Bitter is a young adult novel written by Nigerian writer Akwaeke Emezi and published by Knopf on 15 February 2022.
A prequel to Emezi's Pet, Bitter tells the story of a Black teenage girl living in a city troubled by constant protests and violence.
"[3] Natalie Berglind, who reviewed for The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, called the novel timely due to "its mostly Black cast and escalating protests against an unjust world.
"[4] Berglind also noted how it attempts to tackle the subject of using violence as "the means of disrupting long held power dynamics" and how the author does not provide an answer to related questions but instead hopes to provoke "thoughtful discussion.
"[4] They conclude by saying "the ending is abrupt" but "offers tempered optimism to the teen who [...] feels immense frustration with a world unconcerned about their future.