Reviews

A Fledgling Abiba by Dilman Dila

equalopportunityreader's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

thebookedunicorn's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

valodniece's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

An intriguing fantastical tale, drawing on Ugandan folklore to create the character of Kuri, a young magical child, searching for her parents and their different fates in this world and beyond.

siria's review against another edition

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2.5

This sadly didn't work for me: choppy and unevenly paced, with shallow characterisation and the kind of ending that makes you flip back a page and say "wait, that's it?" I will admit that it's possible that I bounced off A Fledgling Abiba because I didn't have much pre-existing knowledge of or emotional attachment to the mythology and story-telling of the African Great Lakes region (modern Uganda, Rwanda, etc) and so I'm sure some of the resonances were lost on me. I was also never sure whether Dilman Dila wanted the reader to take some elements of the book in earnest or whether they were supposed to be comical (e.g. the farting/pooping fire parts), or even if the tone was consistent. Those who have a greater grounding in the storytelling rhythms of this part of east Africa may find more to enjoy in this book than I did.

booktreks's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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