Reviews

Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

srmowrey's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

grubbygabby's review

5.0

SO GOOD! i absolutely loved the scene where ti-jeanne held all the great ones in her head. wow. nalo hopkinson is one of my fav authors i think

babsxi's review

5.0

I loved this. The magical realism is so good. I’ve never read anything re: caribbean culture, and it was fantastic. This “sic-fi” holds up next to the best apocalyptic novels. Brown Girl in the Ring is violent, but subtly. It’s not too much different from other dystopian novels in that regard.

There are many twist and turns- some feel predictable- but many are not at all. Like the kids in the subway? Didn’t see that coming.

The weaving of the religious beliefs and community centered care was top tier. There’s also something to be said about how this book navigates generational trauma- without minimizing the fights had by those in the past who weren’t able to completely fight off the trauma. We pass down history, heritage, gifts, and even pain through our lineage, and this book is a wonderful testament to those who walk into the ring and start to heal their families.

I cannot wait to read more from this author. Going to the library rn to check out more!!!

brownbagbargainbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense

3.5

agavemonster's review

adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Great storyteller story and fascinating setting, but the prose was a little clunky and unskilled. I think this story would benefit from being told aloud.

chaosetc's review against another edition

4.0

Gritty and magical, in a voodoo way. This book didn't feel as finished as other works I've read from the same author, it borders on young adult. Rating rounded up because I like the author and the Caribbean atmosphere. Every time I read one of her books I want to adopt another pair of cats so that I can name them DooDoo and Duppy.

I'm not understanding why this book has been classified as sci-fi. It's dystopian for sure, nearly a horror novel, but there's no science.

readwreyn's review

4.0

a tremendous experience; “Brown Girl in the Ring” was the first fantasy novel this year where i truly enjoyed my time. set in a dystopian Toronto, it is a breathtaking blend of sci-fi, urban fantasy, and Afro-Caribbean folklore. it centers on Ti-Jeanne, who navigates her life using a gift similar to that of her grandmother and mother. living together with Mami Gros-Jeanne, a widely respected and renowned healer and spiritual leader (who also happened to be her grandmother), and her unnamed baby was proven to be difficult as they continued to fight the demons of the past and present. it is all up to TI-Jeanne if she can make the right choices to save herself and her small family. the imagined world was stellarly written with vivid imagery and powerful prose, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.

knapiper's review

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

2.5

charlotteoftheweb's review

4.0

This is one of those books that I only dislike because I feel like there wasn't enough of it. The world that Hopkinson was so interesting that I wanted to spend more time in it. Maybe it's because it was her debut novel, but the plot felt a little thinly layered. It had so many cool elements, but I wanted to know more about all of it.
I would still recommend this book to anyone, I just wish it were a little more robust.

kumarj's review

5.0

I wish this would’ve been part of a trilogy or a series. There was so much more world building that I would’ve liked to have seen. The reality that Hopkinson creates is beautiful and painful. The environment fertile ground for far more characters. This was my first step into magical realism outside of Mexican literature and I loved it.