In the speculative young adult novel Pet and its prequel Bitter, Akwaeke Emezi explores the possibilities and responsibilities of revolution and world-making. What does a different world feel like? How do we get there?

The Autostraddle Encyclopedia of Lesbian Cinema.LGBTQ Television Guide: What To Watch Now.I liked the gentleness of the world they are fighting to preserve. I liked that there were different kinds of families depicted – from Pet’s, which is just her and her parents, to her friend Redemption’s, which is much larger. It’s a book begging to be discussed.Īpart from that, I liked that Jam’s transition was completely accepted, as was the fact that she both signs and speaks. I don’t think I’m skilled enough to sum the whole argument up, but it was nuanced enough for its length and well done and shot through with optimism that yes, while monsters have to be deal with uncompromisingly, people can and do change. I felt like the main theme of the book is justice – and how to deal with people who abuse others, commit crimes, and so on. And while the book is written in a simple style, accessible to younger readers, there is enough thematic complexity to leave me satisfied.

The mystery of who the monster is and what did they do was incredibly compelling and kept me turning pages – I can’t resist a good question. She didn’t want to fight or be in a new revolution she was just trying to help her friend in case he was in danger. She was just a regular kid, not some painted-into-life creature whose entire purpose was literally to catch monsters. Pet had called her a hunter too, but Jam didn’t feel like she had the kind of power to make anyone afraid. And Pet is there to hunt them.ĭid you have to be scary in order to be a hunter? A monster who might be hurting someone she loves. When Jam accidentally awakens her mother’s painting, summoning a creature called Pet, she learns that there might still be a monster left. Or at least, that’s how it seems on the surface. In a post-revolution, utopian town of Lucille, society has been restructured so that violence and abuse don’t exist anymore.

And sure enough, at only a little over novella length, it’s an astonishingly quick read, but that doesn’t mean it packs any less of a punch. I saw a lot of talk about it in the last couple weeks, I was curious but not enough to disrupt my already messy TBR, then the magical words “it’s short” got mentioned.

Pet emezi review