A review by rmnedder
Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

emotional reflective 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

5.0

A beautiful, poignant coming-of-age story that holds at its heart, among layers of humor and disillusionment, the relationship between a mother and daughter. Kincaid's masterful grasp on the language creates a clear, vivid voice for young Annie: full of life and longing, urgency and immaturity. She is so real, so lucid and clear. Her complex and dualistic relationship with her mother—sometimes fraught, sometimes loving, sometimes both at once—is the lifeline that pulses through this entire novel, culminating in a fantastic parallel. 

It is rare that a book is able to so acutely reach into my heart and hold the hand of my younger self. What a gift Jamaica Kincaid has given us.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, and Death

Minor: Infidelity and Death of parent