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denisa13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
3.75
lilyvs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
michaelion's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ever since this book came out all I've heard is people wahwahwah about the incest when there is a MUCH LARGER, MORE IMPORTANT THEME AND PLOT POINT to the story. AND!!! Emezi says the two books that inspired this one in the acknowledgements!!! They did the work for you and people still didn't get it!!!! You people make me sick. You lack media literacy, reading comprehension, AND critical thinking skills.
Akwaeke Emezi, the person that you are. You've done it yet again. I can't wait to read all their books. They are truly amazing.
In my notes I put Vivek was her grandma reincarnated. The grandma the baby. This may have been intentional but if it's not I'm saying it as fact!
Akwaeke Emezi, the person that you are. You've done it yet again. I can't wait to read all their books. They are truly amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Blood, Incest, Child abuse, Death, Grief, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Colonisation, Dysphoria, Gore, Sexual assault, Deadnaming, Sexual content, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Rape, Gaslighting, Violence, Outing, Physical abuse, Biphobia, Mental illness, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Animal death
Minor: Murder, Confinement, Hate crime, Vomit, Miscarriage, and Abandonment
kymayhew's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
3.25
lilatov's review against another edition
4.5
Absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching story with some really wonderful and creative choices.
However. I did find that the last third of the book was rather anti-climactic. There were two "big reveals" at the end, one of which was not a reveal for me / it was something I understood to be true and thought was meant to be understood to be true from rather early on in the book, and the other wasn't really a surprise either, it made sense for the progression of the book because we knew that there was going to be this reveal.
So another amazing book with a somewhat lackluster / disappointing ending :(
However. I did find that the last third of the book was rather anti-climactic. There were two "big reveals" at the end, one of which was not a reveal for me / it was something I understood to be true and thought was meant to be understood to be true from rather early on in the book, and the other wasn't really a surprise either, it made sense for the progression of the book because we knew that there was going to be this reveal.
So another amazing book with a somewhat lackluster / disappointing ending :(
shesun's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.5
oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition
An emotional gut punch of a book. Truly tragic and affecting, written with a light touch but very rich and vivid. Captures the confusion of being 'not like others' and the difficulty of trying to navigate that space; the fear of being someone who isn't accepted by the people you love most, and the world at large. The danger and tension of being true and honest with yourself and others, as well as staying safe when being who you are makes you a target.
I enjoyed it very much, however Vivek never felt entirely *there*. So much of who he/she was was conveyed through the eyes, thoughts, worries of others. Maybe that was the point, in which case, well done; otherwise, I didn't get much of a sense of personality. Vivek is physically described, we get some snippets about how they feel about themselves, but I suppose I could have done with a little more of that from the other characters. Without going into spoilers, I thought the attraction was there on a physical level, it's intense and powerful and very well written, but I needed something more about who Vivek was as a person beyond the physical.
I enjoyed it very much, however Vivek never felt entirely *there*. So much of who he/she was was conveyed through the eyes, thoughts, worries of others. Maybe that was the point, in which case, well done; otherwise, I didn't get much of a sense of personality. Vivek is physically described, we get some snippets about how they feel about themselves, but I suppose I could have done with a little more of that from the other characters. Without going into spoilers, I thought the attraction was there on a physical level, it's intense and powerful and very well written, but I needed something more about who Vivek was as a person beyond the physical.
porlyworlylover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Listened on audiobook