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hannykin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
fandomsandfiction's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Beautiful beautiful beautiful. And also painful painful painful! This book swept me off my feet and SHOOK me until I could *hear* my heart rattling against my ribcage. It had me swimming in an ocean with strong currents that frequently changed from sweet to sour to spiced. It took me to the top of mountains to show off the world's magnificence, and it took me deep underground where I could feel the earth's core ache.
Basically, what I am trying to say with all these ridiculous metaphors, is that this book is AN EXPERIENCE. It is an experience that is profound and all-encompassing. It is an experience sweeping transnational histories with skillfully crafted characters, an exploration of deeply important issues, and a wisp of myth and magic.
I spoke so much about this book with the Tandem Collective book club and in my Instagram stories, that now I am spent and raw. But I would do it all over again. If you've read any of my past reviews, you'll know that once I start talking in analogies and nonsense, I have reached the height of human emotions and I am at a loss for words to explain.
So this is what I leave you with: if you like mysterious/haunted settings, melancholic magical beings, powerful young women, an eclectic cast of characters, contemporary and historical drama, and insight into a wide range of human experiences, then this is the book for you. It is the kind of read that cannot be confined into a single genre or theme. Instead, it draws elements from all forms of artistry.
It is the kind of book that I could never do justice to in a word-limited review.
Basically, what I am trying to say with all these ridiculous metaphors, is that this book is AN EXPERIENCE. It is an experience that is profound and all-encompassing. It is an experience sweeping transnational histories with skillfully crafted characters, an exploration of deeply important issues, and a wisp of myth and magic.
I spoke so much about this book with the Tandem Collective book club and in my Instagram stories, that now I am spent and raw. But I would do it all over again. If you've read any of my past reviews, you'll know that once I start talking in analogies and nonsense, I have reached the height of human emotions and I am at a loss for words to explain.
So this is what I leave you with: if you like mysterious/haunted settings, melancholic magical beings, powerful young women, an eclectic cast of characters, contemporary and historical drama, and insight into a wide range of human experiences, then this is the book for you. It is the kind of read that cannot be confined into a single genre or theme. Instead, it draws elements from all forms of artistry.
It is the kind of book that I could never do justice to in a word-limited review.
tonz's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
shelves_by_sim's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I think that I am becoming obsessed with local South African authors. This book blew me away in every aspect. The setting (the house) has such an eerie, creepy vibe in the begining of the book, you're not sure what's lurking in the corners or what's hiding in the dark. Sana is such an interesting main character, she's so young and has such a unique view of the world, the way she sees things is enchanting.
The story itself is so literary-rich, the author has a way of writing that is almost poetic in a sense, she makes use of personification to emphasise the depth of what the house has experienced over a century and really brings it to life. Sana holds on to alot of trauma from her past, she's awkward and unsure of herself and yet she is still brilliantly determined.
Getting to know the characters who previously inhabited the house was amazing, the author switches from past to present chapters and instead of becoming confusing, it actually builds such a strong story that's tragic and mournful but yet beautiful. The djinn is mysterious from the beginning, it seems to be stuck in a miserable existence filled with sorrow.
I loved the progression of the book, I loved how culturally rich it was an how I could envision every dish that was describes and every decoration hung. There were characters in this book that were absolutely detestable, some who caused the outcomes faced by the main characters. This story was full of love and hate and differences and acceptance and I absolutely adored it.
"But here in these pages of this woman's story, love is spread open to her, laid bare, generously shared, and it is like she has finally found the shape she has been searching for. She slips into the diaries, and among the words she is no longer a broken thing."
The story itself is so literary-rich, the author has a way of writing that is almost poetic in a sense, she makes use of personification to emphasise the depth of what the house has experienced over a century and really brings it to life. Sana holds on to alot of trauma from her past, she's awkward and unsure of herself and yet she is still brilliantly determined.
Getting to know the characters who previously inhabited the house was amazing, the author switches from past to present chapters and instead of becoming confusing, it actually builds such a strong story that's tragic and mournful but yet beautiful. The djinn is mysterious from the beginning, it seems to be stuck in a miserable existence filled with sorrow.
I loved the progression of the book, I loved how culturally rich it was an how I could envision every dish that was describes and every decoration hung. There were characters in this book that were absolutely detestable, some who caused the outcomes faced by the main characters. This story was full of love and hate and differences and acceptance and I absolutely adored it.
"But here in these pages of this woman's story, love is spread open to her, laid bare, generously shared, and it is like she has finally found the shape she has been searching for. She slips into the diaries, and among the words she is no longer a broken thing."
lesegod's review
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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