As a fan of Nnedi Okorafor, I was very excited to get a chance to read her latest work of science-fiction, Noor. We meet AO, who goes by the initials of her given name as well as the moniker she’s adopted for herself, Artifical Organism, as she’s shopping in a Nigerian market. After a bloody run-in turns her into a target then a fugitive, AO flees her home for the desert in hopes of avoiding capture. There she meets a lone herdsman and his two cows, before deciding to embark into the Red Eye together.

Though the first half didn’t have as clear of a direction as the second, I think I still liked it better. The abrupt violence of AO’s and DNA’s altercations with suspicious and aggressive people was such a stark introduction, especially considering they were supposedly in spaces they believed to be safe for themselves to exist. Somewhere in the middle of the book I wasn’t exactly sure where the story was going at all, but eventually I found my footing and overall enjoyed the journey.

As much as Noor is a criticism of overreaching government, it’s even more so a denunciation of corporate, capitalist interests. By far the most invasive and powerful forces in the world of Noor are the mega-corporations that seem to have control of every aspect of the lives of citizens around the world. They’re able to not just act with impunity, but write the narrative of their own actions, erasing any dissenting opinions from existence. And as our own society continues to celebrate the private accomplishments of the supremely wealthy, things like launching a rocket into ‘space’ which we have done as a country collectively decades ago, it’s hard not to see the parallels Okorafor outlines here.

There’s a portion of the book that is a kind of story-in-a-story, where the origin of a lot of the technological advancements in this society are explained. Not to give too much of that away, but it features a girl decades and decades before the events of the novel, and the lines between our world and theirs intersect at multiple points. I would have preferred this tangent story to tie in more to the events of the book, or at least to have gotten more time with its major players, though it might have distracted from the rest of the text. Still, it’s one of my favorite parts of the book so I’m a little greedy for more of it.

As for narrator Délé Ogundiran, I think she did a great job! Clear, crisp and full of expression, Ogundiran brings AO and the world around her fully to life. I also believe the audiobook would be a good option for people who also want to know the correct pronunciations of the names and locations that may be unfamiliar to them.

I think inside of the commentary on privacy, environmentalism and corporate power structures, there’s also a compelling story about two people trying to survive in a world that seeks to destroy them. I’m also interested to see how people with prosthetic limbs feel about AO’s body alterations and disabilities. The ending felt a little rushed and abrupt, but I’m assuming the author didn’t see a need to drag out the resolution for the sake of it. Noor is a short piece of speculative science-fiction that packs a punch and should not be missed.

"What kind of woman are you?" This quote, repeated more than once in Noor, kind of sums up AO's experiences as a human with an array of artificial parts that she chose for herself. When others are shocked and look down on her, she makes every effort to love the woman she is, an advanced human.

This is a weird book, but that's not a bad thing. In fact I think that's what makes Noor stand out. More than that AO is a great character. She loves herself, despite be an outcast in every sense of the word, and takes no bullshit from anyone. Those are some pretty admirable traits. Okorafor crafts a magnificent future Nigeria, and that really immerses you in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC.

"Not all things were bad in the world." -From Noor

4 stars

A short speculative science fiction book with lots of great commentary about government, privacy, and monopolies. I was really drawn to AO's story and loved how her whole character developed. I felt the world backgound sort of side story was a bit out of place, and would have liked the details more in the main story. The ending is very abrupt, and it is definitely a novel that asks more questions than it answers. I always prefer my science fiction a bit longer to get really into the world, and less vague endings; but I still really liked the plot, and will probably be thinking about it long after I read it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.