BOOK REVIEW: Zoo City
Title: Zoo City
Author: Lauren Beukes
The idea of having a constant, semi-intelligent animal companion, especially a cute one like a sloth, may sound like a lot of fun, but in Zinzi's world it's a curse. Those who have committed a grievous sin are marked with an animal, so everyone knows about their past transgression. Zinzi is one these people (often called “zoos”). She's also been blessed with the gift of finding things. She normally doesn't agree to use it to find missing people, but what happens when someone makes her an offer that she can't refuse?
Recently, I found myself reading a paranormal mystery that just wasn't doing anything for me. The book wasn't necessarily poorly written, but it lacked originality As someone who reads a lot of fantasy and urban fantasy, I occasionally find myself frustrated with authors that fail to go beyond the established tropes of the genre and tell a compelling story that it's truly their own. Enter Zoo City, a modern day fantasy story that certainly walks to the beat of it's own drummer. The results are very good.
The first thing that struck me about Zoo City was it's unique setting, a fictionalized Johannesburg, South Africa where the “Zoos” of the world have come to gather. When is comes to the worldbuilding, I really enjoyed this take upon the concept of the familiar. The closet I've seen to the animals in Zoo City are the daemons in Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. Author Beukes really makes this concept her own by having the animal (like Zinzi's slot) by a physical manifestation of a past sin. Much like Hester Prynne's scarlet letter, the presence of an animal marks the Zoo as a pariah, resulting in a book that's also a commentary on how we tend to treat the "fallen" in or society Another strength of this book can be found in it's characterization. Zinzi is a flawed character. A recovering addict, she has made some terrible mistakes in the past, and isn't exactly a perfect person in the present either. She is also a African protagonist, which is not something you see too often in modern day fantasy. As far as the story goes, Zoo City has a mystery-like plot, where Zinzi must track down a missing local pop star. I quite enjoyed this story, and found it to be shockingly dark towards the end.
Final Thoughts: If you're looking for something that's a little different, then Zoo City would be a great book to try. I really enjoyed its exploration of animal familiars, and found Zinzi to be a flawed, yet likable heroine. My only regret is that this is a standalone book. I can see why Zinzi's story may end here, but the world is so rich that part of me wants to see it utilized again. This is my first book by Lauren Beukes but not my last. Four and a Half Stars
Author: Lauren Beukes
The idea of having a constant, semi-intelligent animal companion, especially a cute one like a sloth, may sound like a lot of fun, but in Zinzi's world it's a curse. Those who have committed a grievous sin are marked with an animal, so everyone knows about their past transgression. Zinzi is one these people (often called “zoos”). She's also been blessed with the gift of finding things. She normally doesn't agree to use it to find missing people, but what happens when someone makes her an offer that she can't refuse?
Recently, I found myself reading a paranormal mystery that just wasn't doing anything for me. The book wasn't necessarily poorly written, but it lacked originality As someone who reads a lot of fantasy and urban fantasy, I occasionally find myself frustrated with authors that fail to go beyond the established tropes of the genre and tell a compelling story that it's truly their own. Enter Zoo City, a modern day fantasy story that certainly walks to the beat of it's own drummer. The results are very good.
The first thing that struck me about Zoo City was it's unique setting, a fictionalized Johannesburg, South Africa where the “Zoos” of the world have come to gather. When is comes to the worldbuilding, I really enjoyed this take upon the concept of the familiar. The closet I've seen to the animals in Zoo City are the daemons in Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. Author Beukes really makes this concept her own by having the animal (like Zinzi's slot) by a physical manifestation of a past sin. Much like Hester Prynne's scarlet letter, the presence of an animal marks the Zoo as a pariah, resulting in a book that's also a commentary on how we tend to treat the "fallen" in or society Another strength of this book can be found in it's characterization. Zinzi is a flawed character. A recovering addict, she has made some terrible mistakes in the past, and isn't exactly a perfect person in the present either. She is also a African protagonist, which is not something you see too often in modern day fantasy. As far as the story goes, Zoo City has a mystery-like plot, where Zinzi must track down a missing local pop star. I quite enjoyed this story, and found it to be shockingly dark towards the end.
Final Thoughts: If you're looking for something that's a little different, then Zoo City would be a great book to try. I really enjoyed its exploration of animal familiars, and found Zinzi to be a flawed, yet likable heroine. My only regret is that this is a standalone book. I can see why Zinzi's story may end here, but the world is so rich that part of me wants to see it utilized again. This is my first book by Lauren Beukes but not my last. Four and a Half Stars