alp_books's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Bullying, Islamophobia, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Hate crime
waybeyondblue's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Slavery, Ableism, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
laurao's review
There are two protagonists. The modern one is entirely written in passive voice and never takes control of his life. The one in the past is a hypocrite. It was a grating read. I wanted a book to learn about the history of Uganda and someone recommended this book to me, but the subject matter in Uganda is very specific and I have no way to put it in context yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism
Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Police brutality, Colonisation, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Deportation
Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Religious bigotry
The content warnings are all relevant to the story either as part of history or part of culture.cecilialau_'s review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
So so so a must-read. I really felt immersed in this one, and it is such a necessary book to read for its historically-linked narrative and uncomfortable truths; it’s just, wow, I’m almost speechless. It’s very effective if that makes sense, it’s sweet and heartwarming and a really tough read (bc it can be uncomfortable to be confronted with some of the themes that are rightfully explored)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcohol
remytherat's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
This story is told in two perspectives. The first, Sameer, an East African Asian lawyer, follows him just months before he's set to move for job; then his plans get changed quite dramatically. The second perspective is epistolary; it takes the form of letters written from Hasan (Sameer's grandfather) to his first wife, Amira.
This was an incredibly well-written story about identity, the nature of family, and the intergenerational effects of colonialism. The first half took a bit of time to get started, but the lyrical prose and characters who felt human made up for it.
The characters were really well written; Sameer's arc is well paced and has a realistic end. Sameer is a better person by the end of the book, but he isn't perfect.
While his arc is good, I ended up liking some of the side characters more than I liked Sameer; this, however, isn't really a bad thing. Annoying dudes™️ and bad people can still be really compelling characters, and Sameer really was. Zayyan's understanding of people felt really tangible the entire time I was reading.
The last third of the book is almost entirely dedicated to Sameer starting his juice start-up; I don't care about Business™️ at all, so that ended up being a bit of a slog to get through. Disappointingly, we learned very little about the actual juices.
This was an incredibly well-written story about identity, the nature of family, and the intergenerational effects of colonialism. The first half took a bit of time to get started, but the lyrical prose and characters who felt human made up for it.
The characters were really well written; Sameer's arc is well paced and has a realistic end. Sameer is a better person by the end of the book, but he isn't perfect.
While his arc is good, I ended up liking some of the side characters more than I liked Sameer; this, however, isn't really a bad thing. Annoying dudes™️ and bad people can still be really compelling characters, and Sameer really was. Zayyan's understanding of people felt really tangible the entire time I was reading.
The last third of the book is almost entirely dedicated to Sameer starting his juice start-up; I don't care about Business™️ at all, so that ended up being a bit of a slog to get through. Disappointingly, we learned very little about the actual juices.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, Deportation, and Hate crime
Moderate: Alcoholism, War, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse and Classism
whatannikareads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.25
whew, i have soooooo many thoughts--as expected, i guess, for a book that's almost 400 pages. overall, i'm glad i read this book. i learned so much about ugandan history as well as east african asian presence, which i had no idea about beforehand. it's quite an informative book that was enjoyable to read and would be good for fans of generational stories like pachinko, homegoing, salt houses, etc., which is why i also initially picked up the book.
good stuff:
- the descriptions of uganda, especially in hasan's letters were gorgeous! i wish the book was overall written in the style of hasan's letters
- the novel tackled a lot of different cultures, relationships, and history, so it kept me hooked wanting to figure out what happened next
- the alternating storylines of the letters from the 20th century to Sameer's present day life was an interesting concept; it felt like it was all coming down to one point, the climax that would reveal how these two were intertwined
- i'm not religious, but the descriptions of sameer's reignited faith was very beautiful and hopeful. it was refreshing to read about practicing muslim in a positive light
not so good stuff:
- because hasan's letters were so beautifully written, i was confused why sameer's narrative style was so different. his chapters were so tell not show. i understand he's like a 20-30 something year old straight man, so i guess it's meant to reflect that?
- that being said, hasan's letters also didn't feel realistically written, as in one would not write a love letter 10 pages long with descriptions of miniscule actions, but that's one of the smaller bones to pick
- sameer and maryam's romance did feel a bit underdeveloped and rushed
- also i had a problem/was confused with sameer's fixation on black people's skin color? like idk why the author chose to describe characters' skin like that...sameer wants to shame his grandfather for racist remarks but he's talking about how shiny and nice his black friend's skin is??? i was just really confused
- the ending was so abrupt, i literally turned the page and was like, "...that's it?" i don't necessarilly have a problem with open endings but it just felt so jolted and the pacing was interrupted
overall i would read another one of this author's works! it's a really impressive piece of fiction for a debut novel.
good stuff:
- the descriptions of uganda, especially in hasan's letters were gorgeous! i wish the book was overall written in the style of hasan's letters
- the novel tackled a lot of different cultures, relationships, and history, so it kept me hooked wanting to figure out what happened next
- the alternating storylines of the letters from the 20th century to Sameer's present day life was an interesting concept; it felt like it was all coming down to one point, the climax that would reveal how these two were intertwined
- i'm not religious, but the descriptions of sameer's reignited faith was very beautiful and hopeful. it was refreshing to read about practicing muslim in a positive light
not so good stuff:
- because hasan's letters were so beautifully written, i was confused why sameer's narrative style was so different. his chapters were so tell not show. i understand he's like a 20-30 something year old straight man, so i guess it's meant to reflect that?
- that being said, hasan's letters also didn't feel realistically written, as in one would not write a love letter 10 pages long with descriptions of miniscule actions, but that's one of the smaller bones to pick
- sameer and maryam's romance did feel a bit underdeveloped and rushed
- also i had a problem/was confused with sameer's fixation on black people's skin color? like idk why the author chose to describe characters' skin like that...sameer wants to shame his grandfather for racist remarks but he's talking about how shiny and nice his black friend's skin is??? i was just really confused
- the ending was so abrupt, i literally turned the page and was like, "...that's it?" i don't necessarilly have a problem with open endings but it just felt so jolted and the pacing was interrupted
overall i would read another one of this author's works! it's a really impressive piece of fiction for a debut novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Islamophobia, Racism, Deportation, Death, Bullying, Grief, Hate crime, War, and Xenophobia
qqjj's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Violence, Medical content, Racism, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, and Religious bigotry
poetskings's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
bookswithhan's review
emotional
informative
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
5.0
TW: Racism, Racial Slurs, Hate Crimes, Death
"If you don't understand where you've come from, you'll never really understand who you are or where you're going."
This book has been out for a while and whilst I'm furious I haven't had a copy in my hands sooner, I'm super grateful to have been sent a copy of the paperback which is released today.
We Are All Birds of Uganda is one of the most beautiful, clever and thoughtful debuts I've read. Two storylines woven together with one set in present day London and the other in 1960s Uganda, this generational family story will have you hooked immediately as the characters lives fuse together.
One of the most beautiful parts of the book was the rich history and depiction of life of the South Asian community in Uganda. I felt completely tranported in time and the vivid descriptions of places and characters had me googling Uganda and flights. The depiction of this country was told through such lyrical prose that allowed you to be in awe of the luscious and stunning views and birds.
Some of the topics throughout this are hefty and painful; from racial tensions to militant leaders, interracial love and lost identity, this book captures you and doesn't let you go until the final page. The idea of how our family and ancestors decisions impact our lives and ideas generations later is so interesting and powerful.
Zayyan has created a beautiful and perfect debut that has left me yearning to learn more about this devastating period of history. Historical fiction is this form of alternative characters and the format of love letters will have you hooked and adding Uganda to your travel list. Her writing is not only lyrical and tender, but motivated and powerful and she is a most worthy recipient of the Merky Books New Writers Prize. I can't wait to see what she brings us next.
"If you don't understand where you've come from, you'll never really understand who you are or where you're going."
This book has been out for a while and whilst I'm furious I haven't had a copy in my hands sooner, I'm super grateful to have been sent a copy of the paperback which is released today.
We Are All Birds of Uganda is one of the most beautiful, clever and thoughtful debuts I've read. Two storylines woven together with one set in present day London and the other in 1960s Uganda, this generational family story will have you hooked immediately as the characters lives fuse together.
One of the most beautiful parts of the book was the rich history and depiction of life of the South Asian community in Uganda. I felt completely tranported in time and the vivid descriptions of places and characters had me googling Uganda and flights. The depiction of this country was told through such lyrical prose that allowed you to be in awe of the luscious and stunning views and birds.
Some of the topics throughout this are hefty and painful; from racial tensions to militant leaders, interracial love and lost identity, this book captures you and doesn't let you go until the final page. The idea of how our family and ancestors decisions impact our lives and ideas generations later is so interesting and powerful.
Zayyan has created a beautiful and perfect debut that has left me yearning to learn more about this devastating period of history. Historical fiction is this form of alternative characters and the format of love letters will have you hooked and adding Uganda to your travel list. Her writing is not only lyrical and tender, but motivated and powerful and she is a most worthy recipient of the Merky Books New Writers Prize. I can't wait to see what she brings us next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Hate crime
littlebluebike's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Violence, and Hate crime