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emzhay's review
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Hate crime
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Rape, and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
anansi_tales's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexism, Homophobia, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Miscarriage, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, War, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
willowbiblio's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
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I was deeply moved by this book. It felt like a different version of a story I'm very familiar with, what life could have been like for people I love very much if they had made different choices.
The description of Aminita as a shadow was so inspired because it conveyed how completely she was integral to Ijeoma's personhood. As was the moment when Ijeoma believed Aminita must have died when she didn't show up, because for Ijeoma, the only thing that would keep her apart from Aminita was death. It was interesting that Ijeoma then chose the same route, marrying a man, and enacted her own betrayal against Ndidi but still saw herself as the victim when she thought Ndidi wasn't writing her letters.
Okparanta shifted her descriptions of Chibundu from open and handsome with perfect teeth to "monster-like" as their relationship deteriorated. The description of him "writhing into" her invoked the imagery of a snake, correlating back to her refrain on Adam and Eve. I also loved her use of dreams as introspection/self-reflection for the characters.
I was really impressed by this book, especially how at the end Okparanta addressed that our own awakenings may be someone else's tragedy.
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Violence, Murder, Homophobia, and Hate crime
Moderate: Rape, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
rionstorm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Infidelity, War, Misogyny, Outing, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Miscarriage
kari_f's review against another edition
4.0
“I suppose it’s the way we are, humans that we are. Always finding it easier to make ourselves the victim in someone else’s tragedy. Though it is true, too, that sometimes it is hard to know to whom the tragedy really belongs.”
I have been struggling with how to write this review, because the book was so well written but is also something I have no intention of ever rereading. I wish I’d known going into it how deep the levels of trauma and tragedy would be so I could prepare myself a bit for it.
There is war, civic unrest, grief, abandonment, religious trauma, poverty, homophobia, sexism, ethnicism, hate crime, depression, repeated sexual assault, and more… and it’s heavy to handle it all. There were several times I had to put the book down because the content was too heavy to continue with it.
That all being said, there are stories in this book that needed to be told and the author told them beautifully. The writing was well done, and each heartbreak the protagonist endured was a heartbreak for the reader as well.
I have read several books set in Nigeria this year, and this one definitely had a setting and perspective they were different from anything I’ve previously read. It also led me to do some research on topics, events, and laws I didn’t really know much (or anything) about, and I always appreciate when a novels spurs me to learn more about the real world. So all in all, I’m glad I read it, but I won’t likely read it again in the future.
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Sexual assault
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Hate crime, Grief, and War
oliii_24's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, War, Suicide, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Car accident, Hate crime, Sexism, and Blood
katiehoneydew's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Hate crime and War
Minor: Domestic abuse
dfrancis's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, War, Death, Hate crime, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
lindiwe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Grief, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, War, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Violence, Body shaming, Death, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Hate crime, and Death of parent
wreathedinviolets's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, Death, and Hate crime