Reviews

The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

thereadingrunnner's review against another edition

5.0

This book took me on an adventure I was not prepared for. Whoa. I feel gutted emotionally. What an incredible story. Jaye does an amazing job and deals with so many different topics without it ever feeling forced or overdone. Child trafficking, abuse, race, class, gender inequality and psychological trauma all steeped in the tragedy of the Congonese people when hundreds of thousands lost their homes and lives in the late 1800s/early 1900s.
This book is historical fiction at its absolute finest, but has a strong mystery element to it as well. No emotion is left unturned. I absolutely devoured this one. Great novel.

mrrgjapb's review against another edition

5.0

This is not a genre I usually read. All I can say is wow. This book is deep in emotions. It is definitely worth the read

drhollyg's review against another edition

5.0

#1 book of 2022

starrypsyche's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

egogos's review against another edition

5.0

This book brings the reader through many different emotions and provides dual timelines of the two characters who are connected in a particular way, at different points in time. I cried several times…well-written and a heart-wrenching story, (tough to read at times), but with a sweet ending.

jennifyr's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was a powerful dual-narrated historical fiction book about Dikembe and Lowra, two children who have a shared bond over their traumatic experiences of being locked in the same attic decades apart. It follows Lowra as she tries to find the history of items she found there, leading her to uncover the story of 'Celestine'. We also hear Dikembe's story of being taken to England from the Congo. It's not your typical story, and it will stay with me for a long time. 

ericaj423's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a very enjoyable book, I couldn't help but feel compassion for these two main characters. It's a very powerful historical portrayal of a horrible time for African children and just as powerful a message of how not to treat people.

Lola Jaye does a superb job developing characters and displaying emotions plus the book concludes nicely tying up all loose ends. This is not a superficial book by any means, it's very thought-provoking. I would recommend this book to anyone. 

overstuffedbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

socomplikatied's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

cassidys_bookshelf32's review against another edition

5.0

Heartbreakingly honest and fantastic on audio (once I got used to the female narrator)