A review by buffy87
Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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
3.0
My scale:
- Terrible writing & story, or extremely offensive and problematic.
- Mediocre story, mediocre writing, or too problematic to enjoy.
- Good/great story with good writing.
- Great story with beautiful writing.
- An impactful story with breath-taking writing.
I'll be honest. After reading this book and taking time away from it (before writing this) I really only have a couple thoughts. The first is that reading a racist character did not make me feel good and I'd just rather not. I already know how they think and I've been on the recieving end of your shit so I really don't want to waste my energy on you. The second thought is that holy shit it was pretty bleak, and are we really gonna just gloss over that tragedy?
It's a look into the many lives of people living in Scarborough; specifically those who are low-income and are using a literacy-based outreach centre. You are given a glimpse into these lives but not a fully fleshed out story. So as someone who reads for depth of character, you can see how this might not be the perfect fit for me.
Each character unfolds the story of this community in Scarborough - but the plot/story is not really the focus. It's how the people all fit together and how they react/respond/aka LIVE. It reminded me of an onion, you peel back a layer but you never really get to a solid core. And also like an onion, the more you peel the more emotional you get.
It really is a good book, but if you are seeking to deeply connect to the characters, I'm not sure there's enough to grab hold of. I heard there's a movie, and I have a feeling the movie will be better - not because the writing is bad but because I'm curious to see how the actors and city breathe another level of complexity into the novel.
Recommended for readers who like these traits:
- Canadiana
- polyphonic voices
- stark reality
- unapologetic look into the lives of people who struggle