Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Μείνε μαζί μου by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

35 reviews

rjohns5's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

annreadsabook's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Late to the party with this one, but I finally read Stay With Me and it is so good! It’s got heart, it’s got drama, it’s got social commentary. This book had me GASPING.

I loved that Adébáyọ̀ uses this book to consider the pressures that people face to become parents, and the lengths some might go to both have and protect their families. Yejide gets into some extremely difficult situations because of both external and internal pressures to have a child with the man she loves, who has taken a second wife at the behest of his family. Meanwhile, Yejide, whose own mother died giving birth to her, continues to navigate her own struggles with ideas of motherhood and family.

Through Yejide and her husband Akin, Adébáyọ̀ highlights the unique ways in which unfulfilled (and fulfilled) desires to have children can shape a marriage. And behind all of these complicated dynamics is the tumultuous political landscape of ‘80s-‘90s Nigeria. I loved seeing the development of both Yejide and Akin, and how they both worked through their desires for children (and justified their choices). Sometimes dual-POV books are tough to pull off, but I think this one was quite well done.

This is a great book for those looking for a domestic fiction that makes you think and keeps you on your toes. It’s an intimate glimpse into the battles we fight to keep the ones we love close.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Grief, and Pregnancy

katieb323's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book deserves more recognition!! I love how the conflict mentioned on the back of the book is exactly where the story begins. Adébáyò had me captivated the entire novel!! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

daniellejp16's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, and Pregnancy

vedpears's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Loved this book. The story sucked me in right away and made me tear up and/or cry a few times. As a mother, there were certain plot points that struck very deeply. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Minor: Bullying, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings

ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Violence

cerilouisereads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol

vanesst's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Infertility, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Gun violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Alcohol

maggiefaye's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

davidbythebay's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

Absolutely brilliant! A lovely and devastating book that looks at a marriage from the 1980s through 2008, all with the background of Nigeria and its political turmoil. 

I first heard about this back in 2017 on NPR. I bought the book right before the pandemic started in 2020. And I finally read it now in September 2022. I do not know why I waited. If the discussion on NPR and the description wasn't enough, Margaret Atwood's Twitter review ("Scorching, gripping, ultimately lovely.") Should have really pushed this book forward for me as Atwood is an all-time favorite author of mine. But somehow I kept putting this off. 

First, let me say that it did take me a minute to get into the swing of things. By that I mean that sometimes Nigerian customs and phrases are used that usually have context clues or translations around where they are, but as I am fascinated by culture and language I often was paused by. Also, and more importantly, the story does have a dual POV which is never explicitly labeled at the start of a chapter. It was easy to pick up within the first paragraph or sentence who was talking, but it did throw me off a bit at first. 

The dual timeline (east Part begins in 2008 before going back in time to the 1980s and 90s) was easy to discern. It was very much a few chapters in 2008 with the majority of the book being a linear story of Akin and Yejide's marriage. What they went through was devastating and I won't go into it much here, but know that if you are sensitive to some topics, be warned.

Those "gripes" being laid out now, the whole book from start to finish was a captivating journey that really did sing off the page. It was lyrical and completely immersive. I learned a lot about Nigerian customs and traditions, as well as some history. This story, though, could really have been set anywhere at anytime. It is a universal story of marriage. The setting and timeperiod, however, added a whole other layer to the work and really was absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous prose sang off the page and left haunting images. 

The ending felt completely right and full. Though Part 4 is short, the book has led to this moment and you can feel it. There is a hope and a future that is shadowy and unseen, but there is a great feeling at the end that left me feeling elated by the book. 

Do not hesitate like I did... read this now! I see the author has a new novel coming out early next year. My plan is to not wait on that as I did this one. A new classic to be sure and a brilliant debut novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol