TW: Child abuse, violence
Help me, I’ve fallen for this book and I can’t get up.
…I’m sorry. That was cheesy. Now for the real intro: Pet was not something I was expecting to enjoy. I don’t even know where I found out about this gem of a book. I wish I did, if I’m being honest, but after all, it’s not the beginning of the journey that matters, it’s the end result. And Pet delivered.
Pet takes place in the fictional town of Lucille. Lucille has gotten rid of the “monsters”: the abusers, the addicts, the corrupt. Lucille is perfect. Jam has grown up here her whole entire life, and Jam is happy with it. She lives with her parents, Bitter, her mom (who has a whole prequel of how she is who she is), and Aloe, her Dad. We start off by learning that Bitter has been up in the attic that was converted into a studio for such a long time now. Bitter has these phases– staying up there in a trance, painting away until the paintings are perfect. One night, Jam sneaks up to see what her mom finished, when she accidentally cuts her hand and spills (her) blood on the canvas. Usually that would be okay, but this painting isn’t a normal one, and this small event snowballs into a climax that is heartfelt, thought-provoking, and amazing.
This book is 208 pages long. 208 pages. That is insanely short. Well, I didn’t realize it was that short until I had the library’s copy in my hand. It was… confusing to say the least. I was immensely curious on how this book jammed the entire plot (based on the synopsis) into 208 pages. I was amazed when I read it. Akwaeke Emezi painted (because it was art) a beautiful tale of what it means to be perfect, not only as a society, but as an individual. It makes you think about how awful our current world is. It’s just thought-provoking in general. Pet is small but mighty, and a force to be reckoned with in literature. I’m begging you, please pick this one up. You won’t regret it.