The story starts off very well. Binti is a brilliant 16-year-old girl, from the Himba people in Namibia. She builds astrolabes (something like mobile phones) with her father, and is destined to become a master harmonizer (unsure what that is). Water is very scarce in the region the Himba people are from, and they smear a combination of clay and oils called otjize over their bodies and hair.
She is accepted to Oomza Uni, where the top minds across all species come to study. She makes the courageous decision to go, where people from her tribe rarely stray away from their village. The journey is five weeks long on a spaceship, orientation and classes start right away on the spaceship. But the spaceship is attacked by Meduse, a jellyfish like being at war with humans.
So far, so good. But the rest of the book teeters between science fiction, fantasy, and otjize, otjize, otjize. Binti ends up bringing about an end to the war by using her skill as a master harmonizer to establish a communication channel with the Meduse, and all this while still in shock over seeing her fellow students and teachers brutally murdered in front of her.
The book is categorized as a novella, as the length is roughly between a short story and a novel. The writing is great, and well suited for young adults, without dumbing down the story.
Some aspects are a little hard to stomach. Bloodthirsty wars are may be started because of misunderstandings, but they are rarely stopped by just communicating. Several non-combatants are killed, including students and children, but there seem to be no call for repurcussions or reparations. Indeed, the Meduse are given what they came for, as well as an opening to join the wider galactic community.
There are two sequels to this book, here’s to hoping that they address the odd shortcomings…