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waybeyondblue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Deportation
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Classism
alicelalicon's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Deportation
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and War
mildlypretentiousreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Relaxing your hair is like being in prison. You’re caged in.”
Americanah chronologies the lives of Nigerian immigrants, Ifemelu and Obinze, an engaged couple. Ifemelu legally enters the United States of America, while Obinze swiftly becomes an undocumented immigrant in London, England. The couple is soon separated by unforeseen circumstances and must rely on themselves to adjust to their new lives. Wrapped in the romance of the two main characters, the readers are thrown into the lives of numerous African immigrants as they navigate America and the UK.
An impressive number of issues are touched upon in Americanah. We watch the African immigrants grapple with the foreign concept of race and adjust and adapt their thinking towards other black ethnic groups in America and the UK. We watch how the pressures placed on immigrant teens can wreak havoc on their personal lives, resulting in suicide attempts. We witness the devaluation and degradation of black men and the over-sexualization of black women. We read about the victims of colorism and the constant and insistent hold texurism has on white society. All of these discussions are handled with nuance and grace.
I was not too drawn in by the plot of romance between Ifemelu and Obinze. I found it uninteresting and rather predictable. I also found that almost all the characters sucked, one way or another. Many lacked intersectionality and could not look past their own opinions. Others were habitual cheaters who lacked empathy. I was more into the political aspect of the Americanah than anything.
If I recall correctly, there were also mentions of Asian people that appeared to uphold the “model minority myth.” This rubbed me the wrong.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism
skeptic_hecate's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault
vas_17'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? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Classism, and Deportation
moriahleigh's review against another edition
- 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? No
2.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Classism
kathis_wonderland's review against another edition
- 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
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!
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Deportation
Moderate: Chronic illness, Racial slurs, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Colonisation
sakisreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide attempt
samdalefox'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
3.25
As with long literary novels, Americanah has all the usual pros going for it: excellent character development, and rich scene setting and storytelling over the lifetime of the characters, so you really get to know them. I read this via audiobook and I found that listening to the different accents and knowing how to ponounce African names correctly enhanced my enjoyment significantly.
Pros that are significant to this book in particular: a candid telling of different immigration experiences, an insight into identity crises (quietly but powerfully told through the character Dike), cultural and historical commentary on Nigeria and American in the early 21st Century, and a whole breadth of exploration of race and being a non-American Black woman - from family dynamics, to hair, to accents, to education, to religion, to food, to aesthetics, to colorism, to sex and relationships, this book is a comprehensive insight into a Nigerian Black woman's life supported wonderfully by her blog entries specifically posing questions and observations about race.
The cons are mostly personal to me, I don't think they detract from the writing of the book. The one I was most disappointed with is how Ifemelu (the protagonist) seems constantly defined by her relationships to men. This of course, could be the point, because of the clear consistent love between her and Obinze, or a criticism of hetero patriarchal culture - expressed clearly in the closing chapters in Lagos when Ifemelu writes about her friend Ranyinudo. I just wish throughout the narration of her life, we got a little more about Ifemelu, and not just Ifemelu-and-her-boyfriend-at-the-time. I was also getting frustrated towards the end when Ifemelu and Obinze were circling each other BUT NOT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING UNTIL THE LAST BLOODY MOMENT.
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
hotkoolaidpotato's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Antisemitism, and Death of parent