Reviews

Secret Son by Laila Lalami

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ashleyozery's review against another edition

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informative sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

anetq's review against another edition

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4.0

A story about searching for an identity - only to find, that when everybody stops lying and the truth is revealed, you already were who you were. And while we are what we are, maybe we don't control the roles people make us play.
From the slums of Morrocco to the high life in the city, our lives do not unfold the way we expected.

henrye's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Content Warnings

teoekstrom's review

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4.0

As I'm shortly headed to Morocco, I'm trying to read up on the country. Lalami grew up in Morocco and has written a compelling story about Youssef, a young man who struggles with issues of national, cultural, and class identity. The story is strongest when focused on Amal, a secondary character who moved to America and has to grapple with connections to her old land. The end, unfortunately, is the weakest--while compelling plot developments kept me hooked, it felt sudden and perhaps untrue to the characters.

aicha_ezz's review

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

amandelirium's review against another edition

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4.0

Gorgeous prose. I wasn't too interested in the rise and fall of Yussef himself (I'm not sure if this was because his journey was cliche or if it being summarized entirely on the back cover just made it feel that way), but found the chapters from his sister's perspective fascinating.