Item: Noor
Rating: 4.00
Author: quirkycat

by Nnedi Okorafor

From Africanfuturist luminary Okorafor comes a new science fiction novel of intense action and thoughtful rumination on biotechnology, destiny, and humanity in a near-future Nigeria.

Anwuli Okwudili prefers to be called AO. To her, these initials have always stood for Artificial Organism. AO has never really felt...natural, and that's putting it lightly. Her parents spent most of the days before she was born praying for her peaceful passing because even in-utero she was "wrong". But she lived. Then came the car accident years later that disabled her even further. Yet instead of viewing her strange body the way the world views it, as freakish, unnatural, even the work of the devil, AO embraces all that she is: A woman with a ton of major and necessary body augmentations. And then one day she goes to her local market and everything goes wrong.

Once on the run, she meets a Fulani herdsman named DNA and the race against time across the deserts of Northern Nigeria begins. In a world where all things are streamed, everyone is watching the "reckoning of the murderess and the terrorist" and the "saga of the wicked woman and mad man" unfold. This fast-paced, relentless journey of tribe, destiny, body, and the wonderland of technology revels in the fact that the future sometimes isn't so predictable. Expect the unaccepted.

Nnedi Okorafor is back with another brilliant novel, Noor. If you're a fan of science fiction novels that will actually make you stop and think – be sure to check out her works, including this most recent novel.

AO is a woman of many names – though she prefers the nickname. To her family, AO stands for Anwuli Okwudili. To AO, it stands for Artificial Organism – for that is how she has always felt. It's also how she has always been treated.

AO was born with health issues; issues made worse following an accident. Now she's heavily augmented, and most people around her fear the way she looks. This is the daily life of AO and the foundation for a new adventure, one that starts with everything going wrong.

The thing I love the most about Nnedi Okorafor's writing is that she always manages to surprise me. Her creative energy is endless, as evidenced by all of the brilliant plots she has given to her readers. Noor is no exception on that front and should happily find a place of honor amongst the rest of her collection.

To me, Noor almost read like two entirely different books. Or rather, two parts of the same story. The first half of the novel sets the scene – telling us about AO, her life, and what her body has gone through.

Then, in a wash of blood and horror, the scene changes. AO is suddenly on the run, the setting changes. The social commentary also gets kicked up a notch – and it was already relatively high, to begin with!

Noor is, at its heart, a criticism of overreaching governments, capitalist interests, and corporate greed. I feel like these are tones that many readers can empathize with, especially with the help of Nnedi Okorafor's writing.

Thanks to Daw Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Noor

by Nnedi Okorafor

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Nov 22, 2021

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