Reviews

An Unusual Grief by Yewande Omotoso

toniamarieparker's review

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Death

frombethanysbookshelf's review

4.0

An Unusual Grief takes us on a journey with Mojisola, who's just lost her daughter, Yinka for the second time. She lost her many moons ago when a broken conversation ruined their relationship, and now she is dead and there is no chance to reconnect with the woman she has become.

But Moji wants to know Yinka, to know her as the woman she was, not the child she fondly remembers. Moving into her old apartment, she tries to piece together her life and learn more about her estranged daughter, and as she does she finds she may be able to understand herself better too.

This story was bold, poignant and as the title suggests, unusual. A tale about loss, love and discovery; I'm sure every reader will be able to find something of themselves hidden in Moji. As we watch her try to wrestle with the fact she has always been called Mother but now nobody calls her that, so who is she really underneath all the labels assigned to her? I found this story rather difficult to connect with at times as the writing style felt somewhat detatched and clinical but that didn't take away from how striking this novel is.

benereads's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

ecster's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Minor: Rape

pearlbookish's review

The book started out great but it started slowing down, I don’t understand this writing about grief even though I understand that we are all grief differently, I feel this author was trying to draw out this book and it was very unnecessary and boring, I really tried to see it through.

fadebey's review

4.0

One day I will have the words to describe how this book made me feel.

nazeemh's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

jendella's review

4.0

This one is sharp, o! (Said with a Nigerian accent.) So sharp. First of all: trigger warnings for suicide. But it is such a sharp, poignant, heartbreaking but heart making meditation on grief, loneliness, losing and finding yourself. Literally feel like the blade of a knife was running across my skin as I was reading, tender but precarious, something quietly thrilling. Also another refreshing addition to the canon of “African literature”. Probably like nothing you’ve read before.

michellegroenewald's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lipglossmaffia's review

The first time I DNFed this book, it happened at 15%, and now I've got the confirmation that I didn't need to go further. I found this novel incredibly boring and I hate struggling to get through one page.