 19, 2012 – Shelved as: sci-fi

Comments Showing 1-8 of 8 (8 new)

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Davo This review is inane and unnecessary.


Frankenburger Davo wrote: "This review is inane and unnecessary."

Thanks. I appreciate your comment. I hope you have a wonderful day.


message 3: by Highstricker (new)

Highstricker made me laugh/10


Anna So is your problem with the writing, or with the fact that you have no empathy? Because rape happens A LOT, particularly in war-torn regions of the world. FGM happens A LOT. Periods happen A LOT. Sex happens A LOT. So I'm not sure why a story about war-torn post-apocalyptic Africa from a young woman's perspective wouldn't involve rape, periods and sex. It's like criticising an action movie for having CGI and violence.


Frankenburger Anna wrote: "So is your problem with the writing, or with the fact that you have no empathy? Because rape happens A LOT, particularly in war-torn regions of the world. FGM happens A LOT. Periods happen A LOT. S..."

Hello, Anna! Thank you A LOT for your comment. It's been 4 years now, but I think my problem was mostly with the writing and the fact that the book was awful and ridiculous. I do often get accused of lacking empathy, but I don't think that had anything to do with why I disliked this book A LOT. And wouldn't you agree that action movies rely too heavily on CGI these days?


message 6: by Fiona (new)

Fiona Flanagan you lack empathy and also you're dumb not the book lol


Leyre Salander I didn't like the book, i think it is slow for startes
But the points you are making are ridiculous.
So your complains are that the book states that:
-women get raped
-women have periods. Every month. Does it bother you that the author talks about it? Periods are uncomfortable, they hurt.
-women are mad because they are being mistreated in Africa so one of them decided to get vengeance.
-There are only two good male leads. Omg! It's like there are no books with only male leads with the ocasional appear of a woman (sometimes as a romantic interest, in other occasion just to be raped, although it appears it doesn't bother you when described from the POV of a man)
I mean...


Gayle this review made me laugh out loud am i a bad person


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