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A review by bookishrealm
Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Ties That Tether has been getting quite a few mixed reviews; however, it's a book that I wanted to explore and read for myself. I was interested in the presentation of an interracial relationship where both families were very set on maintaining their cultural values. Igharo did an excellent job at tackling this when the main character, Azere, ends up with a white man. A lot of individuals deal with the idea of maintaining familial expectations in all aspects of their life including romantic relationships. I've never personally had that experience; however, I empathize with anyone who feels stuck in honoring family and following your heart. I can't begin to imagine how difficult that is and I experienced that first hand in Azere's character development. She has the beautiful admiration and respect for her father; however, part of her knows that she may not be able to live up to the expectations of having to marry an Edo man. The narrative around this was great, well-developed.
However, the amount of drama and the driving force behind a great portion of this book did not work for me. It was overdone in a way that's hard to explain and it detracted from the romantic elements of the book. In fact, like many reviewers have stated before me, THERE WAS NO CHEMISTRY between Azere and Rafael. It felt like two friends attempting to navigate their circumstance and experience rather than two romantic partners trying to make it work. There were moments that were cringe worthy for me especially on Rafael's end. I feel like he had a double standard in some aspects of their communication. Then Igharo adds in a love triangle to the story and I WAS NOT HERE FOR IT. Half the time that I read the role of the other character I rolled my eyes or kept questioning why his appearance was even necessary to the story. I'm not sure if it was meant to bring Azere to a moment of clarity regarding her relationship with Rafael, but since I felt as though those two had no chemistry it came off as poorly executed. There is also a scene that I won't go into because it is a spoiler; however, it wasn't a great moment for me as a reader and whether my feelings were right or wrong, I kept questioning why it was added to the book. It could be because I, myself, have experienced that trauma. Regardless, I don't think that a lot of these moments were executed well.
I know it's hard to even understand why I would give this book 2.5 stars if I felt that way, but it wasn’t a horrible book all around. I think that Igharo excelled in some areas and failed in others. The exploration of the blending of cultures was phenomenal and it was great to see that incorporation to the framework of what was intended to be a romantic story; however, I think that it just needed a little more reworking. I'm still interested in seeing what else the author is going to release in the future. I just don't think that this book in particular was for me as a reader.
However, the amount of drama and the driving force behind a great portion of this book did not work for me. It was overdone in a way that's hard to explain and it detracted from the romantic elements of the book. In fact, like many reviewers have stated before me, THERE WAS NO CHEMISTRY between Azere and Rafael. It felt like two friends attempting to navigate their circumstance and experience rather than two romantic partners trying to make it work. There were moments that were cringe worthy for me especially on Rafael's end. I feel like he had a double standard in some aspects of their communication. Then Igharo adds in a love triangle to the story and I WAS NOT HERE FOR IT. Half the time that I read the role of the other character I rolled my eyes or kept questioning why his appearance was even necessary to the story. I'm not sure if it was meant to bring Azere to a moment of clarity regarding her relationship with Rafael, but since I felt as though those two had no chemistry it came off as poorly executed. There is also a scene that I won't go into because it is a spoiler; however, it wasn't a great moment for me as a reader and whether my feelings were right or wrong, I kept questioning why it was added to the book. It could be because I, myself, have experienced that trauma. Regardless, I don't think that a lot of these moments were executed well.
I know it's hard to even understand why I would give this book 2.5 stars if I felt that way, but it wasn’t a horrible book all around. I think that Igharo excelled in some areas and failed in others. The exploration of the blending of cultures was phenomenal and it was great to see that incorporation to the framework of what was intended to be a romantic story; however, I think that it just needed a little more reworking. I'm still interested in seeing what else the author is going to release in the future. I just don't think that this book in particular was for me as a reader.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Medical trauma