Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

17 reviews

inkamaar's review against another edition

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challenging emotional 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? No

3.0

Mielenkiintoinen kurkistus eri kulttuuriin ja maahanmuuttoon. Pidin kirjan alkupuoliskosta enemmän, lapsen näkökulma elämästä poliittisesti epävakaassa maassa oli viattomuudessaan koskettava.

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chrisiant's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

4.0


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toniamarieparker's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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ameliasbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Usually I'm having difficulties with child characters in stories. Very often I find their thoughts and dialogues unbelievable, but this wasn't the case here. I really enjoyed reading about the daily life and the adventures Darling and her friends went on. Maybe I would have preferred one or two characters less, because not all of them were portrayed really memorably.

The author did a good job in letting the place and the experiences the protagonists had coming alive on the page.

Can't really say which part I enjoyed more, the one that takes place in Zimbabwe or the one in the US. Both are similar important to the story, so I had no preference. 

The only criticism I have is that Bulawayo tries too hard to cover numerous themes and therefore can't really go into depth with most of them. This is a short book, so most of the covered topics stay quite on the surface and aren't explored enough. Which I would have been really interested in.

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koirasaurus's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Took a long time from me to finish the book, because sometimes it felt like nothing new happened. Text could have been edited a bit more so that the changes in time and place would’ve made more sense.

Even though it wasn’t so easy and light to read, it was a lovely and great book. I would recommend.

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hotkoolaidpotato's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0


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dianakamau's review against another edition

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challenging funny reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75


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franzischi's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75


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marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

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challenging medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

This is quite a provocative book.  It is narrated by Darling, who, throughout most of the book, is a tween living in a Zimbabwe slum in the 2000s, having been displaced from her modest home by paramilitary violence.  She and her friends process their reality through play and antics, which include the game “Find bin Laden,” a reenactment of a community member’s murder, and a near-attempt at a coat hanger abortion.  When Darling moves in with her aunt in America, she discovers that many cultural differences cannot be translated and yearns for her beloved homeland, to which she cannot return, lest she be trapped.

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feebles640's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No

3.75


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