Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs

4 reviews

minimicropup's review against another edition

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emotional informative lighthearted reflective relaxing sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

I liked all the different perspectives and the slice of life feels woven throughout these stories.

Mood Reading Match-Up:
Fragrant soup. Brooklyn streets. Sea kissing shore. Plantain and bread and eggs. Mermaids. Coconut drops. Cornmeal porridge. Rotting pears. Clean air. Singing. 
  • Stream of consciousness essays and memories
  • Random(ish), open-ended, or ambiguous conclusions
  • Slice of life snapshots
  • Nostalgic, existential, reflective vibes
  • Morally grey characters
  • Social commentary and struggles 
  • Jamaican (and Caribbean) culture
  • Emotional lives of diverse people from children to young adults to elders
  • Reflecting on family dynamics and relationship decisions
  • Vignette style short stories

Content Heads-Up: Racism (colourism, discussion/debate, bias). Eating disorder (bulimia). Sexual assault (groping; very brief off page). Sexual content (consenting; brief on page). Homophobia (character comments, discomfort). Miscarriage (very brief off page). Loss of a child, grief. Adult/minor relationship. Cheating, infidelity (brief mentions). Double standards, hypocritical gender roles. Breast cancer (on page, mention). Body shaming (character opinions; fat, skinny, short, flat). Classism (prejudice, bias, rejection). Domestic abuse. Drug use.

Rep: Jamaican. Jamaican-American. Black and White Americans. Chinese-American. Second generation culture. Cisgender. Heterosexual. Gay. Lesbian. Bisexual. Dark, brown, light, coffee, albino, red, and pale skin tones.

📚 Format: Kindle

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶 
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bookishkellyn's review against another edition

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

5.0

This is the first anthology where I’ve enjoyed every single story. This is a well-written collection that really hits home if you’re Jamaican (or Black Caribbean).
→ A friendship with a white-washed Black girl. A man compares himself to his estranged twin brother. The drownings of twin girls who loved mermaids. A mother sends her daughter back home to reset behaviors. A lesbian at a “straight wedding” reflects on life changes. A boy reminisces about his late grandmother. A college girl on an international track scholarship. A married immigrant harbors a secret. Acquaintances reconnect on Facebook. Daughters express their mixed emotions about their mothers. A Rihanna-like star dwells on her trials and tribulations.
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atuin's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.0

This collection of stories all concern love and how that effects the characters, for better and for worse. there is the romantic love of course, but there is also the love children have for their parents, the love between siblings, the love of your homeland, and even the love you have for complete strangers. The characters are either living in Jamaica or people born in Jamaica living in the U.S.  I will say it felt odd that almost every story involves a male character cheating on their wife or their girlfriend, but such things may well be a pressing issue in Jamaican society. My favorite stories were "Bad Behavior" where a troubled girl is sent to Jamaica to live with her grandma, "Mermaid River" where a young man reminices about his childhood living with his grandma, (I really like grandma stories ok?) "Mash Up Love" A story where a man has to decide on what to do with his brother, and "The Ghost of Jia Yi", a story where a woman mourns the death of a friendship she never had.
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kathyreadsalot's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

As a Jamaican, I’m always on the lookout for contemporary fiction written by Jamaicans about Jamaicans. This is not disappoint. I enjoy short stories and vignettes which is what this book gave - very real and nuanced snippets into the lives of people that I might as well have been related to. Extremely well written and enjoyable, Arthurs spends time exploring mother-daughter relationships, the dynamics of migration on a family, the often complex family dynamics, and exploration of idenity outside of what is considered normal and acceptable by Jamaican standards. Loved the inclusion of some LGBTQ+ characters and stories too. A well rounded collection. My only gripe is I wish they had some Jamaican narrators for this audiobook!! The accents were not great. 
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