Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi [Book #0.5]

Content Tags: Supernatural, Police Brutality, Protests/Riots, LGBTQIA+, Childhood Trauma, Death, Anxiety

Description from Storygraph:

From the critically acclaimed author of Pet and The Death of Vivek Oji, Bitter, a companion novel to Pet, takes a timely and riveting look at the power of youth, protest and art.

Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the town of Lucille.

Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren't willing to settle for a world that the adults say is "just the way things are." Pulled between old friendships, her creative passion, and a new a romance, Bitter isn't sure where she belongs - in the art studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost?

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Bitter, the book, is a prequel to Pet where we learn more about Bitter, the character, who is Jam's (future) mom (and Aloe - future dad). In Pet, it is mentioned that what happens with Jam has happened before with Bitter, so this is that story. Prequels tend to be hit or miss for me, but Akwaeke Emezi is a brilliant author and this was a huge hit. I had no doubts it would be, though.

As I said with Pet: this book is important and you should read it. It discusses some very harsh, and very real topics that are incredibly relevant these days especially. And Akwaeke Emezi handles these topics with such care and openness. I loved how even amidst the chaos in the world around all of them, the characters had their own focuses and developments. Again, the representation of various characters was wonderfully done and didn't feel forced at all. People simply exist in different and unique ways. [Sidenote: I recently DNF'd a book that one of my major complaints was the "diversity" felt plugged in as if meeting a quota, so this was that much more refreshing to read with intentional and natural representation.]

Akwaeke Emezi really paints a picture (pun intended - you'll get it if you've already read Pet or Bitter) with their words and captures the emotions of each scene so wonderfully. The characters, plot, and emotions are so real and engaging and made me not want to put the book down until I found out what happened and how everyone and everything turned out.

Now, for my concluding questions:

Are there lingering questions from the book you're still thinking about?

Because this was the prequel to Pet, I really want the "where are they now" information for the characters that were in Bitter but not in Pet. 

What scene resonated with you most on a personal level?

There's a scene where Bitter is talking with another character who is on the frontlines about how she feels like she's not doing enough. The character responds with, "Are you judging yourself for not having more capacity than you have?" That struck me hard. It's so easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others and what they are doing or accomplishing, but you can only do what you have the capacity to do. Being harsh on yourself for your limits is unnecessary and unhelpful. I loved this scene being included.