Title: Remote Control
Author: Nnedi Okorafor
Genre: Science Fantasy
Trigger Warnings: Death, death of children, death of parent, death of animals, violence against children, periods, being hit by a car, guns (brief)
Back Cover:
“She’s the adopted daughter of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own.”
The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon in she would be known as Sankofa–a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past.
Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks–alone, except for her fox companion–searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers.
But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion?
Review:
The back cover of this book is kind of misleading, but I don’t really blame it because it would be hard to write a description of what happens in this book that doesn’t sound incredibly boring. There is no greater purpose for Sankofa. But this book isn’t about that. It’s not really about a plot at all. It’s about Sankofa, a girl who can kill with a thought and can’t always control it and whom everyone fears because of it.
This story is, overwhelmingly, a tragedy. It is the story of Sankofa, a child, a young child, losing everything and everyone she knew and cared about again and again and again. The first time this happens she is seven, when she loses her family and her town and her name and everything she ever knew in one moment of disaster. With no home, no name, and no one to help her, she begins chasing something that was stolen from her.
All technology dies under her touch, but she doesn’t even need touch to kill a human. Stories of her spread, and people fear her, and many hate what they fear. She is alone except for her fox companion. Every single refuge she finds is eventually destroyed or she is driven away by those who fear her power of death and hate what they fear. And as I read, all I could think was, She is a child. She is a child. She is seven, eight, nine, ten years old. She is too young for your hate and fear. She does not want to kill you. She is a child who has lost everything too many times to count. Have compassion.
But of course, there are children her age and younger in our real world also who face anger and fear and hatred from adults for something they cannot control and did not choose.
This is not a happy book. It isn’t long, but the emotions it contains are large. This is a small story of big feelings, grief and loss and pain and being a child alone in the world and hated for something you are that you did not ask for, did not choose, and can’t stop being. It is beautiful and vivid and intense and engrossing despite the lack of discernable plot and, above all else, heartbreaking.
Bluejay Reads 