Consider the title of the novel. Why might have Emezi chosen this as the novel’s title? How might they be gesturing at preconceived definitions of the word and how it is used in the novel?

Consider the novel’s genre and audience. Why might Emezi have chosen the speculative genre to convey messages about justice and inequality?

How does the theme of appearance versus reality manifest throughout the novel? Consider the novel’s setting, tone, and characters and cite at least four examples from the text.