al_owl's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Blood, Child death, Transphobia, Homophobia, Grief, Incest, and Infidelity
allapaz's review against another edition
4.25
akwaeke emezi is a FORCE to be reckoned with. some of the most beautiful, tender, transportive prose I've ever read, what an exploration of identity and gender and expression and secrets and violence, ugh
Graphic: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Animal death
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Deadnaming, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Violence, Vomit, Death, Blood, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Outing, Sexual content, Transphobia, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, and Injury/Injury detail
othersociologist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Incest
Moderate: Transphobia, Child death, and Infidelity
kerrygetsliterary's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Animal death, Biphobia, Blood, Death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Transphobia
cofstars's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
taratearex's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved how this book was sort of told backwards as you get what happened in the beginning (and in the title) and then jump around in time getting vignettes and snapshots of this family's life in Nigeria. As the story unfolds we learn more and more about Vivek and every moment with Vivek felt too brief, which is even more heartbreaking as you know how his story ends, and the why just pushes the story forward.
As much as I liked all the different characters and perspectives, I did find it a bit hard to follow, this is often how I am with a lot of characters/shifting POV though, and I just kept wanting more of Vivek's story- Emezi just created such a dynamic character that shines though so strongly even through brief moments. I have to say I did struggle with the fact that there is a relationship between cousins here, I can appreciate the story as it is, but it did sort of keep me at arms length with the emotional connection to them. Overall, it's a stunning and memorable book. The audiobook is really good.
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Grief, Infidelity, and Incest
henriettaenam's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Violence, Dysphoria, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Child death, and Incest
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Biphobia
smeyer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Racism, Child death, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse