A review by siobhanward
The Boat People by Sharon Bala
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A fictional book based on the true story of the 2010 arrival of a boat full of Sri Lankan refugees to Canada. The story was mostly well told and was well structured, but I struggled with how often we changed POVs. Including Priya and Grace's stories was interesting, but it felt like their storylines just didn't have the same impact as Mahindan's. I appreciate the use of their stories to centre Mahindan's story within the Canadian narrative and draw parallels between the modern refugee crisis and past historical events, it just felt as though this wasn't as powerful as Bala intended it to be.
Bala is a talented writer and the use of Mahindan's nightmares to tell the story of the horrors of war was creative and well done. I just wish the book had felt more focused.
Bala is a talented writer and the use of Mahindan's nightmares to tell the story of the horrors of war was creative and well done. I just wish the book had felt more focused.