Reviews

Travelers by Helon Habila

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hayese35's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

karenaerts's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

sararose_cozy's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 stars.

This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time. It was a bit hard for me to get into it at first. I didn’t understand the story it was trying to tell. It all clicked around Book 3. It reads like short stories that are all interwoven. What I appreciate about this book is that all questions are answered. I don’t feel wanting now that it’s over.
But it’s a hard read. It tells stories of refugees seeking asylum in Europe. Having lived through the arrivals of refugees and seeing how others responded to their arrival, and in turn reading about the other side of it, is astounding.
Although the stories may be fictional, they are so true and real. There are people who have lived this.
I question, why was I allowed to be born in a rich country and knowing only peace while others experience a totally different reality? A lot of moments I had to put the book down and take a breather.
This feels like mandatory reading.

The writing is exquisite. It is so submersive in the details of the setting. Every “book” is written in a different writing style, which is unique.