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katharina90's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I didn't find the characters very likable but my heart still broke for them.
The audiobook is narrated well and helped transport me to Nigeria where the story takes place.
Moderate: Infertility, Mental illness, Child death, Sexism, Infidelity, Gun violence, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
n_li_re's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexism, Infertility, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, War, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Murder, Vomit, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
internationalreads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Sexual content
deezy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Murder
amywong'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
4.75
In general, the plot itself is hard to read with all the heartbreaks and they're seemingly unending.
To start, Yejide goes through so many losses.
Akin is probably in the most wrong. If he just came forward about his impotence none of the losses and relationship strain would have happened probably. But here is where I can't say much. Coming forward about the impotence has a lot of stigma with it. His mother is so traditional she compares Yejide with their half-sibling's wives. She brought in a woman every Monday even during illness to try and convince Akin to take a second wife for 2 years. 2 years. Regardless of their culture, in general, most cultures stigmatize impotence. Reproduction for both men and women takes a huge part in defining a man and a woman. (not even going into the nonbinary here) However, the stigma I get, but he went so far as to convince his brother to impregnate Yejide. That is so beyond. And then he nearly kills him for it. Although, he is aware he was wrong and technically he responded to the fact they continued and had sex when he wasn't aware. Then he accidentally murders his second wife Funmi when she caught onto Yejide's first child couldn't possibly be Akin's because she knows they haven't had sex for months. There really isn't much good I can say about Akin other than he obviously loved Yejide through everything even though he didn't show it well at all. He also saved Rotimi. He genuinely saw all the children as his, he was so proud of being Sesan's father.
I loved all these complexities and how there's no character in the right (in my opinion). They're all very gray and it's the situation that is just a lot and just shitty. My only dislike is the election. I would've just left that out because it's barely there. I think if it was taken out it wouldn't change anything. It was barely even a backdrop. I didn't fully understand the political events going on because there wasn't a lot of information and there wasn't a lot because it wasn't the focus and if Adebayo gave too much political info it would've taken away from the story. It's very nitpicky really. I did love the short stories within the story. Really meta but they had this folklore feel that I loved. It was great as kind of a break from this heartbreaking messy story as well. I'm sure anyone reading this either has a long review like me or will just let out a sigh to unload right after. Just a great story.
"Because sometimes faith is easier than doubt."
Graphic: Child death and Sexism