A review by sapphirereve
The Opposite House by Helen Oyeyemi

5.0

In a way, this story is a coming of age. The main character, Maja (a black Cuban), spends the novel trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs among groups of family and friends who are multicultural, multiethnic, and multiracial. There are two stories that are happening at the same time and that intersect in subtle ways. There definitely is a lot to consider when reading this story, but I found it fascinating if not complicated. As someone who knows little about Yoruba, Cuba, or Santeria--which play heavily in this narrative--it took a bit of research to understand what was going on in the spiritual realm of the novel as well as the physical. If you want to put in some work, then I suggest giving this a thorough read. Then again, maybe you know more than I do or don't feel the need for all the extra information; however, if you're looking for something a bit less psychological, spiritual, or mythical, this probably isn't the book for you.