Rosewater

Tade Thompson's Rosewater is the first book in his Wormwood Trilogy. It is set in near-future Nigeria where an alien biodome has appeared. The aliens remain a mystery but once a year the biodome opens. When this happens, some kind of energy is released which is rumoured to contain healing properties. People come from far and wide to visit the biodome hoping they will experience some of its benefits. Rosewater is the name of the town which has slowly formed around the biodome.

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I could go on singing the praises of this book but I'm trying my best not to reveal too much about it. I haven't even touched on the themes of colonialism, genetic modification, the fear of the other, sexuality, death and more. Rosewater is a great deal more than just another first contact story. To paraphrase the great Walt Whitman, it contains multitudes. I hope I've made it clear how much I enjoyed this book. It might not be for everyone but if your curiosity has been piqued by my review, I urge you to give it a try. Despite being the first part of a trilogy Rosewater can be read as a standalone novel.

Full review can be found here: https://biginjapangrayman.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/rosewater-2016-by-tade-thompson/