queenshrike's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
This book is still so touching and so painful, even after all these years. I can't say I love it. But I felt it.
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Blood, Self harm, Pregnancy, Grief, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
arbitrary_convenience's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It wasn’t something I would read for fun or relaxation so much as for perspective. I think it shows the effects of how your childhood shapes you as an adult. It was hard to read at some times because of its themes and I did have to put it down for a while and come back to it.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
sillyduckie's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Abandonment, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Colonisation
clarereadstheworld's review
4.0
The novel begins when Sophie is 12 years old. She lives happily with her aunt in the Haitian village of Croix-des-Rosets. Suddenly, one day her mother (who she hasn't seen since she was a baby) summons for her to come to America. Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and everyone she knows and loves to start a new life in America.
I thought this was just going to be an interesting, thought provoking novel exploring the experience of immigration, and the trauma of families separated by immigration. However, half way through the novel Sophie turns 18, falls in love and things take a much darker turn. Sophie's virginity becomes a major obsession for her mother, as it had been for her mother's mother before, and for generations before. In trying to be what she believed to be a 'good mother' she actually inflictes a lot of pain and trauma on her daughter. I found the rest of the novel quite hard to read, as both Sophie and her mum struggled to deal with the traumas inflicted upon them.
Some of the effects of the trauma I felt were very compassionately and very well written, but not all. The last section of the novel felt rather rushed, and several new elements were thrown in without being given the time I felt they needed to be fully explored. I would have liked to have taken more time seeing more detail about what happened after Sophie returns to America for the second time.
I did really enjoy the descriptions of rural life in Haïti (in between all the pain and sadness). Danticat has a beautiful writing style, and I could really feel the village life all around me as I was reading. The sections in Haïti were absolutely my favourite.
I was relieved the novel ended with a cautious note of hope that maybe the cycle of suffering would be broken. I don't think I would have coped otherwise.
Trigger Warnings: Rape and sexual violence. FGM and eating disorders briefly mentioned.
Graphic: Rape, Self harm, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Body horror