gracej66's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved how openly and directly this book discussed issues of race in America, and also in Nigeria. It was interesting to see the contrast between how race is relevant in both places but in different ways. Adichie’s directness about the subject was refreshing and eye-opening, and put into words many feelings I’m sure many Black people have had but may not have been able to articulate. I also enjoyed seeing how thoroughly Adichie described the experiences of Ifemelu in the U.S. and Obinze in the UK. The carefully chosen anecdotes from their lives abroad gave a strong context for each character when they returned to Nigeria.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
m4rtt4's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-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
I'm so glad I have finally finished this thick-ass gigantic masterpiece of a book — once again it reminded me why Adichie was, is, and will be one of my favourite authors. So many important things so creatively and credibly — incredibly — told, and as someone who is neither Black or African or American I learned a lot from reading this. I'd like to give an example quote to convince y'all reading my review to find the courage to grab this book, but honestly I'd have to cite every other sentence (and that alone should convince you :)
Yes, it's thick, serious and emotional, BUT every single page is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY (and I'm craving to read so much more).
Yes, it's thick, serious and emotional, BUT every single page is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY (and I'm craving to read so much more).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Racism, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual content, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Racial slurs
alicelalicon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Racism, Infidelity, Violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: War, Death, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
vas_17's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Deportation, Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, and Emotional abuse
laurenzokro's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
4.0
I will forever be in love with Adichie’s writing style, and this book did nothing but solidify that. She really has such a talent for setting such an authentic tone for daily life + human experiences. It’s rare that I actually envision the conversations characters have in fiction stories happening in real life because of how conveniently it seems to be set up for propelling the story forward, bringing in plot points and characters whose traits similarly contribute to the storytelling, etc. However, with Adichie’s writing, everything feels real - from the tone of dialogue spoken, to the rotating cast of background characters as we see Ifemulu and Obinze’s experiences growing up and living in different areas of the world. Although it was hard to keep track of new characters at times (and those that we were familiar to us could be aggravating at times!), it made the story feel all the more based in reality since this mirrors what many of us go through in living our own lives - having people come and go over the years, facing moments of indecision, periods of crippling emotion, and more.
I do feel that the amount of blank space/“dull moments” (while normal in daily life) was a bit excessive at times, and contributed to some moments of lost momentum in the story that made me enjoy it slightly less at times. This was particularly true during the end -
However, I cannot emphasise enough how much I would and will continue to recommend this boom to those I know. Beyond its perfect blend of simply put, yet insightful and intriguing content, I believe the lessons it has to tell are of crucial importance to read about and work to understand. I certainly learned much, and hope that other books can emulate a similar harmony of accessibility and wisdom to impart.
I do feel that the amount of blank space/“dull moments” (while normal in daily life) was a bit excessive at times, and contributed to some moments of lost momentum in the story that made me enjoy it slightly less at times. This was particularly true during the end -
Spoiler
it feels like we wait ages before Obinze and Ifemulu reconnect again, and the amount of time that it’s covered in spans a very short time period. I understand that the point is to show how fleeting, yet powerful their reunion was, but the limit to which it was covered made all the prior exposition feel like it was setting up for nothing (only for it to seemingly turn around in the very last page of the boom when Obinze turns up at Ifemulu’s again.) I’m definitely not opposed to the concept of Ifemulu and Obinze not being perfect for one another after all, in spite of the passion behind their relationship, but I wish there had been more of a commitment in one direction or the other - rather than having their status flip-flop in the last quarter of the book.However, I cannot emphasise enough how much I would and will continue to recommend this boom to those I know. Beyond its perfect blend of simply put, yet insightful and intriguing content, I believe the lessons it has to tell are of crucial importance to read about and work to understand. I certainly learned much, and hope that other books can emulate a similar harmony of accessibility and wisdom to impart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness
kathis_wonderland's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-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
3.75
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a novel about life in Nigeria, experiencing race and racism in the US and trying to find oneself. Ifemelu and Obinze grew up in Nigeria together but saw no opportunities for themselves in this country. Ifemelu managed to move to the US and had to leave her love Obinze behind. There she experienced race and racism for the first time and had trouble adapting to her new life. After years in America, she moved back to Nigeria and realized how different she had become.
I wanted to read this book for a very long time. And now I am not fully sure what to think about it. In general, I liked the book. It felt very authentic and gave me a new insight into Africans’ experiencing racism in the US and Europe. It really broadened my horizon. The plot was very diverse. We heard about race and racism, about everyday racism, normal life, struggles, love and relationships.
