Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Last February I read Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, and absolutely loved it, so when I heard that the author was releasing a prequel this year, I was thrilled!
Basically, Bitter tells the story of the city of Lucille before the monsters were banished. It follows Jam’s parents, Bitter and Aloe, as they attend a creative arts school, Eucalyptus. Bitter knows that her city is in the midst of a revolution, but she wants nothing to do with it. However, when she is suddenly thrown into the middle of it, she starts to see things in a different light.
So many aspects of this book are simply moving and novel. I truly feel as though it belongs in a category of its own. Emezi sends such powerful messages through seemingly straightforward events. They show how emotional it is to live through a revolution, and fighting an internal battle of whether you are doing enough to help, whether the fight is worth fighting, and that it is okay to find other ways to help the cause.
I cannot put into words how Emezi portrays an experience that so many people live through today, in such a deep, heartfelt, and genuine way. They clearly put so much of themselves into this novel, and I could feel that as a reader.
Pet was so surprising and wonderful, but Bitter leveled-up even more. This is definitely a book that everyone should read and experience themselves. It gives an insight into an experience that needs to be heard more often!
The Biased Bibliophile 