Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Nightbloom

I got pulled into this novel from the first page, and I stayed up late way too many nights telling myself I'd read just a few more pages. There were so many times reading the story of Akorfa and Selasi (and the various other people around them) that I wanted to scream my rage at the people who kept trying to silence them, to remind them that they should not bring dishonor or embarrassment to their families. A look into racism (for Akorfa in the US), into a corrupt government trying to silence Selasi when she stands up for another young woman (in Ghana), dealing with deaths and abandonment of family members, and the rape they both experience made me so angry for them. But yet, Akorfa and Selasi (especially Selasi) also gave me hope. They are strong women and they know their strength and will not be silenced.

It's a challenging read but also a very fast one, and one that I highly recommend for everyone to read.

Content Warnings

jouljet's review against another edition

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challenging emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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alisonannk's review

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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tiamia1084's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

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arsenelouppain's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a finely-crafted narrative with vibrant characters that popped off of the page. They were all so full of life and emotion, even those with minor appearances.

It was intriguing to see the same set of events unfolding from two different perspectives. Peace Adzo Medie did an excellent job of creating realistic protagonists that were sympathetic despite their faults. Though I do wish there had been more distinction between their unique voices.

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readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Generational trauma really will have you not see your daughter as her own person and see her cousin who’s literally a child as out to get you when it’s the reverse

Specific review to the audio book: over all enjoyed and liked it but I found the woman who narrated the first part a bit too soft spoken for me but my earphones are also a bit busted so maybe it was that. The third narrator also has a very bad French accent which barely came up when Phillip is such a. Minor character and doesn’t talk for most of his scenes but it was very surprising how bad the French accent was for those two lines lol.

My biggest issue with Medie’s writing is always pacing bc I think her writing can drag (though here the first part is very intentionally slower then the second or third that both pick up) also bc I don’t think she excels like some others literary writers especially other women in talking about violent mundane social issues and also the mundane joys and comedy of life that the lack of can make the books sometimes feel suffocating and unbearable at parts even when I adore her protagonists for this one. So that’s a major pacing issue for me especially when I both get and like the point of how suffocating machismo is! That said I know I didn’t not really pick up or enjoy the comedy elements in His Only Wife i know others did so I might not be appreciating elements in asking for that are in this and her debut book that others might.

At other points I felt like that for all that I wish her books were more anticapitalist bc it feels like her characters only get through their lives by becoming very wealthy despite her excellent criticism of corruption and violence in elite institutions and organizations it feels ironic that a lot of her characters who suffer ultimately get their lives were worth it because of money even if we both agree the world does listen to money over women.

also I couldn’t really believe a woman who’s aware how corrupt the government and country is and whose husband is a politician wouldn’t be aware she cannot hit a politician who sexually harassed her and her young female employee and hit them both so I wish that was written from a different angle to have the events happen but more believable

. Still while I like and appreciate that I do feel her books are not aimed at women and men who would just agree with her about violence against women especially since none of her protagonists ever call themselves feminists and I don’t think it’s good writing to expect a fiction book to address everything or be a manifesto I do think she got to explicitly heavy handed about those themes and social criticism at times. However I also appreciated how aware she is of the roles other women play as agents of patriarchy because I have heard women of every age and supposed political background regardless how progressive they claim to be or not saw the same suffocating victim blaming things to get away from confronting violent men or their own malicious sexism.

Akorfa in my honest opinion never really learned to be more thoughtful of others interpersonally even if she’s truly not that bad a person and does develop over the book and I would say is actually her positive to people. But her never truly addressing trivial to serious problems her friends had with her was so funny.

Selasi deserved her complimentary comparison to Jesus :). My favorite girl/woman

Also I’ve been to Washington DC and Georgetown and lived in Pittsburgh and been to university of Pittsburgh and it was so much fun hearing those cities described and the library staircases I’ve also been to.

Content Warnings

internationalreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I LOVED her first book but this one was a disappointment. Way too long and overly explained (telling rather than showing). I did like the narrative shift halfway through though.

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