Reviews

I had to keep reminding myself that this was not a memoir -- at least in the first part of the book, all narrated in the first person. This isn't really (just) a coming-of-age story, and this is beneficial as it allows the author to keep the deeper themes as a through line. There's a lot here about identity and particularly, agency--agency to define oneself (outside of and inside of categories), agency to grow, to move. It is a book about distances, both metaphorical and geographical. The story is multiple stories, although Tunde is the protagonist. It is a story of many lives and the choices that shape them. As Ravi Howard describes it, the books shows the "deeply personal geography of migration." That's a beautiful description. What happens when "home" constantly moving, shifting, and perhaps absent or wholly constructed from fragile memories?

There is a brief interlude that switches to an altogether different style to relate Tunde's first experience of falling in love. Because of the impact and deeply insightful narration up to that point, these passages (often one or two sentences to a page) felt forced--as though I was reading a different book. Perhaps that was the point, but as a reader I found myself engaging less and moving quickly to get back to Folarin's full and deep writing. And finally, in a (potentially comic) turn that seemed to come out of nowhere but ends up leading us to one of the most beautiful (yet heart-wrenching) moments, Folarin tells us what home truly is.

ggrillion's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

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3.0

Excellent coming of age story about a second-generation Nigerian American boy living in Utah. The author does a great job getting into the mind of a confused teenage boy. Race is just one of the myriad things Tunde struggles with - he is also dealing with being abandoned by his mother who struggled to assimilate into predominately White, small town Utah; was abusive, suffered from depression, attempted suicide and eventually goes back to her native Nigeria leaving him and his brother with their father and his new wife. The parts of this book that were good were really good but the typical teen obsessions with first love got a bit repetitive for me and I just wanted to move on. Pros: really good job highlighting the struggles immigrant families go through adjusting to life in America, especially when they do not fit into mainstream society.

craftyscene's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 it read like two books interspersed at times

renaplays's review against another edition

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3.0

I loved the first part of this book, meeting Tunde, feeling for him and his world. The second part shifted to second-person narration, which I guess was supposed to make me identify with him more? Instead, the writing gimmick took over, distancing me from my experience and feelings so full in the first part. Maybe this is the new writing method, as I've read at least one other novel that took this same narrative path. Then the story swings back to first person, and then third person, then a haiku-slimness. I get that all this bouncing around is meant to mirror the chaos of Tunde's life. But it's so self-conscious. Writing for awards instead of the reader? I don't know. I just know it's a let down.

katiereads13's review against another edition

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emotional

2.0

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