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shorereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
brian06's review against another edition
3.0
★★★1/2
“Creatures of Passage” by Morowa Yejidé is a ghost story set in 1977 in the Washington D.C. neighborhood of Anacostia (a few miles north of Joint Base Bolling and just across the river from Nationals Stadium - I could relate to the locale). The ghost characters were enough to keep me interested in this book. Throw in racial tension, substance abuse, social injustice, pedophilia and family dysfunction and you get the whole ball of wax. One reviewer described this book as psychedelic and that’s a pretty good description.
“Creatures of Passage” by Morowa Yejidé is a ghost story set in 1977 in the Washington D.C. neighborhood of Anacostia (a few miles north of Joint Base Bolling and just across the river from Nationals Stadium - I could relate to the locale). The ghost characters were enough to keep me interested in this book. Throw in racial tension, substance abuse, social injustice, pedophilia and family dysfunction and you get the whole ball of wax. One reviewer described this book as psychedelic and that’s a pretty good description.
richardwells's review against another edition
5.0
Creatures of Passage is a mix of so many magical elements it defies categorization. The setting is the Anacostia neighborhood in Washington, DC that since mid-1950's White-flight hasn't known times that haven't been hard. In this novel, it's a neighborhood where everybody knows everybody, and everybody knows everybody's business. Anacostia is tangible enough, but might as well be in a parallel universe for all the goings on that are one, two, or a dozen steps outside the normal.
Nephthys Kinwell is at the center of the story. She and her brother Osiris were born 39 seconds apart, cojoined at one of their fingers, and separated . As an adult, Osiris is murdered, and Nephthys dives deep into alcohol to ease her grief. She drives an old Plymouth that never needs servicing, never runs out of gas, it totally reliable, and haunted by a white girl in the trunk. Nephthys is always available to ferry a soul to a court appearance, hospital visit, or rendezvous. She is only one of a cast that has been touched by loss or trauma, and every one of whom is a creature of passage.
This is a novel of place, family, myth, magic, and the outright horror of a child molester who is a trusted member of the neighborhood, and its church community. The sections of the novel where this character figures are deeply disturbing. As a side note, Nephthys and Osiris are Egyptian deities, and using that as a clue it may be possible to connect them and other characters in the novel with the myths of the Nile.
Creatures of Passage has been lauded by reviewers, and longlisted for the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction. I think it deserves all its plaudits.
Nephthys Kinwell is at the center of the story. She and her brother Osiris were born 39 seconds apart, cojoined at one of their fingers, and separated . As an adult, Osiris is murdered, and Nephthys dives deep into alcohol to ease her grief. She drives an old Plymouth that never needs servicing, never runs out of gas, it totally reliable, and haunted by a white girl in the trunk. Nephthys is always available to ferry a soul to a court appearance, hospital visit, or rendezvous. She is only one of a cast that has been touched by loss or trauma, and every one of whom is a creature of passage.
This is a novel of place, family, myth, magic, and the outright horror of a child molester who is a trusted member of the neighborhood, and its church community. The sections of the novel where this character figures are deeply disturbing. As a side note, Nephthys and Osiris are Egyptian deities, and using that as a clue it may be possible to connect them and other characters in the novel with the myths of the Nile.
Creatures of Passage has been lauded by reviewers, and longlisted for the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction. I think it deserves all its plaudits.
cstoneback's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
afloodofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Morowa Yejidé both broke me and made me feel many things. Creatures of Passage is poetic and heart breakingly beautiful. Seeing Anacostia and Washington DC as a whole through her eyes is both dark and beautiful..
It was hard to put down, the prose itself kept me reading as the story drug me along.. it broke my heart as I was reminded of how much we are all just looking to belong and are afraid to lose it when we find it, that we all have stories to tell (yes, children too) and we often don’t have the words of the patience to listen and hear the stories of others. Yejidé beautifully demonstrates just as large and at the same time small the world and it’s kingdoms are and how deeply interconnected we all are, often without realizing.
I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
It was hard to put down, the prose itself kept me reading as the story drug me along.. it broke my heart as I was reminded of how much we are all just looking to belong and are afraid to lose it when we find it, that we all have stories to tell (yes, children too) and we often don’t have the words of the patience to listen and hear the stories of others. Yejidé beautifully demonstrates just as large and at the same time small the world and it’s kingdoms are and how deeply interconnected we all are, often without realizing.
I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
callieisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Long-listed for the Women's Prize. Yejide's novel about Nepthys Kinwell, a women who taxis people in need in her haunted 67 Plymouth is beautiful and haunting, and I immediately listened to it again after I finished it. I loved the characters and all of their stories, despite the troubling things that happen. Kind of wish I was listening to it now!
Also, Yejide narrates the audiobook and is SO GOOD. I loved it so much.
Also, Yejide narrates the audiobook and is SO GOOD. I loved it so much.
ssinforshort's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written. This novel was magical and engrossing.
I loved the repetitive phrases and sayings the characters and narrator used throughout the story.
Even though the topics are tough, the writing and characters kept me smiling.
I loved the repetitive phrases and sayings the characters and narrator used throughout the story.
Even though the topics are tough, the writing and characters kept me smiling.
mizpurplest's review against another edition
4.0
Dark, sad, poignant and beautiful. There were times when I had to put this down for a few days and escape to a happier world, but this book is absolutely worth the trauma.