A review by spinesinaline
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami

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

4.0

Honestly loved the book until the ending. I've seen other reviews complain about too many POVs and being unable to tell the characters apart but it was a HUGE help to listen to the audiobook which had a whole cast of narrators who did a great job. Though I did not care for the character of Jeremy at all, very white saviour-like but presented with no criticism.

For me, the problem was that the ending made it so simplistic when the story had started really promising as a true reflection of our current society. Instead of focusing on societal issues and systemic racism, it took an easy out with a cartoon villain taking all the blame at the end. Still, pretty strong writing overall.
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