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A review by pattyspages
Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
𝔾𝔼ℕℝ𝔼: Magical Realism
ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 ℂ𝕆𝕌ℕ𝕋: 320
𝕋ℍ𝔼𝕄𝔼𝕊: Nigeria / Sapphic / ..a bunch of things I can't find words for! lol
“ʙᴜᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴏᴡ ᴡᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ. ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ?”
I wish I could give you a more academic review than this: "I just really bloody loved it guys"
Now, I saw that with surprise as I have said time and again, I do not enjoy the Magical Realism genre but this one had me hooked.
I think because at times, I was genuinely baffled about what was going on but never felt lost.
It was more a case of "huh? I wonder where this is going..." in a good way.
Told from multiple POV's, it's basically a bunch of short stories and the narration comes back on itself every now and hen to remind you not to forget about the stories and characters you have already met.
It felt very Nigerian and was a privilege to have the narrative voice, deliver to story to us as though we already understood the culture - it didn't leave me confused, instead it made me feel welcomed in.
The portrayal of girlhood and womanhood are explored is painfully beautiful and honest ways and I am annoyed I put this book off for so long.
“ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ꜱᴀʏ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄɪᴀɴꜱ. ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ, ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ꜱᴘɪɴɴɪɴɢ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇʟɪɴᴇ, ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀʀ, ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘꜱᴇ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴍɪʟɪɴɢ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙʟʏ.”
ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 ℂ𝕆𝕌ℕ𝕋: 320
𝕋ℍ𝔼𝕄𝔼𝕊: Nigeria / Sapphic / ..a bunch of things I can't find words for! lol
“ʙᴜᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴏᴡ ᴡᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ. ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ?”
I wish I could give you a more academic review than this: "I just really bloody loved it guys"
Now, I saw that with surprise as I have said time and again, I do not enjoy the Magical Realism genre but this one had me hooked.
I think because at times, I was genuinely baffled about what was going on but never felt lost.
It was more a case of "huh? I wonder where this is going..." in a good way.
Told from multiple POV's, it's basically a bunch of short stories and the narration comes back on itself every now and hen to remind you not to forget about the stories and characters you have already met.
It felt very Nigerian and was a privilege to have the narrative voice, deliver to story to us as though we already understood the culture - it didn't leave me confused, instead it made me feel welcomed in.
The portrayal of girlhood and womanhood are explored is painfully beautiful and honest ways and I am annoyed I put this book off for so long.
“ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ꜱᴀʏ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄɪᴀɴꜱ. ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ, ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ꜱᴘɪɴɴɪɴɢ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇʟɪɴᴇ, ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀʀ, ᴀꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘꜱᴇ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴍɪʟɪɴɢ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙʟʏ.”