Reviews

Everything Is Not Enough by Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström

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alaboard's review against another edition

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emotional funny tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

robyn1998's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I love the characterisation in this series. Kemi, Brittany-Rae and Yasmiin felt so real and distinct. I cared about them and got frustrated by their life choices (especially Kemi! She had an excuse for everything!) I appreciated how the author reminded us of what happened in In Every Mirror She's Black without going too far into it. I do find the writing style a little clichéd, a feel like a thesaurus may have been useful at times.

Content Warnings

bookishevy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.25

Whew! This sequel to In Every Mirror She's Black was added to my list of messiest reads, because I was scandalized. Again, we experience Sweden through the eyes of Black women.

Kemi, a Nigerian-American marketing executive goes to Sweden for an amazing opportunity working for Jonny von Lundin with hopes of invigorating her lovelife, but she's looking for love in all the wrong places, putting her relationship and career in jeopardy. Let's just say mistakes are made. Or rather the same mistake over and over again. I just wanted to shake her violently.

Brittany, a Jamaican-American flight attendant is swept off her feet by Jonny's obsession with her and the privilege that comes with his money, but marrying into a rich family with a racist, controlling matriarch is a challenge. She must dig into Jonny's past to gain some leverage and her freedom. It's some real The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo type of shit. It's amazing the lengths racists will go to to keep people of color out of their family.

Vasmiin, a Somali refugee who used to be Muna's - one of the mains from the first book - roommate, but their stories become entwined again following a harrowing event. Add this to Yasmiin trying to figure out her shady husband while keeping her past at bay as she pursues her dream of becoming a markup artist.

These women's lives are loosely intertwined and different in many ways, but they all have to put up with the same racism and sexism that comes with patriarchy.

I appreciate Akerstrom, who is Nigerian-American and based in Sweden, for giving us a glimpse into the lives of Black women trying to thrive in Sweden. Before I read this book I didn't know there was a Swedish word for n*****. This was an education.

Content Warnings