This novel was a well written specimen of the urban fantasy sub-genre. The prior reviewer wrote a good description. It does get a bit gruesome and both animals and people suffer badly, so I thought I'd mention it in case there are some readers who would rather steer clear. Otherwise, the story, the world and the main character have a lot to offer. I also enjoyed the insertion of other "source materials" throughout; it wasn't pure narrative all the way.
An urban fantasy set in the near future of Johannesburg, South Africa, this tale focuses in on the world now that those who have committed wrongs they feel guilty for are given an animal familiar by the spiritual realm. One Zoo, Zinzi December, has a talent for finding lost things. She usually sticks to objects but is convinced to look for a missing teenage girl.
Beukes excels at subtle world building. The book never feels as if it is information dumping on the reader. Similarly, Zinzi is a refreshing heroine in the world of urban fantasy. She remains flawed and makes mistakes, but continues to try to do good. The plot is a bit convoluted, but it still does make sense in the end.
Recommended to fans of urban fantasy looking for something a bit different as well as fans of African literature.
Check out my full review.
Beukes excels at subtle world building. The book never feels as if it is information dumping on the reader. Similarly, Zinzi is a refreshing heroine in the world of urban fantasy. She remains flawed and makes mistakes, but continues to try to do good. The plot is a bit convoluted, but it still does make sense in the end.
Recommended to fans of urban fantasy looking for something a bit different as well as fans of African literature.
Check out my full review.
This book was excellent. It's about a woman named Zinzi who lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has a Sloth and can find lost things. In this world, criminals or people who have extreme guilt for bad things they've done (Zinzi is a former drug addict who accidentally got her brother killed) suddenly have an animal show up that's spiritually bound to them and they develop some kind of special power. Since Zinzi is still trying to pay off her old drug debts, she takes a missing person case, that somehow gets mixed up with the serial murder of some residents of Zoo City.
So good! Great world building, great characters, and really unique and interesting. I liked how the author incorporated other texts into the narrative, like a fake IMDB page for a documentary about the first known Zoo case or an abstract for an academic article about how psychologists should best treat Zoo patients. It really makes the world building interesting and fun without resorting to a huge info dump.
So good! Great world building, great characters, and really unique and interesting. I liked how the author incorporated other texts into the narrative, like a fake IMDB page for a documentary about the first known Zoo case or an abstract for an academic article about how psychologists should best treat Zoo patients. It really makes the world building interesting and fun without resorting to a huge info dump.
