Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson

Review by Tina & Tamar (@2treads)

"No need to wish for dead, it will happen soon enough. It does come to all of we."

Nalo Hopkinson is quickly becoming one of my top authors. How she infuses her books with portions of her/our culture, shows how dedicated she is to bringing the richness of our practices and celebrations of the Caribbean to her readers.

Midnight Robber is no exception; filled with influences from Jamaica to Trinidad to Carriacou as a whole, was just exceptional. I was swept up and carried away and had no regrets.

Nalo has such an attuned way of writing her heritage: the dialect, the people, the places, the music, the festivals, and the experiences.

It is impossible not to just immerse oneself in the tale she tells, especially when one can relate to what is on the page. The atmosphere that Hopkinson weaves is lush; bursting with Caribbean flavour and folktales even as we travel to planets via 'interdimensional gateways' (my term). 

The impact of the cultures from the countries where Nalo has lived, is vibrantly woven throughout this story and I could not help but fall into every page. There are experiences that are familiar, both good and bad (friendships, parent/child relationships, family dynamics and displacement). Not only is there passion in this story; there is betrayal, misdeeds, bravery, self-acceptance and triumph.

The polyamory representation was noted and appreciated and content warning: there is child sexual abuse depicted in this story, as well as the damaging effect on our MCs psyche.
Read This Book!!