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A review by kimschouwenaar
River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Zalika Reid-Benta knew exactly who her target audience was and it shows. River Mumma is a brilliant blend of references to colonialism, Jamaican culture and mythology, and millennial and Gen-Z slang. Alicia lives in modern-day Toronto and is currently going through a bit of a quarter-life crisis; as a 26-year-old, I could immediately relate. While she is walking home from a houseparty she didn't really want to attend, she is lured into the park by Jamaican water deity River Mumma, who tells her to find the comb that was stolen from her by a tourist. Cue a deadly, mythological quest through the city.
I really wasn't prepared for the comicality and wittiness of the narrator and her friends, who kept making me literally laugh out loud. Alicia has such an authentic and relatable reaction to being told she has to go on a hunt for a deity that she may or may not have hallucinated:
Zalika Reid-Benta knew exactly who her target audience was and it shows. River Mumma is a brilliant blend of references to colonialism, Jamaican culture and mythology, and millennial and Gen-Z slang. Alicia lives in modern-day Toronto and is currently going through a bit of a quarter-life crisis; as a 26-year-old, I could immediately relate. While she is walking home from a houseparty she didn't really want to attend, she is lured into the park by Jamaican water deity River Mumma, who tells her to find the comb that was stolen from her by a tourist. Cue a deadly, mythological quest through the city.
I really wasn't prepared for the comicality and wittiness of the narrator and her friends, who kept making me literally laugh out loud. Alicia has such an authentic and relatable reaction to being told she has to go on a hunt for a deity that she may or may not have hallucinated:
I'm really trying my best not to lose my shit, and I'm not doing a good job.
And the disappointment in public transport, which I could really relate to as a Dutch person:
She had often wondered if the universe and the Toronto Transit Commission worked together to conspire against her emotional and psychological well-being, but today she truly worried that something supernatural was at play.
I'm cracking up rereading all the quotes I highlighted.
If you are looking for a novel that pays attention to Jamaica's colonial past, has a group of friends that have the expected reaction to a deity forcing a quest upon them, underrated pop-culture references, and a breathtaking portrayal of Jamaican culture and mythology, then read this book. Honestly, even if you're not looking for this, I would still recommend it. I will most definitely be keeping an eye on anything else Reid-Benta published.