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A review by booksillremember
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie
dark
emotional
informative
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
An interesting story, and I like the idea of showing it through two POVs. Complex family dynamics and intergenerational trauma were described in an insightful and mostly nuanced way.
The novel is a commentary on #metoo, racism and classism in Ghana and to a lesser extend the US. Towards the end, it feels really quite preachy, as if the author doesn't trust her characters to convey the message or she doesn't trust her readers to understand it otherwise (there's a few pages where Akorfa mentally lists all the pros and cons of living in Ghana vs the US as a black person, almost like a school essay).
I feel the author relies too much on 'tell, don't show' instead of letting the character's actions speak for themselves. I also wish more time had been spent on the main characters coming to term with their pasts.
That said, the writing style is very accessible and I enjoyed learning a bit about Ghana (and really want to try the food now), so I'd definitely recommend picking this up if you need a break from more challenging reads.
The novel is a commentary on #metoo, racism and classism in Ghana and to a lesser extend the US. Towards the end, it feels really quite preachy, as if the author doesn't trust her characters to convey the message or she doesn't trust her readers to understand it otherwise (there's a few pages where Akorfa mentally lists all the pros and cons of living in Ghana vs the US as a black person, almost like a school essay).
I feel the author relies too much on 'tell, don't show' instead of letting the character's actions speak for themselves. I also wish more time had been spent on the main characters coming to term with their pasts.
That said, the writing style is very accessible and I enjoyed learning a bit about Ghana (and really want to try the food now), so I'd definitely recommend picking this up if you need a break from more challenging reads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism