lads's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.75
odonnell's review against another edition
hopeful
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
5.0
taurina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
pattyspages's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
𝔾𝔼ℕℝ𝔼: Magical Realism
ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 ℂ𝕆𝕌ℕ𝕋: 320
𝕋ℍ𝔼𝕄𝔼𝕊: Nigeria / Sapphic / ..a bunch of things I can't find words for! lol
“ʙᴜᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴏᴡ ᴡᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ. ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ?”
I wish I could give you a more academic review than this: "I just really bloody loved it guys"
Now, I saw that with surprise as I have said time and again, I do not enjoy the Magical Realism genre but this one had me hooked.
I think because at times, I was genuinely baffled about what was going on but never felt lost.
It was more a case of "huh? I wonder where this is going..." in a good way.
Told from multiple POV's, it's basically a bunch of short stories and the narration comes back on itself every now and hen to remind you not to forget about the stories and characters you have already met.
It felt very Nigerian and was a privilege to have the narrative voice, deliver to story to us as though we already understood the culture - it didn't leave me confused, instead it made me feel welcomed in.
The portrayal of girlhood and womanhood are explored is painfully beautiful and honest ways and I am annoyed I put this book off for so long.
“ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ꜱᴀʏ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄɪᴀɴꜱ. ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ, ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ꜱᴘɪɴɴɪɴɢ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇʟɪɴᴇ, ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀʀ, ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘꜱᴇ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴍɪʟɪɴɢ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙʟʏ.”
ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 ℂ𝕆𝕌ℕ𝕋: 320
𝕋ℍ𝔼𝕄𝔼𝕊: Nigeria / Sapphic / ..a bunch of things I can't find words for! lol
“ʙᴜᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴏᴡ ᴡᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ. ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ?”
I wish I could give you a more academic review than this: "I just really bloody loved it guys"
Now, I saw that with surprise as I have said time and again, I do not enjoy the Magical Realism genre but this one had me hooked.
I think because at times, I was genuinely baffled about what was going on but never felt lost.
It was more a case of "huh? I wonder where this is going..." in a good way.
Told from multiple POV's, it's basically a bunch of short stories and the narration comes back on itself every now and hen to remind you not to forget about the stories and characters you have already met.
It felt very Nigerian and was a privilege to have the narrative voice, deliver to story to us as though we already understood the culture - it didn't leave me confused, instead it made me feel welcomed in.
The portrayal of girlhood and womanhood are explored is painfully beautiful and honest ways and I am annoyed I put this book off for so long.
“ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ꜱᴀʏ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄɪᴀɴꜱ. ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ, ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ꜱᴘɪɴɴɪɴɢ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇʟɪɴᴇ, ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀʀ, ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘꜱᴇ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴍɪʟɪɴɢ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙʟʏ.”
gemmaaaar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
wieberto's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book has everything I would want in a book.
mariadesp's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved it! A beautiful book which describes the character of Lagos city and the lifes of the "vagabonds" living there in such a clever way
gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Books like "Vagabonds!" are so vital and important for the BIPOC queer community, especially those who've been served the blandest White Queer experience time and time again from various forms of media. The poetic lyricism this book offers through the wildly varied stories of queer people in the city of Lagos, showing the ways in which they chose to be queer in a country that rejects their identity is so powerful and deeply evocative. The touch of magical realism featuring city spirits was excellent, especially at the book's conclusion, serving to tie together the story of the rich lives of the individuals.
My only critique is that I felt that some of the stories were much stronger than other stories; there were points where I felt like the less compelling stories felt like a bit of a drag to get through and I really had to push myself to continue with the story. I will also add that this may also be due to the narrators, a few who had a thick accent that made the narration hard to decipher so perhaps I'll return to this story in physical form at some point in the future. Overall, a really good queer short story collection, I would definitely recommend this one!
My only critique is that I felt that some of the stories were much stronger than other stories; there were points where I felt like the less compelling stories felt like a bit of a drag to get through and I really had to push myself to continue with the story. I will also add that this may also be due to the narrators, a few who had a thick accent that made the narration hard to decipher so perhaps I'll return to this story in physical form at some point in the future. Overall, a really good queer short story collection, I would definitely recommend this one!
rae_ear's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
neverenoughhhh's review against another edition
2.0
I kept waiting for their stories to intertwine and then they kind of did but mostly didn't, I feel like this would have been better as a bundle of short stories instead of a full length book.