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A review by bahareads
Like Home by Louisa Onomé
challenging
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
1.5 stars
I wanted more but ended up disappointed.
Onome's writing style was very palatable and makes Like Home a quick read. Bringing together a diverse cast of characters Like Home exposes readers to diverse class types and ethnicities. ALSO the cover the Like Home goes hard, props to the artist! I loved the chain mail WhatsApp messages that Nelo's dad would send her all the time. It was very relatable to me. The theme of gentrification are important to learn and bring awareness to so I appreciated it in Like Home . I also loved how Chinelo went to bat for her community and how she longed to keep it together.
sigh now for the negative. Chinelo was the most annoying character; too childish for 16. I could believe if she was in middle school or something but 16 !!. The friendship between Kate and Chinelo was cute but it didn't seem real! Why was Kate dodging her all the time and couldn't confide in her for the most basic things. Also "the big reveal" was not that shocking, I guess it early on and wasn't surprised by the end. Chinelo was very selfish, not bothering to think about other people's feelings. All of the characters were two one dimensional and needed something to flesh them out more. (ALSO ALSO why why would a big 16-year-old be afraid of a BRA, A FLIPPING BRA)
The romance in Like Home was truly unnecessary and there to add to the drama and emotional turmoil of the characters. The plot, THE ENTIRE PLOT , was saying and no showing. The characters would say something but we, the readers, never got to see it. Also, these kids were always at school but never in school, doing homework or in-class.... The setting would bounce all over the place but there seemed to be no solid pushing of the plot forward. The plot seemed to drag for forever until the very end. Like Home seemed like a showing of gentrification more than a novel centred around gentrification. Like Home was very plot centered.
Thank you to Netgalley, HearOurVoicesBookTour, and Harper Collins for the ARC.
I wanted more but ended up disappointed.
Onome's writing style was very palatable and makes Like Home a quick read. Bringing together a diverse cast of characters Like Home exposes readers to diverse class types and ethnicities. ALSO the cover the Like Home goes hard, props to the artist! I loved the chain mail WhatsApp messages that Nelo's dad would send her all the time. It was very relatable to me. The theme of gentrification are important to learn and bring awareness to so I appreciated it in Like Home . I also loved how Chinelo went to bat for her community and how she longed to keep it together.
sigh now for the negative. Chinelo was the most annoying character; too childish for 16. I could believe if she was in middle school or something but 16 !!. The friendship between Kate and Chinelo was cute but it didn't seem real! Why was Kate dodging her all the time and couldn't confide in her for the most basic things. Also "the big reveal" was not that shocking, I guess it early on and wasn't surprised by the end. Chinelo was very selfish, not bothering to think about other people's feelings. All of the characters were two one dimensional and needed something to flesh them out more. (ALSO ALSO why why would a big 16-year-old be afraid of a BRA, A FLIPPING BRA)
The romance in Like Home was truly unnecessary and there to add to the drama and emotional turmoil of the characters. The plot, THE ENTIRE PLOT , was saying and no showing. The characters would say something but we, the readers, never got to see it. Also, these kids were always at school but never in school, doing homework or in-class.... The setting would bounce all over the place but there seemed to be no solid pushing of the plot forward. The plot seemed to drag for forever until the very end. Like Home seemed like a showing of gentrification more than a novel centred around gentrification. Like Home was very plot centered.
Thank you to Netgalley, HearOurVoicesBookTour, and Harper Collins for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality