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mauricekofi's review
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Misogyny and Colonisation
gesinecauer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Colonisation
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
mscalls's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
tracey1981'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? It's complicated
4.5
This book really lays bare the impacts of imperialism and colonialism over generations for the people and the land. It is devastating and also such an important illustration of what communities experience. The only thing more depressing than these things happening is no one acknowledging it, so in that sense, in a way it made me feel better to see someone writing about it. But just to be crystal clear, this is not a light read by any means.
The story alternates between first person plural narration by “the children” and individual narrators. The first person plural was quite unique and I liked it. I thought the story flowed quite seamlessly from one section to the next. I also liked the different perspectives of the various narrators and how we developed a more complex understanding of other characters by seeing them through the eyes of different people.
My only gripes were that I didn’t believe Thula, the main character, would have written such personal letters to her peers back home and there were some pacing issues in the last third of the book which I felt dragged a bit.
4.5 stars rounded up. I look forward to reading more by Mbue.
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
The story takes us through generations of Kosawa residents with switching POVs from Thula, different members of her family, and the children of the village. Their stories are emotional but contain glimmers of hope as they fight to get their land back from an oil corporation poisoning their families.
How Beautiful We Were has beautiful writing and well written, complex characters. I just love her storytelling style and ability to create such depth with all of her characters, giving each their own unique voice.
The chapters are a little too long for my taste making it feel slower/harder to read here and there, but as I got further into the novel, the chapters started to go by faster.
Overall a heartbreaking but enjoyable, groundbreaking novel! I can’t wait to see what Mbue writes next.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, and Blood
Minor: Fatphobia and Religious bigotry
ka_cam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Stalking
Additional content warnings for environmental racism and imperialism, death and illness due to environmental destruction, cultural loss and assimilation, government corruption and state sanctioned violence, etcmatthewrob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
lhaen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Colonisation
Minor: Rape
roxanne_can_read's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Ableism, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Vomit, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Deportation
environmental destruction, saneism