Reviews

After the Rain by Nnedi Okorafor

asacco9642's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

mergs_scribbles's review

4.0

Really enjoyed this! I’ll have to check out the short story by Nnedi Okorafor it is based off of. 

jess_mango's review

4.0

I love Nnedi Okorafor so I was excited when I saw a graphic novel adaptation was being made out of one of her short stories. After the Rain is based on her short story "On the Road". The story is set in a small town in Nigeria. Chioma answers a knock at the door to find a boy with a horrible head wound standing outside. From there she becomes haunted be something that she is not quite sure of. Her grandmother and aunt attempt to help her using their customs and knowledge from their heritage.

I had not previously read the short story On the Road so I wasn't sure of the plot line going in. But, I have read a number of other books by Okorafor so know to expect an element of fantasy. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the involvement of Nigerian folklore and superstitions. There were a few issues with the eBook file I was sent that made some parts of the text difficult to read, but overall I was able to follow the story despite not being able to read all of the words.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced review copy!

sarahskorupa's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

intorilex's review

5.0

A visually unique and immersive story of a Nigerian American woman finding herself while visiting her village in Nigeria. Chioma begins to comic confronting supernatural forces and the trauma she witnessed as a cop in Detroit. The story follows her as she comes face to face with the imagery and spiritual gifts of her ancestors. The character development and plot worked seamlessly together. The images were very violent and graphic but still visually engaging.

I would recommend this to readers who:
-enjoy Afrojujuism
-appreciate supernatural elements
-like comics with surprising and gory imagery

sstaab19's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

faliiza's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Visually beautiful and grotesque. I haven’t read the original story “On the Road” but I feel like this graphic novel version didn’t probably fully convey the story. It felt somewhat abrupt and lacking in words/description. Quick and thought provoking read. 

barefootbetsy's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

niknaz's review against another edition

3.0

I haven't read the short story this is based on so I'm reviewing this graphic novel as its own piece.

This graphic novel offered a fascinating look into the experience of living in a diaspora and the sense of disconnect from one's cultural roots, beautifully portrayed through our protagonist's Nigerian heritage. The artwork did a fantastic job of conveying Chioma's inner conflict. With so much going on within and outside the panels, it crafted a nearly overwhelming ambiance that perfectly echoed the protagonist's feelings.

There are instances where the descriptions do not align with the events depicted in the panels. At first, I found this puzzling, but now I suspect it's because the character is narrating everything retrospectively, possibly not recalling everything accurately. If that's the intention, I think the plot should've made more effort in clarifying it. Otherwise, these unexplained inconsistencies can be distracting while reading the story.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual assault

bookdragonkatie's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0