jenninikole81's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! I'm speechless! Beautifully written. Leylah Attar did it again! She never disappoints. A must read!
ambermankee's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
_readingisfun's review against another edition
5.0
If I could rate the book more than ten stars, believe me, I would. Whenever I had free time I read about a hundred pages without noticing, the whole story and the recovery process of Jack and Rodel is just fascinating. The first three chapters were a bit difficult, the story starts from a tragedy (an explosion in a mall in Africa, which is based on a real story, and also the pursuit after albino children. But apart from that, the characters and the rest of the story are fictional).
Rodel is living in the UK and she flew to Africa to take part in a memorial ceremony for her sister- who was in the mall at the time and did not survive the explosion. After visiting the place where her sister lived, she finds a note with three names of children that her sister wanted to save but didn't have time, so she decides to complete the task in her place. That's how she meets Jack, whose daughter also didn't survive the tragedy. He blames himself for not being able to save her. Read the book and then you will understand why!
At first he was very reluctant to help Rodel, but in the end he decides to do so, and this is where the whole journey of the two characters begins.
The descriptions of the big landscapes of Africa, the visits to the villages etc - everything is described in a way that feels as if you are just sitting there, surrounded by those views, and reading the book. Although quite a large part of the book is not easy to read, it still have a balance with exciting and funny events, mainly because of the secondary characters help the main characters. I've read quite a few books where the secondary characters felt like "decoration" to the book and in the end they didn't have any significant role in the plot. Hence I was very glad that this was not the case in the Mists of the Serengeti. And just saying, if you haven't cried until the last chapter, bring a tissue for the last one.
Rodel is living in the UK and she flew to Africa to take part in a memorial ceremony for her sister- who was in the mall at the time and did not survive the explosion. After visiting the place where her sister lived, she finds a note with three names of children that her sister wanted to save but didn't have time, so she decides to complete the task in her place. That's how she meets Jack, whose daughter also didn't survive the tragedy. He blames himself for not being able to save her. Read the book and then you will understand why!
At first he was very reluctant to help Rodel, but in the end he decides to do so, and this is where the whole journey of the two characters begins.
The descriptions of the big landscapes of Africa, the visits to the villages etc - everything is described in a way that feels as if you are just sitting there, surrounded by those views, and reading the book. Although quite a large part of the book is not easy to read, it still have a balance with exciting and funny events, mainly because of the secondary characters help the main characters. I've read quite a few books where the secondary characters felt like "decoration" to the book and in the end they didn't have any significant role in the plot. Hence I was very glad that this was not the case in the Mists of the Serengeti. And just saying, if you haven't cried until the last chapter, bring a tissue for the last one.
shms's review
4.0
3.5*. What grasped my attention from the get go was the evocative writing, Africa the subject. This book, in parts, brought it beautifully alive for me. I spent my childhood there, and have made the odd visit as an adult. It still holds my heart.
The first part of the book was focused on Africa and grief. While the former enthralled me the latter led me to have a reading break about a fifth of the way in. Once I picked it up again, the writing pulled me in. While the romance was played out beautifully until the separation, it all got a bit cliche at that point, I wasn't really feeling the danger and the suspense as an essential to the plot. The plot line rescuing albino children is a worthy subject, but I felt it lacked focus.
The first part of the book was focused on Africa and grief. While the former enthralled me the latter led me to have a reading break about a fifth of the way in. Once I picked it up again, the writing pulled me in. While the romance was played out beautifully until the separation, it all got a bit cliche at that point, I wasn't really feeling the danger and the suspense as an essential to the plot. The plot line rescuing albino children is a worthy subject, but I felt it lacked focus.
shmsy's review
4.0
3.5*. What grasped my attention from the get go was the evocative writing, Africa the subject. This book, in parts, brought it beautifully alive for me. I spent my childhood there, and have made the odd visit as an adult. It still holds my heart.
The first part of the book was focused on Africa and grief. While the former enthralled me the latter led me to have a reading break about a fifth of the way in. Once I picked it up again, the writing pulled me in. While the romance was played out beautifully until the separation, it all got a bit cliche at that point, I wasn't really feeling the danger and the suspense as an essential to the plot. The plot line rescuing albino children is a worthy subject, but I felt it lacked focus.
The first part of the book was focused on Africa and grief. While the former enthralled me the latter led me to have a reading break about a fifth of the way in. Once I picked it up again, the writing pulled me in. While the romance was played out beautifully until the separation, it all got a bit cliche at that point, I wasn't really feeling the danger and the suspense as an essential to the plot. The plot line rescuing albino children is a worthy subject, but I felt it lacked focus.
supergirls_2008's review against another edition
3.0
I started this book right before the uvalde elementary school shooting and finished it after, which made it a really heavy read. I loved the beautiful African safari imagery, but overall the book was super slow. The climax was mid book and in the epilogue, the drawn out romance felt like fluff to me.
jenrich26's review against another edition
5.0
If there were more stars I would give them.
This was a beautiful, heart wrenching, eye opening book. A story I will never forget, it swept me away to Africa where I could vividly picture what the characters were experiencing. I cried at the loss and the fear and the love. I laughed at the family and the new experiences.
This was a beautiful, heart wrenching, eye opening book. A story I will never forget, it swept me away to Africa where I could vividly picture what the characters were experiencing. I cried at the loss and the fear and the love. I laughed at the family and the new experiences.
rachbreads's review against another edition
3.0
“Growing old isn’t for sissies...You lose the people you love. Over and over again. Some get taken away from you. Some walk away. And some you learn to let go.”
Mists of the Serengeti is a lovely book about grief, loss, love, and starting over. Two people from different continents and walks of life are bound together by a tragic event. Their shared grief quickly becomes a powerful love as they trek across Tanzania, trying to save the lives of innocent children.
I loved everything about the setup and the plot - my main argument with the book is that it was very overwritten and highly dramatized. I wished for a little more subtlety and nuance, but it was still a beautiful story.
Mists of the Serengeti is a lovely book about grief, loss, love, and starting over. Two people from different continents and walks of life are bound together by a tragic event. Their shared grief quickly becomes a powerful love as they trek across Tanzania, trying to save the lives of innocent children.
I loved everything about the setup and the plot - my main argument with the book is that it was very overwritten and highly dramatized. I wished for a little more subtlety and nuance, but it was still a beautiful story.