However, the story was very long. Some scenes were not interesting at all and seemed to make the story longer. I was very confused at the beginning of the book. The author was jumping around within the plot, talking about the present and then jumping back to the past, writing several chapters about Ifemelu's youth and then suddenly jumping back to the present again. This confused me a lot in the beginning. Therefore, it took me ages to get into the story and to start liking it. I found Ifemelu's actions often questionable. She was cheating on her boyfriends a lot. And if there is one trope I don't like in books, it is cheating!
In the end, I started to like the book more and more. We got different perspectives and read about lots of different experiences. The love between Ifemelu and Obinze was really nice. I expected something different from the book, but in the end was pleased. I can recommend it!
I wanted to read this book for a very long time. And now I am not fully sure what to think about it. In general, I liked the book. It felt very authentic and gave me a new insight into Africans’ experiencing racism in the US and Europe. It really broadened my horizon. The plot was very diverse. We heard about race and racism, about everyday racism, normal life, struggles, love and relationships.
However, the story was very long. Some scenes were not interesting at all and seemed to make the story longer. I was very confused at the beginning of the book. The author was jumping around within the plot, talking about the present and then jumping back to the past, writing several chapters about Ifemelu's youth and then suddenly jumping back to the present again. This confused me a lot in the beginning. Therefore, it took me ages to get into the story and to start liking it. I found Ifemelu's actions often questionable. She was cheating on her boyfriends a lot. And if there is one trope I don't like in books, it is cheating!
In the end, I started to like the book more and more. We got different perspectives and read about lots of different experiences. The love between Ifemelu and Obinze was really nice. I expected something different from the book, but in the end was pleased. I can recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Deportation, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Chronic illness, Racial slurs, Classism, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Cultural appropriation, Adult/minor relationship, and Slavery
yourlocalscrivener's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
If you enjoy contemporary literary fiction, this book is for you. Since I'm not a huge fan of literary fiction and began reading this without looking at the Storygraph classification, I believed that this book was heavier on the star-crossed romance than it was. In fact, it's more a novel about Ifemelu's experiences coming to and living in America. I liked Obinze for all except the final chapters, but he's really not a main character in the story. He's more of a side character at best.
Once I readjusted my preconceived notions about the story, I came to enjoy it. It tackles quite a few dark topics besides racism (read trigger warnings). Adichie's writing of the flash backs and flash forwards requires an active reader. Nevertheless, her writing style kept me going even when the story dragged for me in the second half. Also, as other reviewers have noted, the ending is comparatively abrupt to the rest of the story, and... morally questionable.
The book did encourage me to reflect on myself though, in a non-pretentious way.
Overall, it didn't encourage me to seek out more literary fiction, but I'm definitely willing to give Half of a Yellow Sun a go for Adichie's writing.
Once I readjusted my preconceived notions about the story, I came to enjoy it. It tackles quite a few dark topics besides racism (read trigger warnings). Adichie's writing of the flash backs and flash forwards requires an active reader. Nevertheless, her writing style kept me going even when the story dragged for me in the second half. Also, as other reviewers have noted, the ending is comparatively abrupt to the rest of the story, and... morally questionable.
The book did encourage me to reflect on myself though, in a non-pretentious way.
Overall, it didn't encourage me to seek out more literary fiction, but I'm definitely willing to give Half of a Yellow Sun a go for Adichie's writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Deportation, Infidelity, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
samarakroeger's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
4.25
hated the ending but loved most of the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Infidelity, Racism, and Mental illness
purplehulk713's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.5
This novel was real. Adichie is a master of weaving the complexity of personality, especially when it comes to character flaws. You feel for her characters and suffer with them. Ifemelu is powerful but depressed, assured but insecure. Her situation in America precludes her from her true behavior because of the many racial constructs, like how she relaxes her hair for the longest time but it ends up physically burning her scalp until the point that she realizes that it is so much wiser to let her hair grow naturally. It’s an excellent parallel to her growth as a character and the novel’s theme of sincerity—initially Ifemelu tries very hard to assimilate for advantage in American society, trying to adopt an accent and lying about how long she has lived there. She learns that being genuine is a privilege in American society, not a given. My interest in the novel rather waned in the last one hundred pages perhaps because the novel is quite long or because I thought Ifemelu’s homecoming and reintroduction to Nigeria wasn’t as interesting as Adichie’s exploration of race in America from an outsider’s perspective. But I was quite satisfied with the ending, which brought everything full circle and showed the protagonists the benefits of a genuine relationship. This novel asks us to embrace the truth of ourselves but with a depth and subtlety greater than that of a novel for children.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Cursing, and Racism
hotkoolaidpotato's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Sexual content