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cyndi1966's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: War
amandabethslibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Colonisation
beetree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Kidnapping, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization
bookedatheart_'s review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Abandonment, and Colonisation
birdbeakbeast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Colonisation
annie_brewer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
READ FOR BOOKCLUB - My choice!
One of my favourite reads for the year!
This is a very powerful story with some excellent characters. Buried in the colourful voice of young Dikembe, the colonization documented in this book felt so personal and was so emotionally evocative it was hard to read at some points. The narration of both characters as children was so well done and interesting and I was consistently wondering how their paths could cross.
My only qualm with this book is that while the mirrored circumstances of the Attic provided a connection for while they were young, and represented so much personal pain for both of them as they grew up, the characters and the book seemed a bit lost without this commonality of storylines around the midway point and the diverging (and aging) of the characters as they emerged into seperate societies. While I understand why the author decided to end the novel in a heartwarming way, I think that through all of the heartbreak within the novel the characters had lost come of their charm and it leads me to believe these characters may not have realistically had such a celebratory finale.
Graphic: Confinement and Colonisation
kimveach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
moriahleigh's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
aunticles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Trafficking, and Colonisation
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
emilily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation