At 16 Binti leaves her home to attend university. This is significant in that Binti will be the first of her people to leave home (The Himba). She will also be the first Himba at Oomza University (the premiere university in space!). Her decision to leave will cause friction, so she leaves when everyone else is asleep (the Himba are attached to the land and never leave it).
I really liked Binti, she is amazing. This also showed how people can be when presented with someone different from them. Some react negatively and others do not. Many wanted (and did) touch her hair without permission. Once on the ship to the university, I think she started to make friends and gain acceptance; however, blink you you miss it. At this point the Meduse board the ship and kill everyone on board (500 people). At this point I started to not like this so much.
The university has a part of their chief that they are going to get back no matter how many people they have to murder to get it. Binti is able to broker a peace and the Meduse get what they want. Okwu, of the Meduse, also gains acceptance to the school to become the first Meduse student.
I just could not get over the murder of 500 people and how it was just brushed over. Maybe if this was longer and had some more world building, I would have been more understanding (?) or accepting (?) of the necessity (?) of this slaughter. I think the length hurts this book.
I really liked Binti, she is amazing. This also showed how people can be when presented with someone different from them. Some react negatively and others do not. Many wanted (and did) touch her hair without permission. Once on the ship to the university, I think she started to make friends and gain acceptance; however, blink you you miss it. At this point the Meduse board the ship and kill everyone on board (500 people). At this point I started to not like this so much.
The university has a part of their chief that they are going to get back no matter how many people they have to murder to get it. Binti is able to broker a peace and the Meduse get what they want. Okwu, of the Meduse, also gains acceptance to the school to become the first Meduse student.
I just could not get over the murder of 500 people and how it was just brushed over. Maybe if this was longer and had some more world building, I would have been more understanding (?) or accepting (?) of the necessity (?) of this slaughter. I think the length hurts this book.
Book one of a trilogy.
A fascinating look at travel among the stars, from the perspective of someone living on a world where she is looked down on, even though that world and countless others are dependent on her tribe's scientific and mind-bending abilities. Binti is 17, rebelling against family and tribe, alone of her people, to travel, with others of her world (Earth) to the universal University Oomza, where she will be among far more alien people than she has ever imagined. But she travels with the knowledge and strong mental training of her people, something she is sure of but does not know the full importance of, nor how to fully use it. But she is very young, and the universe can be a very harsh place to live. Fortunately, she has a form of magic with her, in the form of ancient but misunderstood technology, and a complicated family history.
Well written, there is much that is said besides words, on several levels. A quick read, unfortunately, but one unlikely to be forgotten quickly.
A fascinating look at travel among the stars, from the perspective of someone living on a world where she is looked down on, even though that world and countless others are dependent on her tribe's scientific and mind-bending abilities. Binti is 17, rebelling against family and tribe, alone of her people, to travel, with others of her world (Earth) to the universal University Oomza, where she will be among far more alien people than she has ever imagined. But she travels with the knowledge and strong mental training of her people, something she is sure of but does not know the full importance of, nor how to fully use it. But she is very young, and the universe can be a very harsh place to live. Fortunately, she has a form of magic with her, in the form of ancient but misunderstood technology, and a complicated family history.
Well written, there is much that is said besides words, on several levels. A quick read, unfortunately, but one unlikely to be forgotten quickly.
