Reviews

Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez

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caiterlenbach's review against another edition

5.0

This book was absolutely beautiful. The story follows multiple families living in a low-income area and their struggles to provide for their children amidst violence and racism. It is beautifully written and engaging. I absolutely recommend it for an eye-opening view into a world many of us will never have to experience.

fionak's review against another edition

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4.0

A quick read. I found the narrative voices for the child characters (i.e. Sylvie, Laura and Bing) unconvincing as children (uneven tone, with phrasing and pov very adult at times) but otherwise I enjoyed this.

bealmg's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-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

msvenner's review against another edition

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5.0

I am stingy with my 5 stars but this book deserves one. It is compelling and makes we want to start again from page one to pick up nuances I might have missed. The multiple perspectives from which the story is told is confusing at first but then becomes essential and riveting. I am hard-pressed to choose a favourite character. They are all so compelling. This is about community, about resilience, compassion and survival. I want more of their stories.

buffy87's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-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

3.0

My scale:

Terrible writing & story, or extremely offensive and problematic.
Mediocre story, mediocre writing, or too problematic to enjoy.
Good/great story with good writing.
Great story with beautiful writing.
An impactful story with breath-taking writing.

I'll be honest. After reading this book and taking time away from it (before writing this) I really only have a couple thoughts. The first is that reading a racist character did not make me feel good and I'd just rather not. I already know how they think and I've been on the recieving end of your shit so I really don't want to waste my energy on you. The second thought is that holy shit it was pretty bleak, and are we really gonna just gloss over that tragedy?

It's a look into the many lives of people living in Scarborough; specifically those who are low-income and are using a literacy-based outreach centre. You are given a glimpse into these lives but not a fully fleshed out story. So as someone who reads for depth of character, you can see how this might not be the perfect fit for me.

Each character unfolds the story of this community in Scarborough - but the plot/story is not really the focus. It's how the people all fit together and how they react/respond/aka LIVE. It reminded me of an onion, you peel back a layer but you never really get to a solid core. And also like an onion, the more you peel the more emotional you get.

It really is a good book, but if you are seeking to deeply connect to the characters, I'm not sure there's enough to grab hold of. I heard there's a movie, and I have a feeling the movie will be better - not because the writing is bad but because I'm curious to see how the actors and city breathe another level of complexity into the novel.

Recommended for readers who like these traits:
- Canadiana
- polyphonic voices
- stark reality
- unapologetic look into the lives of people who struggle