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crystalstarrlight's review
5.0
Bullet Review:
Sublime…what a great book for both Black History and Women’s History months.
Full Review:
A playwright. Her daughter. Her friend.
A finance VP. Her mother. Her friend.
A teacher. Her mother. Her cowoker.
A social media personality. Their great-grandmother. Their great-great grandmother.
These are the stories in this book, stretching across time and even the globe, from England to the Caribbean, from Nigeria and Abyssinia. Each person has a unique story, but there are branches that stretch from one to the other, making them all united. These people don't believe the same thing, they don't live the same lives, but nonetheless, they are bound together by the experience of being human - by being black in a world that often doesn't want them around.
I absolutely love every piece of this book. I honestly don't know that I could write anything better than the one line Bullet Review, but to be honest, I've been slowly moving away from these massive tomes of reviews, and I didn't want a negative review to be the last full review I write. (Of course, I might finish a book and totally change my mind on the whole reviewing thing. I'm an adult and am allowed to change my mind.)
I found myself entranced by this book, from the exquisite writing to the diverse characters, to the heart-wrenching (and heart-warming!) tales of these people inside. What was my favorite part? I'd have an easier time choosing a limb to have removed from my body. This was a book that defies words, that made me think, cry, and root for each character to find their happily ever after. This was a book where it is obvious the author has actual writing skill. She constructs this prose with deft craft; words are poetry in her hands. When people deride English majors, they haven't seen the likes of Bernardine Evaristo, and her masterful skill with the English language.
This book deserves every award it has won and more. This is a book I hope ends up in high schools and colleges in the future. This book is one of those that should stand the test of time - up there with the likes of "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Old Man and the Sea" and "Jane Eyre".
I both want to go on more but also don't want to, as I feel my explaining this book only ruins it, a pale imitation of the beauty inside. I also don't want to get repetitive, saying how much I love this and that and that and this.
I don't tend to 5-star a lot of books, unfortunately, though I am getting better about choosing books. I am so proud to have this among my top reads. This is a book I will be proudly displaying on my bookshelves until I die.
Sublime…what a great book for both Black History and Women’s History months.
Full Review:
A playwright. Her daughter. Her friend.
A finance VP. Her mother. Her friend.
A teacher. Her mother. Her cowoker.
A social media personality. Their great-grandmother. Their great-great grandmother.
These are the stories in this book, stretching across time and even the globe, from England to the Caribbean, from Nigeria and Abyssinia. Each person has a unique story, but there are branches that stretch from one to the other, making them all united. These people don't believe the same thing, they don't live the same lives, but nonetheless, they are bound together by the experience of being human - by being black in a world that often doesn't want them around.
I absolutely love every piece of this book. I honestly don't know that I could write anything better than the one line Bullet Review, but to be honest, I've been slowly moving away from these massive tomes of reviews, and I didn't want a negative review to be the last full review I write. (Of course, I might finish a book and totally change my mind on the whole reviewing thing. I'm an adult and am allowed to change my mind.)
I found myself entranced by this book, from the exquisite writing to the diverse characters, to the heart-wrenching (and heart-warming!) tales of these people inside. What was my favorite part? I'd have an easier time choosing a limb to have removed from my body. This was a book that defies words, that made me think, cry, and root for each character to find their happily ever after. This was a book where it is obvious the author has actual writing skill. She constructs this prose with deft craft; words are poetry in her hands. When people deride English majors, they haven't seen the likes of Bernardine Evaristo, and her masterful skill with the English language.
This book deserves every award it has won and more. This is a book I hope ends up in high schools and colleges in the future. This book is one of those that should stand the test of time - up there with the likes of "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Old Man and the Sea" and "Jane Eyre".
I both want to go on more but also don't want to, as I feel my explaining this book only ruins it, a pale imitation of the beauty inside. I also don't want to get repetitive, saying how much I love this and that and that and this.
I don't tend to 5-star a lot of books, unfortunately, though I am getting better about choosing books. I am so proud to have this among my top reads. This is a book I will be proudly displaying on my bookshelves until I die.
booklover389's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, and Transphobia
Minor: Death of parent, Miscarriage, Child death, Rape, Xenophobia, and Death
georgereads982's review
4.0
I really thoroughly enjoyed Bernadine Evaristo's writing. But I found the first 2/3 to be much better than the last third. I found myself connecting to the first 10 women and found the Afterparty and Epilogue to be a little boring (oops). But overall I really enjoyed learning so much about each woman in such a small amount of pages. I would highly recommend this book purely based on how truly unique every woman is, despite a lot of very similar circumstances surrounding them.
monserrot's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
lucafreya's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
aria_s's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
i definitely enjoyed this book, i enjoyed certain characters sections more than others but the few characters i found less interesting werent a huge deal bc the chapters were only like 30 pages. i think the quick slice of life of each of the characters has its pros and cons, there were certain characters that i wish we learned more about like latisha. overall, i did have a fun time with this book
readingisforthehotties's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
reflectiverambling_nalana's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
Another book absolutely deserving of all the accolades that I put off for far too long. This is a masterclass on how to interconnect stories, how to teach about circumstance and perspective without preaching, and how to frame a vast collection of experiences spreading across a diaspora. Absolutely memorable characters that are full of spunk, life, regrets, loves, dreams, goals, life paths, ideals, and personal reflections. Even though it is not a short book, i was absolutely captivated in its flow.