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hjb_128's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and War
ameliasbooks's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm enjoying Levy's writing and her talent to tell vivid stories as well as her ability to create believable characters. But similar to Small Island I had a bit of a problem with the structure of this book. This time I struggled with the second half of the book, the part that's taking place in Jamaica.
I was very interested in the backstory of Faith's ancestors, nevertheless I would have preferred to learn maybe not that many details about them and not written as extra chapters told as monologues, but through the story itself. The second part of the book is more telling than showing unfortunately. These parts took me out of the reading flow and left in the end not enough room for the actual narrative.
I was very interested in the backstory of Faith's ancestors, nevertheless I would have preferred to learn maybe not that many details about them and not written as extra chapters told as monologues, but through the story itself. The second part of the book is more telling than showing unfortunately. These parts took me out of the reading flow and left in the end not enough room for the actual narrative.
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Miscarriage and Violence
amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
An interesting look at the racism, specifically micro-aggressions, in 1970s England. Unfortunately, the book failed to spend time on the main character’s thoughts and emotions. Instead, it was a very distanced narrative with no main plot or resolution.
Graphic: Racism and Violence
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