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A review by brittney_weber
Child of the River by Irma Joubert
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book fell flat to me, but that's probably because it just wasn't my type of book. It was very slow-paced and nothing much happened between the first 50 pages and the last 100 pages (and even then, the pacing was still slow). Reading it just drug on and I couldn't wait to be finished with it.
I did enjoy Persomi's character, as well as her friends, but her mom got on my nerves. I guess that was part of her character and the point, but the fact that her negligence was never addressed was frustrating.
I also liked that Persomi stood up for what she believed was right even though it wasn't popular. She fought for the rights of the Indians in her town, when everyone else wanted them out.
Time seemed irrelevant in the book. Time was clearly passing since Persomi was a young girl at the beginning and by the end she was in her 30s or 40s (not sure because there wasn't a clear time laid out). This became frustrating because Time would clearly skip forward but I was never sure exactly how much time.
Lastly, I'm really not sure how I feel about Persomi and Boelie's relationship. It's all very complicated, but I don't enjoy the cheating trope. Although it never really crossed that line between them, it got close because of their emotional connection despite him being married.
I did enjoy Persomi's character, as well as her friends, but her mom got on my nerves. I guess that was part of her character and the point, but the fact that her negligence was never addressed was frustrating.
I also liked that Persomi stood up for what she believed was right even though it wasn't popular. She fought for the rights of the Indians in her town, when everyone else wanted them out.
Time seemed irrelevant in the book. Time was clearly passing since Persomi was a young girl at the beginning and by the end she was in her 30s or 40s (not sure because there wasn't a clear time laid out). This became frustrating because Time would clearly skip forward but I was never sure exactly how much time.
Lastly, I'm really not sure how I feel about Persomi and Boelie's relationship. It's all very complicated, but I don't enjoy the cheating trope. Although it never really crossed that line between them, it got close because of their emotional connection despite him being married.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Racism, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Death, Antisemitism, and Grief