tomato_bisque's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I liked the book for exploring history few Americans know about. While its about the history of Liberia, its also about how people unwillingly create the systems they themselves suffered under and how it can leave someone a shell of a person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Racism, Slavery, and Child death
katsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
"You all think you hate one another precisely because we don't talk about this stuff... You don't realize it yet, but that is the real tragedy."
"They say that America is the Land of Opportunity, and I suppose that it is. If you want to better yourself, they will give you the opportunity to do so. But if you want to destroy yourself, they will give you that opportunity too."
"There is a terrible price to pay for civilization, and someone had to bear it."
"...there's nothing like a black man standing up to turn white folks into monsters."
"Our bodies enclose the twisted threads of history--passed flesh to flesh, from parent to child, conquerer to conquered, lover to beloved."
I had so many feelings when I finished this book that I had to sit with them a while before I could write a review. Ultimately, I think this was a great story structure. Following the same family through multiple generations was intriguing and I couldn't wait to see how they all connected. However, aspects of the writing felt... unfinished, if that makes sense. I didn't necessarily expect a happy little bow wrapping everything up at the end but there didn't seem to be a sense of closure for me. Their were five different timelines and the last two seemed to be disconnected compared with the other three. The fourth timeline included dream sequences which hadn't been incorporated before and the last timeline completely changed point of view which was quite jarring. It felt like the last timeline was entirely an afterthought. However, if you can get past these disjointed story elements, it is a really great story about Liberian history and the Liberian immigrant experience. I feel like I learned a lot of history that I wasn't familiar with before and I'm now really interested in learning more about this aspect of African and American history. I fully appreciate the opportunity this novel gave me to experience a story that is often not told in today's literature. I also really appreciate how the author didn't shy away from the hard elements of the story. I think many may disagree but Young Adult novels are a great way to address tough topics and are stories our teenagers should be working through now while they're still learning their perspectives on the world. I don't think that happens when we sugarcoat and sanitize stories for young adult readers.
"They say that America is the Land of Opportunity, and I suppose that it is. If you want to better yourself, they will give you the opportunity to do so. But if you want to destroy yourself, they will give you that opportunity too."
"There is a terrible price to pay for civilization, and someone had to bear it."
"...there's nothing like a black man standing up to turn white folks into monsters."
"Our bodies enclose the twisted threads of history--passed flesh to flesh, from parent to child, conquerer to conquered, lover to beloved."
I had so many feelings when I finished this book that I had to sit with them a while before I could write a review. Ultimately, I think this was a great story structure. Following the same family through multiple generations was intriguing and I couldn't wait to see how they all connected. However, aspects of the writing felt... unfinished, if that makes sense. I didn't necessarily expect a happy little bow wrapping everything up at the end but there didn't seem to be a sense of closure for me. Their were five different timelines and the last two seemed to be disconnected compared with the other three. The fourth timeline included dream sequences which hadn't been incorporated before and the last timeline completely changed point of view which was quite jarring. It felt like the last timeline was entirely an afterthought. However, if you can get past these disjointed story elements, it is a really great story about Liberian history and the Liberian immigrant experience. I feel like I learned a lot of history that I wasn't familiar with before and I'm now really interested in learning more about this aspect of African and American history. I fully appreciate the opportunity this novel gave me to experience a story that is often not told in today's literature. I also really appreciate how the author didn't shy away from the hard elements of the story. I think many may disagree but Young Adult novels are a great way to address tough topics and are stories our teenagers should be working through now while they're still learning their perspectives on the world. I don't think that happens when we sugarcoat and sanitize stories for young adult readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism
Minor: Drug use, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
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