Rosewater

Rosewater by Tade Thompson, 423 pages

Kaaro is a "sensitive," a rare person who has the ability to read other people's minds, and for the last several years, he's worked on behalf of the Nigerian government's Section 45, digging into the minds of criminals. But something or someone seems to be killing off the other sensitives, and Kaaro is determined to not share their fate. As a backdrop to all of this is Wormwood, the glowing alien biodome that appeared in Rosewater a dozen years ago, sparking electricity and occasionally healing people who come in contact with it, but otherwise just lurking.

Hopping back and forth in Kaaro's timeline, this book is a bit confusing, particularly as it involves many of the same characters in both periods, none of them developed too well. And Kaaro, as a character, isn't a particularly likable guy: his morals shift (seemingly at random) and his most prominent character feature is his apathy. But there's something to be said for following a character like this in dangerous and mysterious situations, as the mysteries remain for the reader throughout the book. I'm looking forward to discussing this with the Orcs & Aliens book group next week.