Who Fears Death

I've read Akata Witch (same author) and was impressed by the universe and how playful the magic was. I enjoyed Okorafor's writing style and felt safe picking up Who Fears Death, the first novel for an adult audience (I read that somewhere).

Who Fears Death starts out rather brutally and dark with rape used as a weapon. That should set the scene for you right there. If that's not your thing, stay away. The brutality did what it was meant to do: make me angry at the world

I liked this book and its magic and the bravery of writing about these dark themes, but I hated it just as much. A rough estimate: 50% of the book is Onyesonwu, our (rather annoyingly reckless, angry and immature heroine), and a small group of her (likewise immature) friends going on a journey/quest. They're supposedly 20-25 of age, but act like hormonal teenagers who can't keep it in their pants...

... and maybe I'm just a stupid reader, but I honestly can't figure out if this book wants to be adult fantasy or dark YA fantasy, or both? Either way, that massive span didn't work for me.

I do really enjoy Okorafor's writing and I hope she'll continue to explore adult themes in her fantasy novels.