“I swiped otjize from my forehead with my index finger and knelt down. Then I touched the finger to the sand, grounding the sweet-smelling red clay into it. “Thank you,” I whispered. ”
BINTI: WORLD BUILDING IN 90 PAGES OR LESS
I am always in awe of authors who can do so much with so little. Binti is a 90 page novella written by Nnedi Okorafor. It follows the story of a girl named Binti, who upon being admitted to the prestigious Oomza University runs away to attend it. No one in her tribe has ever attended before, and doing so comes at extreme risk.
Okorafor does an incredible descriptive job of explaining the Himba culture within this sci-fi universe. It is beautifully, inclusively, and expertly done. I sincerely hope it leaves readers with a desire to do a little bit of their own research into the real-world Himba culture (such as looking up what otjize is made of, and how it works as both a beauty and a hygiene product).
My only complaint with Binti is that the ending felt rushed. The world building is impressive and leaves me wanting more, but the plot leaves the reader with a handful of uncomfortable questions. There are numerous murders that appear to be almost glossed over as a misunderstanding. I’ve read that these point are addressed further in the sequels, which I’m interested and excited to get my hands on.