I found this book on a list of fascinating near future sci-fi. Actually, on the list was Noor by Okorafor, but that wasn't available at my library. Glad I got this one. Set in modern day Lagos, Nigeria - alien first contact is made and the novel tells the story of the first week or so after first contact. The aliens are not violent, looking to colonize. But they are looking to move in and become part of the earth's biota. It is super fun to get a window into Lagos culture, as the story is really just a revelation of its priorities, lifestyle and social groups of the city. The situations that develop throughout the storytelling are dramatically different than stories you can imagine would be told if first contact with this particular species occurred in the west, or Asia, etc. The specific and particular culture of Lagos is what makes this novel fascinating. At the same time, even though the culture is so different than my own experience, this very fact lets me see what kinds of reactions are part of the human experience.
4 stars (out of 4)
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