Some people are unable to contribute in a direct way and must find their own path to bringing about change. Mental health is important too and sometimes you need to take a step back. On the other hand, it does a great job of introducing readers to the realities of non-violent protest, and talks about the importance of self care when involved in activism. Instead it has a very clear philosophy in mind. And though it gets there in an empathetic way, be aware that this isn't the sort of book that leaves the reader to determine morality. It can be a little on the nose at times (like the evil billionaire who is basically a stand in for Jeff Bezos) and this is a book that takes a definite stance against violent resistance. That said, on its own Bitter is a great book tackling difficult topics.

It is interesting to get a window into Bitter's backstory and how the city got to where it is in Pet. So for people new to these books, I would pick this one up first or space them out. It's also uncomfortable to immediately read about a younger version of an adult abuser. If I hadn't read them back to back I may not have noticed just how different the tone and voice feel. All of which makes sense for the story being told, but it's definitely a jarring change from Pet which is darkly whimsical and almost reads like a middle grade novel at times. I read this directly after reading Pet and thus was struck by how different it felt- more mature, more concrete, more like a YA novel with relationship drama, miscommunication, and teens drinking and getting high. There is a lot to like here though I'm still sorting out how I feel about this book.

This is a book about protest, mental health, art as activism, and violent versus non-violent resistance.

It's also quite a different book, both thematically and stylistically. Bitter is a prequel to Pet, though you don't need to have read Pet to pick this one up.

Emezi pet