PET by Akwaeke Emezi [Book #1]

Content Tags: Supernatural, CSA, Representation, Incredulity

Description from Storygraph:

There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster—and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also uncover the truth, and the answer to the question—How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices a young person can make when the adults around them are in denial.

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This books is about how to face "monsters" when everyone believes they no longer exist. And funnily enough the approach is basically the same as in the current world where "monsters" are well fucking known: smile and pretend like everything is okay and don't listen to victims.

I feel very emotional after having just finished reading the book and struggling to put those feels into coherent thoughts. PET is a fairly short and quick read, but packs such a powerful punch.

Akwaeke Emezi captures so spectacularly the very real emotions that go along with learning that someone you know might not be as "good" as you've always been led to believe. And how difficult facing and embracing the truth can be - especially for others to accept when they aren't ready to acknowledge they didn't notice the "monster" hiding in plain sight.

In addition to the very serious subject matter addressed, the representation in this book was fantastically presented. The main character didn't like voicing (selective mutism) and used sign language to communicate many times instead. AND a bunch of other people in her life learned sign language to be able to communicate with her. The main character was also trans, another character was in a wheelchair, and there was a three-parent household. None of these aspects were huge plot devices either; these were just typical ways for people to exist written into the story.

Coherent thoughts are still a struggle for me, so I'll just say: this book is important and you should read it.

Hopefully I can at least put together answers to direct questions:

Would you want to read another book by this author?

Yep! And I am going to when I read the prequel, Bitter.

How did it impact you? Do you think you'll remember it in a few months or years?

It hit verrrrry close to home for me and was very emotional. I definitely think I'll remember it in a few months. My memory is spotty, so I may not remember it in a few years... but it seems more likely than for most books I read.