A review by podanotherjessi
Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi
challenging
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was a book I fell in love with in stages.
For the first half of the book, I loved the themes being explored (gentrification, white flight, racial injustice in a myriad of ways, community), but I wasn't sure whether there was more there for me. It felt like we weren't really getting to know the characters well enough to be attached. The plot was too confusing and disjointed for me to follow. But I've been pulled through Onyebuchi's stories before on themes alone, and while I was wary of that working for a full novel, I was intrigued.
Moving into the second half, Onyebuchi opens the world to us. We start to see how it got to the state it's in. What happened in the near future to cause the mass exodus. And it's HARD to read. He shines a mirror on right here, right now and it's not hard to imagine things following the path he describes. So I got pulled in by this world to see more, to hope just a little about how things could be turned around.
And then suddenly, I was caring about the characters, and I'm not sure how it happened. There's a moment around 80% where I found myself unexpectedly crying over someone. From there, it was like it all just opened up, and I was attached. I cared about each of the characters and wanted to see them happy even when I knew it was likely impossible.
The plot is definitely still the weakest part of this book, but I don't think that was ever the point. It comes together and makes sense by the end, but by the end you don't really care about that any more.
As a side note, I really recommend the audiobook. There's a different reader for each perspective which both makes everything a little bit easier to follow and really immerses you in the story.
For the first half of the book, I loved the themes being explored (gentrification, white flight, racial injustice in a myriad of ways, community), but I wasn't sure whether there was more there for me. It felt like we weren't really getting to know the characters well enough to be attached. The plot was too confusing and disjointed for me to follow. But I've been pulled through Onyebuchi's stories before on themes alone, and while I was wary of that working for a full novel, I was intrigued.
Moving into the second half, Onyebuchi opens the world to us. We start to see how it got to the state it's in. What happened in the near future to cause the mass exodus. And it's HARD to read. He shines a mirror on right here, right now and it's not hard to imagine things following the path he describes. So I got pulled in by this world to see more, to hope just a little about how things could be turned around.
And then suddenly, I was caring about the characters, and I'm not sure how it happened. There's a moment around 80% where I found myself unexpectedly crying over someone. From there, it was like it all just opened up, and I was attached. I cared about each of the characters and wanted to see them happy even when I knew it was likely impossible.
The plot is definitely still the weakest part of this book, but I don't think that was ever the point. It comes together and makes sense by the end, but by the end you don't really care about that any more.
As a side note, I really recommend the audiobook. There's a different reader for each perspective which both makes everything a little bit easier to follow and really immerses you in the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Death and Grief