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megansoetaert's review
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
4.25
Maame Blue’s second novel, The Rest of You, is an endearing and emotional story about Whitney, a 30 year old Londoner trying to find herself as an adult and understand the childhood she left behind in Ghana.
Throughout a very difficult year, Whitney tries to process death, a past abusive relationship, her family, her childhood, and maintaining friendships. I was so endeared to her, I wanted her to have all the tenderness and healing she needed.
There are also chapters throughout the book from the point of view of Whitney’s aunts in Ghana in the 90s that help us understand her family and childhood. I ate those up—I wanted to know more about Aretha in particular!!
Blue brings humor and love into every chapter, making a tough story lighter. There are some places that jump over big emotional events, to go back and process them later—it was a little jarring at first, but I think made sense in the context of how humans process our trauma and grief.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Throughout a very difficult year, Whitney tries to process death, a past abusive relationship, her family, her childhood, and maintaining friendships. I was so endeared to her, I wanted her to have all the tenderness and healing she needed.
There are also chapters throughout the book from the point of view of Whitney’s aunts in Ghana in the 90s that help us understand her family and childhood. I ate those up—I wanted to know more about Aretha in particular!!
Blue brings humor and love into every chapter, making a tough story lighter. There are some places that jump over big emotional events, to go back and process them later—it was a little jarring at first, but I think made sense in the context of how humans process our trauma and grief.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Murder, Death, and Domestic abuse
stuckerwrites's review
5.0
I was floored by this novel. It is absolutely going to be in my top five of 2024 for sure.
It's such a beautiful and heartbreaking story of family, unknown and known, grief, trauma, and love. The shared perspectived were a wonderful insight into both generations of women whom we got to know throught the book.
I want to say more but I just don't feel like I have ample words to describe it. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with this story and these characters. Maame Blue is definitely an author I am going to be keeping an eye on in the future!
It's such a beautiful and heartbreaking story of family, unknown and known, grief, trauma, and love. The shared perspectived were a wonderful insight into both generations of women whom we got to know throught the book.
I want to say more but I just don't feel like I have ample words to describe it. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with this story and these characters. Maame Blue is definitely an author I am going to be keeping an eye on in the future!
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